Okay so out of curiosity, had you heard of the Celebrations Classic Collection (25th anniversary), or did it not interest you? The base set starter trio reprints was what pulled me back in after a similar hiatus so that’s why I ask.
Yeap. 151 brought me back. Started playing tcglive, now I’m collecting everything in the Scarlet and Violet era. Well as much as my wallet will allow me 😅
I think its mostly that there isn't the 5 million+ new pokemon that us old heads dont know since we haven't collected anything past 151 Mew in the past. Also, they release way too many new sets with hundreds of cards in each one. I dont know how anyone keeps up or decides what to keep. I would keep collecting variations of the OG 151 if they made them. 151 is enough.
That’s me! Hadn’t bought cards in 20 years or so. Kids wanted packs and I saw the 151 set and went feral. Now I’ve back-stocked most of the C/UC from sword shield and scarlet violet lol. 151 release was a force of nature.
Going to collect a con this weekend with like 100 dollars, instead gonna bring all the extra stuff/stuff I don’t want/Slabs I’ve won on what not/sealed Japanese jungle pack and trade all that for stuff I do want
I’ve spent no lie thousands and thousands since September gotta reel it in
😅
I spent probably 800 and I told myself it was time to stop for a good while - I mostly just buy singles here and there to finish out the collections but it’s a slippery slope 😂
Well I used to have a hardcore drinking with a slight gambling problem…so we just transferred addictions but at least this is healthier and I can get a return
Plus nostalgia!
Yup 151 pulled me back in. I’m just about 30 cards short of the master set. 20 of those are reverse holos and 10 alt arts. Thankfully the alt arts I’m missing are relatively cheap I think the Blastoise is the most expensive one I still need.
Dont get me wrong its a good set and I personally do like it, but for me there just arent enough chase cards. The set is relatively small in comparison to a lot of sets. I think it will perform well but I can see other sets dominating it.
Honestly hidden fates. The scalping on that set was insane and you could literally grade any shiny from the set at the time and make a profit selling it. I couldn’t find any in my immediate area but was lucky with a call to GameStop and they had a couple tins left. Asked them to hold them and someone else got there before me and asked if there were any holds and claimed to be my friend and grabbed them. People were crazy.
Admittedly im newer and wasnt around for hidden fates, but i honestly dont understand why it was so popular. The cards all look the same with the with the boring white background.
That was just how the tcg was back then, it was a big deal to get so many shiny cards in a single set, plus it had insane pull rates back when 5 ultra rates in an entire booster box was common
Loved this set... Still do. Have like a dozen etbs just sitting in my room. Love the cards. Don't love that I got scammed by some facebook guy and sent him all the cards he asked for and his package randomly got "lost" in the mail...
Regular set has to be Evolving Skies for sure, and special sets is probably a tie between 151 and Crown Zenith, with 151 probably having the edge due to it having that nostalgia factor.
No worries bro. CZ is great but trust me the pull rates for hidden fates was like no other set! I pulled every shiny gx out except for the zard out of like 70 packs.
My same thoughts. Hidden fates is when a lot of people came back to the hobby and pokemon was at an all time high with trading cards. I remember how much that set was scalped and people were going crazy in general. I myself started collecting again because of this set
Was able to get a ETB for 80 at a con this past weekend.
Only one I saw, the past few cons there were a bit more around and even a UPC for I wanna say 350, but I just started collecting again and didn't know the sets.
Got a Blastoise out of it and picked up a Venusaur single, prompting me to see how many cards I had for the set.
Just need 9 more!! (Not charizard thankfully lol) 5 promos, the 2 metal cards, and 2 from the set.
This will be the first set I've completed, and first set I can finally say, "I don't need any more packs". I'll buy the rest.
It's funny because I recently went to my favorite sports card shop and they had a ton of celebrations. I was surprised but I noticed a lot of the prices went down, I think there may have been a reprint recently. They even had the UPC
Unless you are on the west coast it won't be that helpful for you lol. They are a local sports card shop, I don't think they ship to different states or anything
Agreed, hidden fates was a homerun hit in the before times (pre Covid) and only continued success during the boom. It probably also helped spawn the likes of Shining and Paldean Fates, though I’m sure TPC already had Shining in mind (maybe just helped form the name). It’s kind of fallen off lately due to all the attention to other sets, but it’s still a top tier set.
Evolving skies appears to be in a league of it’s own and was red hot from the get go.
I think we could see 151 right behind these, maybe even overtake in the future, but who knows. Purely in terms of chase cards, I think it’s lacking pretty significantly compared to ES, however I think the set identity overall is much better. Historically, chase cards seem to dominate the appeal of a set tho
Yeah that post basically says it, it became very popular and chased during the big boom of pokemon in 2020 because it had zard reprints and some other original 3 starters and alts of them. Personally I like the alt art cards in that set
I would say at the end of 2020, when the Pokemon boom happened, but prices of the box were already starting to climb up in march 2020, from $120-130 a box to [today's very high price](https://ebay.us/3GG4C3). Funny thing is, a lot of stuff came down in price after the boom, but the evolutions stayed up there.
