Pokémon TCG: Iono Prices Skyrocket

Pokémon has succeeded in creating another awesome expansion with Snow Hazard and Clay Burst… maybe a little too good. The company announced that they are going to be printing thousands more Clay Burst boxes to keep up with the overwhelming demand for the product. Images taken from fans show what waiting in line for boxes looked like on opening night. 

The Pokémon company may not have expected such wild demand for the latest set but they definitely know what they are doing. This set features full art trainer cards known as Iono. Iono is considered a Waifu card. (a card with a cute or attractive girl printed on it) These cards usually drive up their value from collectors who like the way she looks. For example, the most expensive card in the Scarlet and Violet Base set is the Miriam card. The inflated price is almost solely due to the attractiveness of the card to the collector community. 

Iono has 2 major factors going towards it. The first is the way she looks. The second is her usefulness in competitive decks. Iono has the ability - Each player shuffles their hand and puts it on the bottom of their deck. Then, each player draws a card for each of their remaining Prize cards. This means Iono will be sought after by both collectors and players. 

Just before the Japanese release, Iono’s Special illustration rare was selling at a staggering 2,000 dollars. After the announcement she settled down at 1200. Paying this much for a modern card is still mind numbing. For context, Miriam, who is the most expensive card from Scarlet and Violet, is selling for approximately 70 dollars. It is likely that English Iono won't sell for the same price and the inflated cost of Iono won't last but if you do get lucky enough to pull this card you might consider a quick, profitable, flip.