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Pokémon TCG Value Watch: Darkness Ablaze In September 2023

Our monthly Pokémon TCG Value Watch series evaluates the Charizard-themed cards of Sword & Shield - Darkness Ablaze in September 2023.


The Pokémon TCG is an ever-changing and unpredictable market. Over the past two years, we've seen renewed interest in the hobby due to a number of factors, including the 25th Anniversary, strong Sword & Shield-era sets featuring stunning Alternate Arts, influencers, box breaks, COVID-19 lockdown pushing people to find hobbies, and more. For a time, sets and cards that were readily available quickly became difficult to find. Now that the hype is settling down, let's see where modern sets stand. Every month, I will do an installment of this series, Pokémon TCG Value Watch. This series is not financial advice but is rather a way to help collectors know the trajectory of a card's availability so that Pokémon TCG completionists like myself know when to strike. Today, let's see how the cards of Sword & Shield – Darkness Ablaze, which came out in August 2020, are doing now in September 2023.

Darkness Ablaze top card. Credit: Pokémon TCG
Darkness Ablaze top card. Credit: Pokémon TCG

Here are the top valued cards of Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Darkness Ablaze with market values observed on TCGPlayer as of this writing:

  1. Charizard VMAX 020/189: $26.55
  2. Butterfree VMAX Rainbow Rare 190/189: $7.99
  3. Eternatus VMAX Rainbow Rare 192/189: $7.91
  4. Scizor VMAX Rainbow Rare 193/189: $7.77
  5. Salamence VMAX Rainbow Rare 194/189: $7.76
  6. Centiskorch VMAX Rainbow Rare 191/189: $6.27
  7. Shiny Rillaboom Gold Secret Rare 197/189: $5.74
  8. Shiny Coalossal Gold Secret Rare 198/189: $5.10
  9. Charizard V 019/189: $3.29
  10. Capture Energy Gold Secret Rare 201/189: $3.28

After a steady drop from the $40 range, where it consistently stood for quite a while, the Charizard VMAX is possibly creeping up again. It saw a modest gain of $2 this month, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on, considering how the rest of this set is consistently in a state of crashing. Both the Eternatus VMAX Rainbow Rare and Salamence VMAX Rainbow Rare cards lost $2, which is quite a bit considering both were already under $10.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby's past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.


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Theo DwyerAbout Theo Dwyer

Theo Dwyer writes about comics, film, and games.
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