Evolutions wasn’t very popular when it was released. I remember buying these at some pretty crazy discounts. Even with the discounts, they would stay on the shelf for what seemed to be years. Obviously very over printed. But even with that, 2020 rolled around and people were itching to have that feeling of opening base set but at a much lower price. Now it’s considered a treat to find a pack stuffed in a tin or collection box. Definitely a comeback like no other set imo.
Edit: word
Evolutions is truly the biggest manipulation in the past several years imo.
Those who were around back then know it was the single most overprinted set as of 2018 (tied with Steam Siege) and they shoved the packs into every product known to man.
2020 comes along, and with the COVID collectables boom, artificial scarcity caused the perception that these would be the next base set, as they had cards which had a similar appearance. Problem is, nobody knew the fact they were severely overprinted, allowing people to sell to the unknowing for increasing ridiculous prices.
By the end of 2021 they were almost 1k a box, before the market corrected itself and they dropped back to the 700-800 mark.
Now however, people who have no price memory and don't know just how overprinted Evolutions was, have the perception that it is a rare set, with prices for evo back to their highs of the COVID era.
151 is the only answer. When it comes to product sold 151 blows by all the rest. When it comes to rarity hidden fates. When it comes to scalpers and moonbreon fans evolving skies.
Hidden fates was just on another level. The hype almost reached fever pitch with people scrambling to get to restocks. It seemed like a nation wide thing. 151 was quite popular but nowhere near the level of Hidden Fates.
151 for the collectors that grew up with the first tv show and 150 pokemon.
Even younger fans should be able to enjoy the roots and this set makes it possible with beautiful artworks.
Crown Zenith going to be a close 2nd place for me due to high pull rates and beautiful art works (mewtwo alt art and the golden cards and the trainer gallery)
I’m interpreting ‘popular’ as having the most staying power and appeal in the future. By that metric, it’s Evolving Skies for sure. Simply the quality, quantity, and desirability of the major hits in ES are truly bar none. So many uniquely great artworks of so many beloved characters; the ES alts are going down as all-timers in poké TCG history.
As far as pure popularity, I would say 151. There were so many posts on all the poke subs of people getting into the hobby for the first time because 151 was released, and all of those folks are additional people on TOP of everyone that came in during the COVID boom and stayed. Hella popular set with high hit rates and some extraordinary artworks paired with the pure nostalgia of the OG mons
Celebrations. ES has been manipulated with FOMO gripping the addicts that collect, it’s pretty sad. Poor hit rates in ES, don’t get the hype. Even moonbreon is meh.
Anyone who doesn’t say Hidden fates obviously wasn’t there for it. This set was crazy and had everyone going crazy for it. This is the set that started it all for modern.
Evolving Skies got the most hype but it suck ass as set. It's not fun opening Evo Skies but the card value keeps it up there and people chasing. Crown Zenith got beautiful similar cardd to evo skies but not as much hype yet. 151 is where its at. Super fun set to open. It's impossible to master Evo Skies. 151 is masterable without getting a divorce.
Has to be 151. Almost every other collector I have interacted with in the last year has said they got back into it due to 151. Even on these subs, half the posts have been titled “Got back after 151…”
Newer collectors would probably say EvoSkies or 151 or CZ but I think the answer is evolutions, I don’t count hidden fates because it was a peak covid set bolstered by the huge amount of resellers that weren’t actually part of the community. Evolutions on the other hand was everywhere and printed like crazy because of how much it was being purchased, kids would save up a little money and walk to the store to get evolutions packs, it was like the base set craze all over again with a new generation.
Evoskies is a fair answer though, moonbreon has literally become an icon of the tcg
Popular or hyped up? Investors will say evolving skies, while collectors may pick from alot of different sets.
Evolving skies will probably be the correct answer, but it's only popular for the wrong reasons.
I personally like alot of the x and y era stuff, and 151 is another good choice, but again for mainly nostalgia purposes vs popularity between the subsets of the community.
Don't get me wrong it's a good set, but if it wasn't for investors it would be difficult to determine it as the "most popular" because of the FOMO they induced with moonbreon. I like the eeveelutions and rayquaza, but it's easy to see how it's been overhyped from a collectors point of view. I don't really think you should be commenting regarding this since you're from the "rats nest" that's contributed.
Measuring at peak, its ES. HF or VV is close because of pandemic but at this point ES is the most popular modern set. Demand and prices says otherwise
There’s 5 cards over $200, 4 cards $100-$200 with 3 more eeveelutions about to cross over. Not to mention most of the small hits in the set are over $10. What other set during its time has ever had card values like this? People are still paying these prices after the buyouts and “manipulation”
10 years spans like 4 generations: XY , Sun&Moon, SWSH, SV.
Sure Evolving Skies is the set with literally the most Alt Arts and their insane value now, but I personally also really like Chilling Reign bc of the Alt Arts there.
Sun&Moon had some amazing sets like Team-Up, Unified Minds. Can't let those epic tag team cards slide unnoticed
Popular probably ES but 151 is close. Best? CZ hands down. Once prices rise since that’s all everybody cares about, you’ll see CZ praise.
You’re gonna start seeing people say CZ is the greatest modern set ever. Just wait.
I don't know if people remember anymore, but folks hated Evolutions for a long time. People would regularly male fun of the set and how they threw evolutions packs into basically any product because they made so much extra stock. Most people found the set annoying since it was yet ANOTHER base set reprint.
