A PSA 10 Simplified Chinese Mew ex Just Sold for $70,000, Surpassing a Vintage Gold Star Grail
The modern Pokémon market reached another milestone this week as a PSA 10 Simplified Chinese Mew ex promo sold for a record-breaking $70,000. The sale surpassed a PSA 10 Gold Star Mewtwo, a card released nearly two decades earlier and widely considered one of the hobby's premier vintage grails.
What makes the comparison particularly interesting is the population difference. The Simplified Chinese Mew ex currently has a PSA 10 population of 466 copies, while the Gold Star Mewtwo sits at just 127 Gem Mint examples. Despite the much higher population, collectors have continued to assign premium values to the modern Mew.
Originally distributed through an exclusive tournament lottery in mainland China, only 1,510 copies of the Mew ex promo were awarded worldwide. The card features artwork currently unique to China and quickly became one of the most sought-after modern Pokémon releases after its debut.
While many collectors point to the larger PSA 10 population, the numbers require context. Nearly every copy of the Mew ex entered collectors' hands in fresh condition and many owners immediately submitted them for grading. In contrast, vintage cards such as Gold Star Mewtwo spent years being opened, played, stored in binders, and traded before grading became commonplace. As a result, surviving Gem Mint examples of vintage cards are naturally much more difficult to obtain.
The sale highlights a broader shift occurring within the hobby. Historically, vintage cards dominated the upper echelon of Pokémon values, but modern cards with extremely limited distributions and strong collector appeal are increasingly challenging that narrative. Trophy cards and regional exclusives have demonstrated that age alone does not determine long-term desirability.
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