Pokémon 151 Price Guide: Every Major Chase Card, Valued
The Kanto supercycle peaked in March 2026. Twelve months of market data on every major English chase card, with current prices as of 22 August 2026.
Scarlet & Violet—151 went through a genuine repricing in early 2026, and then gave a large part of it back. Every card on this page is still far above where it sat a year ago, and every card is also well below the high it set in March. All figures below are TCGplayer market price for English, raw Near Mint copies, read on 22 August 2026, with twelve months of history behind each one.
Where the market actually is: across the twelve cards tracked here the median price is 28% below its 2026 peak, but still 80% above where it sat in August 2025. The last thirty days have been close to flat (median −1.5%), so the correction has largely stopped rather than continued.
The Big Three SIRs
The three Kanto starter Special Illustration Rares ran hard from January to March 2026 on the 30th Anniversary cycle, and all three peaked inside that window or shortly after. Charizard ex SIR #199 is the outlier: it kept climbing into May, topping out at $495.54 on 18 May, and now trades at $374.44. Blastoise ex SIR #200 peaked earlier and harder, at $216.47 on 2 March, and has since fallen to $139.47 — the steepest retreat of the three.
Venusaur ex SIR #198 has held its ground best in percentage terms, down about a quarter from its $156.07 March high. Year-on-year the picture is very different from the peak comparison: Blastoise is still up 81% and Venusaur 79% on August 2025, against Charizard’s 50%.
Zapdos & the SIR Sleepers
Zapdos ex SIR #202 is the only Legendary Bird to get SIR treatment in the set. It reached $141.69 on 2 March and now sits at $97.08, down 31% from that high but still 37% up on a year ago — the mildest twelve-month gain of any card tracked here, which is worth noting against its reputation as the set’s sleeper.
Alakazam ex SIR #201 followed almost the same path, peaking at $92.63 on 2 March and settling at $69.34, up 61% year-on-year.
Starter Illustration Rares
The pre-evolution Illustration Rares were the strongest twelve-month performers in the set — Wartortle IR #171 is up 113%, Bulbasaur IR #166 up 106% and Squirtle IR #170 up 106% on August 2025. They also fell furthest from their spring highs. Charmander IR #168 reached $148.07 on 9 March and now trades at $94.54; Charmeleon IR #169 has given back the most of any card here, down 43% from its $101.53 high.
The $100 ceiling that looked imminent for Charmander in March was cleared in April and May, peaking around $126 at month-end, before the card settled back under it.
Trainer Cards & the English vs. Japanese Split
This is where most of the confusion in the 151 market sits. The premiums that circulate in collector communities are overwhelmingly attached to Japanese 151 (sv2a), not English, and the two use different card numbers and different rarity names.
Erika’s Invitation SIR #203 in English is at $17.65. The Japanese Special Art Rare equivalent, #206/165 in sv2a, is at $37.86 — a little over double. The gap on Mew is far wider: English Mew ex #205 is the gold Hyper Rare at $31.65, while the Japanese Mew ex SAR at #205/165 in sv2a is a completely different card trading at $213.55. Japanese Charizard ex SAR, numbered #201/165 rather than #199, is at $395.43.
Mew ex is also the one card here currently moving upward with any conviction, up 13% over the last thirty days.
English vs. Japanese numbering: the Japanese 151 set (sv2a) uses different card numbers and rarity names (SAR vs. SIR, AR vs. IR). English #205 is the gold Hyper Rare Mew; Japanese #205 is the Special Art Rare Mew, a different card at roughly seven times the price. English Charizard ex SIR is #199; the Japanese SAR is #201. Always confirm language and card number before transacting.
Full Market Snapshot
All English, raw Near Mint, TCGplayer market price read on 22 August 2026. “Peak” is the highest weekly market price in the last twelve months.
| Card | # | 22 Aug 2026 | 30 days | vs peak | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charizard ex SIR | #199 | $374.44 | −2.5% | −24% | ↑ +50% |
| Blastoise ex SIR | #200 | $139.47 | −4.7% | −36% | ↑ +81% |
| Venusaur ex SIR | #198 | $117.54 | +2.8% | −25% | ↑ +79% |
| Zapdos ex SIR | #202 | $97.08 | −4.3% | −31% | ↑ +37% |
| Charmander IR | #168 | $94.54 | +4.3% | −36% | ↑ +104% |
| Squirtle IR | #170 | $93.45 | +0.4% | −34% | ↑ +106% |
| Bulbasaur IR | #166 | $79.20 | −6.7% | −24% | ↑ +106% |
| Alakazam ex SIR | #201 | $69.34 | +2.6% | −25% | ↑ +61% |
| Wartortle IR | #171 | $63.01 | −1.3% | −22% | ↑ +113% |
| Charmeleon IR | #169 | $57.90 | −1.7% | −43% | ↑ +72% |
| Mew ex Hyper Rare | #205 | $31.65 | +13.0% | −27% | ↑ +98% |
| Erika’s Invitation SIR | #203 | $17.65 | −7.9% | −29% | ↑ +14% |
Source: TCGplayer market price for English raw Near Mint copies, read 22 August 2026, with weekly price history over the preceding twelve months. Japanese comparisons use TCGplayer market price for SV2a: Pokémon Card 151.
Where That Leaves the Set
Down 43% from its $101.53 high on 2 March, now $57.90. It is still up 72% on a year ago, but it has given back more of the spring run than anything else in the set.
The only card here up meaningfully over the last thirty days, at +13%. Note it is the English gold Hyper Rare, not the Japanese SAR that carries the well-known premium.
Up 113% on August 2025, the best twelve-month move on this page, and only 22% off its peak — a smaller fall than any of the headline SIRs.
Disclaimer: all prices on this page are TCGplayer market values for English raw Near Mint copies, read on 22 August 2026, and they move constantly. Market price is an average of recent sales, not an offer — always check live sold listings before you buy or sell. Bill’s Archive is not a financial adviser and nothing here is investment advice.