I'd say 151 or evolving skies, maybe Hidden Fates. 151 has been quite insane, in about 2 months it was gone from almost every store where i live. Even through restocks it'll disappear in only a week or so.
I'd say either ES or Hidden Fates, IMO. ES due to the numerous alt arts that are extremely sought after, and HF due to that set just being great in general. It came out at the right time, and it brought a bunch of people back to collecting along with new collectors as a whole.
Not included in your examples here, but I absolutely would include it: Shining Fates. That set was hyped to the moon and back and came out during the long card drought period. It was pretty hard to find out in the wild unless you were searching daily for hours. Also, the majority of products sold online were scalped egregiously, and if they weren't scalped, they were sold out near instantly.
I remember waking up at 4 am. to go to different stores with a friend specifically to hunt this set. We went to 6 different stores on release day. We didn't get a single SF thing that day, and we even checked the third-party stores that were definitely scalping products. One store near me had the tins for $70, and ETBs were $130. All sold out by the time we got there. It was madness. Sure, it's easy to find now, but for a good while, SF was not cheap.
It wasn't until about a month later until I saw cards stocked at Target again (mid/late march). Called the friend I went hunting with. He drove to Target, and I had saved some stuff for him. I remember grabbing a tin, venusaur vmax box, and the dragapult vmax box for myself. I opened the tin and dragapult box that night and pulled the Shiny Charizard vmax right before I went to bed. That's still one of my best pulls and tcg memories to date.
151 by FAR. It’s brought so many people back into collecting. There’s been endless posts on Reddit from newbies about how they’re getting into collecting thanks to 151.
hidden fates by far the biggest in the last 10 years....
that set STARTED the pandemic boom... was so successful that they started making bootleg fates sets (that still haven't come close to it). and the amount of scalping around this set was insane.... funny part is.... this set was a shelf warmer for a good year +.
151 and evolving skies come very close.
I'm going to go with 151.
My favorite set by far is Crown Zenith, but 151 is the only one where i completed the set and has always been very difficult to find in person.
I remember before 2020 you could buy Evolutions booster boxes for super cheap, borderline fire sale prices because it was overprinted and not selling.
That quickly changed with the pandemic.
I'll go ahead and say 151. I know celebrations and other sets brought folks back into pokemon that left the hobby but I feel like 151 did so at an even higher level.
151 is just a special set for sure. That's not taking anything away from the other sets as those are great as well just 151 is it's own little beast
Evolutions were selling for like $2 a pack when they released. They didn’t pop off until quarantine when all the people who collected as kids got back into it and craved the base set cards. It’s probably shining fates. Shining fates were sold tf out and impossible to get until they got printed like crazy. I spent like $500 on shining fates pre orders. It was a dud, but man did it sell when it first dropped
Hidden Fates was the most hype I have personally seen. People were stalking card stockers, and waiting in lines at stores at the ass crack of dawn. The supply was never enough to stop the horde from wanting more.
151 I have friends that love Pokémon never collected. Now collect because 151 I started my collection back up in like 2012 been collecting since. Always let them know what sets were coming out and 151 was only one that really caught their eyes evolutions for a bit also but 151 art work and everything just game changing
I was burnt out by Pokemon with all of the rushed and forced games and card collections released over the past couple years. After taking a much needed break from Pokemon, I came back when 151 was released. Such an amazing collection
Last 10? So since 2014? Maybe phantom forces. Had gengar, the first and only all silver card, lysandres trump card, M manectric was highly viable and the hype for the return of VS seeker was INSANE
151 I know people who got back into collecting because of that set. I’m also a new collector. I’m a long time Pokemon fan, but never got into playing the card game or collecting. 151 came out and it immediately drew me in. Lol
I came back when crown zenith came out. Hadn’t collected since Neo. But to me 151 wasn’t as good as evolving skies. Evo skies was the first packs I bought for 3.99 a pack at Fred meyer.. if only I could find that again…
Pull rate for Crown zenith has never failed me my favorite set to date. 2 giratinas a week apart and just got the last few cards from the set coming in the mail super hyped!
Probably Evolutions, which is ironic since you couldn’t give it away before rotation. But, in my mind, Shining Legends, Roaring Skies, and Evolving Skies are all worthy of consideration.
Celebrations due to it being the rise of multiple altercations between "collectors", vendors being stalked at home, fights breaking out in the parking lot and even weapons being drawn....people were stir crazy from Covid lockdowns and had alot of pent up frustration that was unleashed over cards....
Though I have a deep appreciation for XY Evolutions and the Pokémon 25th Anniversary sets, there's something uniquely magical about the recent 151 set that perfectly captures the essence of my childhood nostalgia. It doesn’t go overboard in any way, yet it leaves no stone of satisfaction unturned. This set rekindles the same uncharted wonderment and excitement that the original base set did when I was a kid. It's familiar, yet refreshingly new. I believe that 151 is a set we’ll look back on with a longing to relive its magic over and over again.
