The recent trends across Shrouded Fable and Stellar Crown illustrate a diverging market. Many Stellar Crown Illustration Rares such as Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Terapagos ex SIR are seeing sharp pullbacks, while a few under-the-radar Shrouded Fable Dark-type ex and Tool cards are appreciating steadily.
The contrast is clear. Flashy artwork loses momentum quickly, while cards with competitive or functional utility tend to hold or grow in value.
TL;DR: Crashers and Climbers This Week
One of the most notable climbers this week is Stellar Crown’s Basic Darkness Energy in Hyper Rare form, which has risen from $34.15 in February to $39.98. That is a roughly 17% increase. At the same time, Shrouded Fable has not delivered any dramatic price surges, but subtle demand for tools and draw effects is clearly supporting modest value increases.
On the flip side, the Stellar Crown Illustration Rare staples are tumbling fast. Squirtle 148/142 has dropped from $73.63 in February to around $50 today, which is close to a 32% decline. Market price on TCGPlayer remains in the mid-50s, and the trend suggests collector demand is cooling quickly.
Pokémon Card Crashers
The most significant drop this week comes from Squirtle 148/142, an Illustration Rare from Stellar Crown that has fallen 32% since February. It opened at $73.63 and now sits closer to $50. Despite its nostalgic appeal and adorable art, Squirtle’s gameplay relevance is practically zero. Its Withdraw attack relies on a coin flip to prevent damage and Skull Bash only deals 20 damage, which is far below any competitive threshold. The early hype was fueled by nostalgia, but that interest has faded as supply increased and serious players ignored it in favor of actual utility cards.
Bulbasaur 143/142 is showing nearly identical behavior. Its value has dropped 31%, from $62.96 in February to $43.50 today. Like Squirtle, its charm is rooted in nostalgic appeal, not play potential. Leech Seed deals minor damage and heals, but this does not make it relevant in any current decks. Oversupply has pushed the price down and it is now mostly a binder card for casual collectors.
Another casualty is Earthen Vessel 096/064, a Hyper Rare Trainer card that was once priced at $58.33 but now goes for $46.80. That is a 20% slide. Its effect lets players discard a card to search for up to two Basic Energy, which has utility but lacks explosiveness. With more aggressive tools and search options now favored in top-tier lists, this card is seeing less demand from both collectors and competitive players.
The Special Illustration Rare version of Fezandipiti ex 092/064 has also been slipping. Down from $49.81 to $38, it has lost 24% of its value since February. Its Flip the Script ability is situational at best, letting players draw three cards if one of their Pokémon was knocked out on the previous turn. Cruel Arrow is a targeted snipe attack for 100 damage, but the overall package has not delivered the consistency or pressure needed to keep a spot in top decks. Though its artwork is compelling, it is not enough to maintain premium pricing.
Terapagos ex 170/142 has taken the most dramatic hit among the crashers. Originally priced at $77.89, it now sits at $36.88, which represents a drop of over 52%. Its Colorless typing and bulky stats looked promising at launch, but Unified Beatdown relies on a full bench and cannot be used on turn one if going second. Crown Opal is a strong move but only blocks attacks from Basic non-Colorless Pokémon. These limitations make it too slow and too narrow for the current metagame.
Pokémon Card Climbers
While the flashy cards in Stellar Crown have stumbled, several functional and competitively useful cards from Shrouded Fable are seeing steady gains. At the top is Basic Darkness Energy 098/064 in Hyper Rare form, which has climbed from $34.15 in February to $39.98. That is a 17% increase. High rarity energy cards have long been a collector favorite, and this one also happens to serve an important role in Dark-heavy decks that are seeing renewed interest.
A surprise riser is Dusclops 069/064, an Illustration Rare that has moved from $17.46 to $20.40 since June. The Cursed Blast ability allows you to place five damage counters on any of your opponent’s Pokémon at the cost of knocking Dusclops out. It is a one-time play, but it can turn the tide against low-HP attackers or finish off key threats. It is finding homes in creative deck builds and may have long-term appeal as a rogue tool.
Interestingly, while the Special Illustration Rare of Fezandipiti ex is declining, the Double Rare version Fezandipiti ex 038/064 is moving the opposite direction. It has jumped from $8.66 in March to $16.75 now, an increase of 93%. Competitive players are clearly buying in. Flip the Script is a decent comeback mechanic and Cruel Arrow is strong board pressure in slower matchups. It is a functional card at a lower price point, and it is benefiting from increased adoption in mid-tier builds.
The subtle but steady growth of Powerglass 097/064 also deserves mention. This Hyper Rare Pokémon Tool has gone from $17.35 to $18.50, a 7% uptick. Its end-of-turn effect lets you attach a Basic Energy from your discard pile if the equipped Pokémon is in the Active Spot. That kind of resource recycling is increasingly valuable in grindy games, and players are finding ways to incorporate it into rotating attacker strategies.
Lastly, Okidogi ex 090/064 has risen from $16.76 in March to $18.99 today, a 13% gain. This Darkness-type Pokémon has synergy built around Poison and self-boosting. Its first attack accelerates two Basic Darkness Energy at the cost of becoming Poisoned, while Chain-Crazed hits for 130 more damage if the Pokémon is poisoned. That interaction allows it to self-power and self-trigger a massive 260 damage attack, which is gaining popularity in certain fringe decks. Its Special Illustration Rare art adds collector interest, pushing both play and display value upward.
Sealed Stellar Crown and Shrouded Fable Products
For collectors and players who prefer the thrill of opening packs rather than buying singles, both Stellar Crown and Shrouded Fable offer a solid lineup of sealed products right now. But if you’re chasing specific high-value Illustration Rares like Squirtle or playable staples like Fezandipiti ex, the numbers make one thing clear: buying singles will save you a fortune.
Take the Stellar Crown Booster Box, currently sitting at $219.99 on TCGPlayer. With 36 packs, you’re paying over $6 per pack, and the odds of pulling a specific Illustration Rare like Terapagos ex 170/142 are incredibly slim. Given that that card now sells for around $36.88, it’s far more efficient to buy it directly than to hope you land one by chance.
If you’re looking for smaller options, the Stellar Crown Booster Bundle at $54.01 or the Elite Trainer Box at $83.00 offer a few packs and themed accessories, but again, the likelihood of pulling a $50+ chase card is very low. Even the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, priced at $121.00, carries a high cost per pack with no guarantee of return.
On the Shrouded Fable side, the Booster Bundle at $46.24 and Elite Trainer Box at $55.01 offer a more accessible entry point, and this set’s price floor is generally lower. The Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box at $97.94 and Mini Tin Display at $164.95 are aimed at collectors who want a premium unboxing experience, but again, pulling specific cards like Powerglass or Okidogi ex is far from guaranteed.
Even the Kingdra ex Special Illustration Collection at $124.99 and Greninja ex Collection at $90.00 serve more as showcase pieces than consistent value plays. Unless you’re collecting sealed for long-term hold or display, the best strategy right now is surgical: identify the singles you want and buy them directly.
Sealed product is fun and occasionally lucky, but the current market makes one thing obvious. If your goal is to own a particular card, especially any of the climbers or crashers we’ve covered this week, buying singles is the smarter and more economical path.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