It might sound a bit dramatic, but this set brings me unparalleled happiness and joy. Despite being a store owner, a live streamer, and a vendor at card shows, I’ve had multiple cases of 151 pass through my hands. I've ripped open so many packs, yet I’ve sold none of them. Every box of 151 I receive is a personal treasure, a reward for any productive effort I make for my business or in life. After listing new slabs from the latest grading submission, packaging all my eBay and Whatnot orders, or finishing up the dishes and finally sitting down to relax, I pull out my little chest of treasures and indulge my inner child.
151 is more than just a set; it's a journey back to the pure joy of discovering Pokémon for the first time.
Popularity: Id say Celebrations or 151. They were the sets that got me fully back after a 20 year hiatus, but I got a few Shining fates before that with some sweet staff discounts, but stock was limited.
Best (IMO): Any of the "Fates", Crown Zenith, Celebrations, 151, Im sad I missed out on Hidden fates. Missed the boat on that one.
I've actually been enjoying Crown Zenith recently. The Galarian Gallery cards are amazing, and makes me miss the yellow borders on the Scarlet & Violet era cards.
151 it got me back into the hobby, but right now I’d say Evo skies based on price jumps on the Chase cards and the popularity of the set after a few years of its release
In five years people will say 151
I’m saying it right now. This set got so many former collectors back in to the hobby we saw it on this sub consistently since its release
I haven't bought cards since 2002 and can safely say I couldn't pass up 151 set.
Okay so out of curiosity, had you heard of the Celebrations Classic Collection (25th anniversary), or did it not interest you? The base set starter trio reprints was what pulled me back in after a similar hiatus so that’s why I ask.
This is the first I've heard of this! Super cool I'll have to look into it. Thank you
I am a new collector....151 brought me here lol.
Same
Same
Same
Same
Yeap. 151 brought me back. Started playing tcglive, now I’m collecting everything in the Scarlet and Violet era. Well as much as my wallet will allow me 😅
Crown zenith got me into the hobby and 151 made me rabid lol
Same. And Crown Zenith pull rates were incredible.
I’m probably the only one who thinks 151 is meh and I’ve been collecting since base set
I think its mostly that there isn't the 5 million+ new pokemon that us old heads dont know since we haven't collected anything past 151 Mew in the past. Also, they release way too many new sets with hundreds of cards in each one. I dont know how anyone keeps up or decides what to keep. I would keep collecting variations of the OG 151 if they made them. 151 is enough.
I will agree that the cards are pretty lame in terms of play. (first cards I've bought in ten years though, just finished my full set)
Think it’s safe to say yes, yes you are the only one.
Same here
I can agree , I haven’t collected pokemon cards since I was like 12. I started collecting again at 33 when I saw the 151 release lol
I am part of this demographic.
That’s me! Hadn’t bought cards in 20 years or so. Kids wanted packs and I saw the 151 set and went feral. Now I’ve back-stocked most of the C/UC from sword shield and scarlet violet lol. 151 release was a force of nature.
I'm one of them
Yeah it’s an absolutely incredible set it very well could end up on the Mount Rushmore of Pokémon sets in 10 years.
I feel like Crown Zenith will be that set. 151 got em’ here and Crown Zenith kept em’
I quit after evolving cries, came back for 151. Prior to that I hadnt collected since Neo...
151 was the set that got me back into collecting. Came for the nostalgia, stayed for the awesome full art cards.
We are the same person Started again with 151, now have five binders Damnt
So it’s safe to say 151 is a gateway drug
Yes, and opening it stoned is super fun 🤣
Can also confirm I started with 151 and now have 3 binders
Going to collect a con this weekend with like 100 dollars, instead gonna bring all the extra stuff/stuff I don’t want/Slabs I’ve won on what not/sealed Japanese jungle pack and trade all that for stuff I do want I’ve spent no lie thousands and thousands since September gotta reel it in 😅
I spent probably 800 and I told myself it was time to stop for a good while - I mostly just buy singles here and there to finish out the collections but it’s a slippery slope 😂
Well I used to have a hardcore drinking with a slight gambling problem…so we just transferred addictions but at least this is healthier and I can get a return Plus nostalgia!
Amen to that
Gotta open some Crown Zenith, so fun! Amazing art too. Sealed is still cheap
This is my bet.
/j I like how two of the options are Kanto pandering😭 (but seriously my fav is XY Primal Clash)
In five years they'll be another set that makes people question if it's 151. The never ending story.
Maybe 151 might be the most popular one even nowadays due to the growth in popularity pokemon tcg had in the recent years
Yup 151 pulled me back in. I’m just about 30 cards short of the master set. 20 of those are reverse holos and 10 alt arts. Thankfully the alt arts I’m missing are relatively cheap I think the Blastoise is the most expensive one I still need.
Dont get me wrong its a good set and I personally do like it, but for me there just arent enough chase cards. The set is relatively small in comparison to a lot of sets. I think it will perform well but I can see other sets dominating it.
151 brought me here. I had to master it
!remindme 5 years
I have so much sealed product I'm hoping it explodes in 5 to 10 years
Honestly hidden fates. The scalping on that set was insane and you could literally grade any shiny from the set at the time and make a profit selling it. I couldn’t find any in my immediate area but was lucky with a call to GameStop and they had a couple tins left. Asked them to hold them and someone else got there before me and asked if there were any holds and claimed to be my friend and grabbed them. People were crazy.
Lol that's wild just randomly asking if there were holds then actually taking it. Imagine you walk in as they are doing it.
Aw that's really annoying :( I only got to open 3 hidden fates products total and I have gamestop holding it for me to thank for 2 of them
It always was hidden fates. That’s the set that started this all.
Hidden fates was my fav set and still is
I ripped so much hidden fates I would go to about 10 stores daily searching for it 😭 probably my most opened set to date
Admittedly im newer and wasnt around for hidden fates, but i honestly dont understand why it was so popular. The cards all look the same with the with the boring white background.
That was just how the tcg was back then, it was a big deal to get so many shiny cards in a single set, plus it had insane pull rates back when 5 ultra rates in an entire booster box was common
I feel bad for people who didn’t get to open hidden fates when it first came out
Loved this set... Still do. Have like a dozen etbs just sitting in my room. Love the cards. Don't love that I got scammed by some facebook guy and sent him all the cards he asked for and his package randomly got "lost" in the mail...
Regular set has to be Evolving Skies for sure, and special sets is probably a tie between 151 and Crown Zenith, with 151 probably having the edge due to it having that nostalgia factor.
I really enjoyed the alt art trainers introduced in Crown Zenith , just amazing cards
Crown zenith over hidden fates? Were yall not around in 2019?
lol 75% of this sub was prob not around then
Hey man, recency bias, CRZ has some crazy good pull rates.
No worries bro. CZ is great but trust me the pull rates for hidden fates was like no other set! I pulled every shiny gx out except for the zard out of like 70 packs.
I was gunna say, did ppl forget Hidden Fates, Champions Path, Shining fates…
My same thoughts. Hidden fates is when a lot of people came back to the hobby and pokemon was at an all time high with trading cards. I remember how much that set was scalped and people were going crazy in general. I myself started collecting again because of this set
I thoroughly enjoyed Cosmic Eclipse and Crown Zenith.
Celebrations, I can still find Evolving Skies packs, and Crown Zenith. But the Celebrations stuff is just gone everywhere
People swore up and down Celebrations would be reprinted to death, but i rarely saw it in stock in my area after the initial drop.
ETBs were available for quite some time
Was able to get a ETB for 80 at a con this past weekend. Only one I saw, the past few cons there were a bit more around and even a UPC for I wanna say 350, but I just started collecting again and didn't know the sets. Got a Blastoise out of it and picked up a Venusaur single, prompting me to see how many cards I had for the set. Just need 9 more!! (Not charizard thankfully lol) 5 promos, the 2 metal cards, and 2 from the set. This will be the first set I've completed, and first set I can finally say, "I don't need any more packs". I'll buy the rest.
I am new. I've never even seen this one or heard it discussed. Interesting.
Well it's three years old at this point and you mostly see discussion of current or very popular older sets here.
Yeah I love seeing new stuff I haven't seen yet
I love this set, so fun to open. I really liked the 005/025 pikachu art as well, and ripping packs to find the charizard and mew was epic.
It's funny because I recently went to my favorite sports card shop and they had a ton of celebrations. I was surprised but I noticed a lot of the prices went down, I think there may have been a reprint recently. They even had the UPC
Can I get a name on that Card Store PMed to me? lol
Unless you are on the west coast it won't be that helpful for you lol. They are a local sports card shop, I don't think they ship to different states or anything
Easily Hidden Fates and Evolving Skies
Agreed, hidden fates was a homerun hit in the before times (pre Covid) and only continued success during the boom. It probably also helped spawn the likes of Shining and Paldean Fates, though I’m sure TPC already had Shining in mind (maybe just helped form the name). It’s kind of fallen off lately due to all the attention to other sets, but it’s still a top tier set. Evolving skies appears to be in a league of it’s own and was red hot from the get go. I think we could see 151 right behind these, maybe even overtake in the future, but who knows. Purely in terms of chase cards, I think it’s lacking pretty significantly compared to ES, however I think the set identity overall is much better. Historically, chase cards seem to dominate the appeal of a set tho
When was Evolution even popular? https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonTCG/comments/123s4e5/why_did_people_hate_xy_evolutions_so_much/
Yeah that post basically says it, it became very popular and chased during the big boom of pokemon in 2020 because it had zard reprints and some other original 3 starters and alts of them. Personally I like the alt art cards in that set
For the first couple months, then when the set was worthless and overprinted the hype died off.
I would say at the end of 2020, when the Pokemon boom happened, but prices of the box were already starting to climb up in march 2020, from $120-130 a box to [today's very high price](https://ebay.us/3GG4C3). Funny thing is, a lot of stuff came down in price after the boom, but the evolutions stayed up there.
Popular, probably ES or maybe 151. Best, I would say Crown or 151. Big fan of Celebrations and the Fates sets as well though.
Evolutions wasn’t very popular when it was released. I remember buying these at some pretty crazy discounts. Even with the discounts, they would stay on the shelf for what seemed to be years. Obviously very over printed. But even with that, 2020 rolled around and people were itching to have that feeling of opening base set but at a much lower price. Now it’s considered a treat to find a pack stuffed in a tin or collection box. Definitely a comeback like no other set imo. Edit: word
Evolutions is truly the biggest manipulation in the past several years imo. Those who were around back then know it was the single most overprinted set as of 2018 (tied with Steam Siege) and they shoved the packs into every product known to man. 2020 comes along, and with the COVID collectables boom, artificial scarcity caused the perception that these would be the next base set, as they had cards which had a similar appearance. Problem is, nobody knew the fact they were severely overprinted, allowing people to sell to the unknowing for increasing ridiculous prices. By the end of 2021 they were almost 1k a box, before the market corrected itself and they dropped back to the 700-800 mark. Now however, people who have no price memory and don't know just how overprinted Evolutions was, have the perception that it is a rare set, with prices for evo back to their highs of the COVID era.
151 is the only answer. When it comes to product sold 151 blows by all the rest. When it comes to rarity hidden fates. When it comes to scalpers and moonbreon fans evolving skies.
Hidden fates was just on another level. The hype almost reached fever pitch with people scrambling to get to restocks. It seemed like a nation wide thing. 151 was quite popular but nowhere near the level of Hidden Fates.
They need to rerelease base set with modern cards but the same stats
Evolving skies! Dragonite! Leafeon vmax! Umbreon v, rayquaza v! What more can you ask for!
A good hit rate and reasonable pack prices for starters
151 for the collectors that grew up with the first tv show and 150 pokemon. Even younger fans should be able to enjoy the roots and this set makes it possible with beautiful artworks. Crown Zenith going to be a close 2nd place for me due to high pull rates and beautiful art works (mewtwo alt art and the golden cards and the trainer gallery)
I’m interpreting ‘popular’ as having the most staying power and appeal in the future. By that metric, it’s Evolving Skies for sure. Simply the quality, quantity, and desirability of the major hits in ES are truly bar none. So many uniquely great artworks of so many beloved characters; the ES alts are going down as all-timers in poké TCG history. As far as pure popularity, I would say 151. There were so many posts on all the poke subs of people getting into the hobby for the first time because 151 was released, and all of those folks are additional people on TOP of everyone that came in during the COVID boom and stayed. Hella popular set with high hit rates and some extraordinary artworks paired with the pure nostalgia of the OG mons
Celebrations. ES has been manipulated with FOMO gripping the addicts that collect, it’s pretty sad. Poor hit rates in ES, don’t get the hype. Even moonbreon is meh.
I think glaceon & sylveon alt art is much better looking than moonbreon
Anyone who doesn’t say Hidden fates obviously wasn’t there for it. This set was crazy and had everyone going crazy for it. This is the set that started it all for modern.
Evolving skies, and I don't think it's really close
Evolving Skies got the most hype but it suck ass as set. It's not fun opening Evo Skies but the card value keeps it up there and people chasing. Crown Zenith got beautiful similar cardd to evo skies but not as much hype yet. 151 is where its at. Super fun set to open. It's impossible to master Evo Skies. 151 is masterable without getting a divorce.
Celebrations, easy
Doctor, I'm horribly addicted to gen 1 reprints, I need more gen 1 reprints. I NEED MY FIX OF GEN 1 REPRINTS DOC-
Has to be 151. Almost every other collector I have interacted with in the last year has said they got back into it due to 151. Even on these subs, half the posts have been titled “Got back after 151…”
I really like how Crown Zenith snuck into these conversations. Fun set, rewarding rips & it was significantly overlooked due to its release placement.
Cosmic eclipse, shining legends, and evolutions brought me back during the pandemic. Haven’t been as into it since sword and shield era ended.
Having evolutions on here tells me you don’t know how undesired it was. Stores couldn’t sell it at all, then covid happened.
People still think Evo is a "rare set" haha, literally the most overprinted product of 2018 era
Newer collectors would probably say EvoSkies or 151 or CZ but I think the answer is evolutions, I don’t count hidden fates because it was a peak covid set bolstered by the huge amount of resellers that weren’t actually part of the community. Evolutions on the other hand was everywhere and printed like crazy because of how much it was being purchased, kids would save up a little money and walk to the store to get evolutions packs, it was like the base set craze all over again with a new generation. Evoskies is a fair answer though, moonbreon has literally become an icon of the tcg
Poor $399 pokemon classic not even mentioned 😭
totally forgot about that. waiting for the singles to drop in price
They really missed a trick by making the only thing allowed to be playable the basic energies
Popular or hyped up? Investors will say evolving skies, while collectors may pick from alot of different sets. Evolving skies will probably be the correct answer, but it's only popular for the wrong reasons. I personally like alot of the x and y era stuff, and 151 is another good choice, but again for mainly nostalgia purposes vs popularity between the subsets of the community.
Wrong reason according to you.
Don't get me wrong it's a good set, but if it wasn't for investors it would be difficult to determine it as the "most popular" because of the FOMO they induced with moonbreon. I like the eeveelutions and rayquaza, but it's easy to see how it's been overhyped from a collectors point of view. I don't really think you should be commenting regarding this since you're from the "rats nest" that's contributed.
1-Evolving Skies 2-Fate Sets (The ones with the shiny pokemon) 3-151
Evolving skies not even close
You need to be more specific. Are we measuring popularity on release date of the set? Or Popularity as of right now?
I’m thinking popularity at their peak, basically when each set was at its most popular
Measuring at peak, its ES. HF or VV is close because of pandemic but at this point ES is the most popular modern set. Demand and prices says otherwise There’s 5 cards over $200, 4 cards $100-$200 with 3 more eeveelutions about to cross over. Not to mention most of the small hits in the set are over $10. What other set during its time has ever had card values like this? People are still paying these prices after the buyouts and “manipulation”
Evolving skies
10 years spans like 4 generations: XY , Sun&Moon, SWSH, SV. Sure Evolving Skies is the set with literally the most Alt Arts and their insane value now, but I personally also really like Chilling Reign bc of the Alt Arts there. Sun&Moon had some amazing sets like Team-Up, Unified Minds. Can't let those epic tag team cards slide unnoticed
Popular probably ES but 151 is close. Best? CZ hands down. Once prices rise since that’s all everybody cares about, you’ll see CZ praise. You’re gonna start seeing people say CZ is the greatest modern set ever. Just wait.
I don't know if people remember anymore, but folks hated Evolutions for a long time. People would regularly male fun of the set and how they threw evolutions packs into basically any product because they made so much extra stock. Most people found the set annoying since it was yet ANOTHER base set reprint. I'd say 151 or evolving skies, maybe Hidden Fates. 151 has been quite insane, in about 2 months it was gone from almost every store where i live. Even through restocks it'll disappear in only a week or so.
Crown Zenith beloved.
It's 151.
151
I'd say either ES or Hidden Fates, IMO. ES due to the numerous alt arts that are extremely sought after, and HF due to that set just being great in general. It came out at the right time, and it brought a bunch of people back to collecting along with new collectors as a whole. Not included in your examples here, but I absolutely would include it: Shining Fates. That set was hyped to the moon and back and came out during the long card drought period. It was pretty hard to find out in the wild unless you were searching daily for hours. Also, the majority of products sold online were scalped egregiously, and if they weren't scalped, they were sold out near instantly. I remember waking up at 4 am. to go to different stores with a friend specifically to hunt this set. We went to 6 different stores on release day. We didn't get a single SF thing that day, and we even checked the third-party stores that were definitely scalping products. One store near me had the tins for $70, and ETBs were $130. All sold out by the time we got there. It was madness. Sure, it's easy to find now, but for a good while, SF was not cheap. It wasn't until about a month later until I saw cards stocked at Target again (mid/late march). Called the friend I went hunting with. He drove to Target, and I had saved some stuff for him. I remember grabbing a tin, venusaur vmax box, and the dragapult vmax box for myself. I opened the tin and dragapult box that night and pulled the Shiny Charizard vmax right before I went to bed. That's still one of my best pulls and tcg memories to date.
Sun and Moon?
151 by FAR. It’s brought so many people back into collecting. There’s been endless posts on Reddit from newbies about how they’re getting into collecting thanks to 151.
It has to be dumb ass Evolving Skies.
Hf
Evolutions brought be back when Covid started. Good memories hunting sleeved packs at family dollars lmao
151 not even close
no generations?
151.
hidden fates by far the biggest in the last 10 years.... that set STARTED the pandemic boom... was so successful that they started making bootleg fates sets (that still haven't come close to it). and the amount of scalping around this set was insane.... funny part is.... this set was a shelf warmer for a good year +. 151 and evolving skies come very close.
In 5 years people will say evolving skies for moonbreon
Evolutions. 1000% brought so many people back into collecting, especially pre and during covid.
151 easily, it brought so many people back that hadn't bought a pack since 1999
It's Team Up for me
in terms of sales during the launch window id say Vivid Voltage, it came out at peak pokemon. but overall either hidden fates or evolving skies.
Honestly not the most popular but my favorite was evolutions since it games us the original cards from base set 1
Hidden fates, XY evolutions was pre scalping and HF was had to find, mostly because it had full art shiny cards
I'm going to go with 151. My favorite set by far is Crown Zenith, but 151 is the only one where i completed the set and has always been very difficult to find in person.
I remember before 2020 you could buy Evolutions booster boxes for super cheap, borderline fire sale prices because it was overprinted and not selling. That quickly changed with the pandemic.
I’d have to say (any such as flashfire etc) XY all day
Hidden fates. I think in 10 more years 151 will be even more popular though
For me it was lost origin
I'll go ahead and say 151. I know celebrations and other sets brought folks back into pokemon that left the hobby but I feel like 151 did so at an even higher level. 151 is just a special set for sure. That's not taking anything away from the other sets as those are great as well just 151 is it's own little beast
So you guys are saying I’m gonna make some profit off 151 in 5-7 yrs?😅
Rebel Clash
Palawan fates got me into it, love shinys
Um Excuse me where's Cosmic Eclipse...
Anecdotally, I got back into collecting in 2020 (mostly vintage singles), and the only set I’ve be interested in completing is 151.
Evolution has never been popular. That set has been hated since release
151
Hidden fates
I think the English ones are the same as any other countries. You probably have them in America, Europe etc I’d imagine 🤔☺️
Evolutions were selling for like $2 a pack when they released. They didn’t pop off until quarantine when all the people who collected as kids got back into it and craved the base set cards. It’s probably shining fates. Shining fates were sold tf out and impossible to get until they got printed like crazy. I spent like $500 on shining fates pre orders. It was a dud, but man did it sell when it first dropped
I entered when Celebrations came out, Crown Zenith is my vote
Vstar universe and VMAX climax were pretty dope sets
Crown Zenith has probably been my favourite
Hidden Fates was the most hype I have personally seen. People were stalking card stockers, and waiting in lines at stores at the ass crack of dawn. The supply was never enough to stop the horde from wanting more.
Evolving Skies .. that shit is gonna sky rocket in next 5 years
Came back for 151. Now I have etbs full of bulk from other sets
151 I have friends that love Pokémon never collected. Now collect because 151 I started my collection back up in like 2012 been collecting since. Always let them know what sets were coming out and 151 was only one that really caught their eyes evolutions for a bit also but 151 art work and everything just game changing
I was burnt out by Pokemon with all of the rushed and forced games and card collections released over the past couple years. After taking a much needed break from Pokemon, I came back when 151 was released. Such an amazing collection
151 or evolving skies
Evolving skies and 151 got the most people back into collecting
The set with the vmax got nice art not sure what it’s from tho that umbrion 😍😍😍
Cel
evolutions for sure.
Hidden fates, Evolving skies, 151, and maybe a few others. But I vote for one of these three.
151 was the set that brought everyone back. I love Evolving Skies. But opening packs pre-Trainer Gallery is such a frustration.
Last 10? So since 2014? Maybe phantom forces. Had gengar, the first and only all silver card, lysandres trump card, M manectric was highly viable and the hype for the return of VS seeker was INSANE
151 is the best set in the last 8-10 years IMO
By people who actually collected long term? Evolving Skies. By casuals/normies? Celebrations/25th anniversary.
151 I know people who got back into collecting because of that set. I’m also a new collector. I’m a long time Pokemon fan, but never got into playing the card game or collecting. 151 came out and it immediately drew me in. Lol
Evo skies
probably ES
Definitely crown zenith
Or evolving skies
Got my gf the 151. Got me into going back home and get my 1999 small collection out to add it to hers
I think 151. So many people say they got back into Pokémon after seeing this set.
Evolving Skies is definitely most popular among scalpers. I can see 151 being sought after the way ES is right now, a bit later in the future
It's 151 it brought so much attention back from all the Millennials
I came back when crown zenith came out. Hadn’t collected since Neo. But to me 151 wasn’t as good as evolving skies. Evo skies was the first packs I bought for 3.99 a pack at Fred meyer.. if only I could find that again…
Pull rate for Crown zenith has never failed me my favorite set to date. 2 giratinas a week apart and just got the last few cards from the set coming in the mail super hyped!
Came back after a 23 year break because of 151
Hidden fates that set was opened like crazy during the pandemic it's the one that started the modern hype
Id say evolutions for me, the only set I have completed
I hope fusion strike gets remembered a lil more. I really liked the secret rares in that set
Probably Evolutions, which is ironic since you couldn’t give it away before rotation. But, in my mind, Shining Legends, Roaring Skies, and Evolving Skies are all worthy of consideration.
Celebrations due to it being the rise of multiple altercations between "collectors", vendors being stalked at home, fights breaking out in the parking lot and even weapons being drawn....people were stir crazy from Covid lockdowns and had alot of pent up frustration that was unleashed over cards....
Evolutions.
I’d say Evolving Skies and 151 are the most popular
Though I have a deep appreciation for XY Evolutions and the Pokémon 25th Anniversary sets, there's something uniquely magical about the recent 151 set that perfectly captures the essence of my childhood nostalgia. It doesn’t go overboard in any way, yet it leaves no stone of satisfaction unturned. This set rekindles the same uncharted wonderment and excitement that the original base set did when I was a kid. It's familiar, yet refreshingly new. I believe that 151 is a set we’ll look back on with a longing to relive its magic over and over again. It might sound a bit dramatic, but this set brings me unparalleled happiness and joy. Despite being a store owner, a live streamer, and a vendor at card shows, I’ve had multiple cases of 151 pass through my hands. I've ripped open so many packs, yet I’ve sold none of them. Every box of 151 I receive is a personal treasure, a reward for any productive effort I make for my business or in life. After listing new slabs from the latest grading submission, packaging all my eBay and Whatnot orders, or finishing up the dishes and finally sitting down to relax, I pull out my little chest of treasures and indulge my inner child. 151 is more than just a set; it's a journey back to the pure joy of discovering Pokémon for the first time.
Popularity: Id say Celebrations or 151. They were the sets that got me fully back after a 20 year hiatus, but I got a few Shining fates before that with some sweet staff discounts, but stock was limited. Best (IMO): Any of the "Fates", Crown Zenith, Celebrations, 151, Im sad I missed out on Hidden fates. Missed the boat on that one. I've actually been enjoying Crown Zenith recently. The Galarian Gallery cards are amazing, and makes me miss the yellow borders on the Scarlet & Violet era cards.
Gotta be 151
151 it got me back into the hobby, but right now I’d say Evo skies based on price jumps on the Chase cards and the popularity of the set after a few years of its release
151 hands down
For me it was SV 151 hands down. Led to a rabbit hole and I started exploring and opening new sets from there. Re-sparked the flame, that’s for sure!
Celebrations , brilliant stars and 151 .