2022 marked another successful year for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, with eight standout cards across four sets still worth a good amount of money.
2022 brought hundreds of new cards to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, with eight standouts worth the most money. Newer cards are often not worth as much initially due to newness and reprints when compared to older cards, but some that are either competitively viable or very rare will still have values reaching into the hundreds. These cards would be better off saved for the future when the likelihood is their price will increase, as the newer sets like Silver Tempest could still see reprints that inflate their numbers.
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2022 saw the continuation of the Pokémon Sword and Shield series, which will conclude in early 2023 with the Crown Zenith set. After that, the sets for the newly released Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will likely begin. The sets released in 2022 were Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Pokémon GO, Lost Origin, and Silver Tempest. Each set in the Pokémon TCG comes with its own Trainer Gallery, with the cards from these galleries being just as collectible as the most popular TCG cards but often lacking the same monetary worth.
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Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Lugia V
This Alternate Art Lugia V card comes from the most recent Silver Tempest set. The price for this card, according to Pokéllector (the source for all prices in this article), ranges from $215 to $350. This Lugia card is currently the most expensive card of 2022, but its price could change sharply depending on community opinion and how many reprints it gets. Lugia itself appeals to older fans who grew up with Generation 2 and its Legendary Pokémon. The card also has some of the best art of 2022, mixing a dark wild ocean with the threatening presence of Lugia.
Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Giratina V
This Alternate Art Giratina V card comes from Pokémon TCG's Lost Origin set and is priced between $250 to $300. Currently, this card is the second most expensive Pokémon card of 2022, but it has a chance to claim the top spot if the Lugia card falls in popularity. Giratina claims massive popularity due to its Legendary status, helped out by its mysteriously beautiful background of the Distortion World. Unlike the Lugia card, Alternate Art Giratina did reach selling points of $700, which bodes well for its long-term resale value. Collectors that can get their hands on this card should hold onto it for the opportunity to turn it into a significant profit.
Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Aerodactyl V
The Alternate Art Aerodactyl V card comes from the Lost Origin set and is priced between $120 and $160. Though Aerodactyl failed to reach the heights of its set counterpart Giratina, it did reach a respectable $250. Alternate Art Aerodactyl is also the only other card in Pokémon TCG's Lost Origin to still be worth over $100. Alternate Art cards are often helped out by their breathtaking backgrounds, and the same can be said for this card, which is less likely to rise in value as Giratina V will, but it is still a noteworthy card of 2022's TCG.
Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Machamp V
Alternate Art Machamp V comes from the Astral Radiance set, and its price range hovers between $120 and $160. This is the only card in Astral Radiance that has stayed over $100, and even at its peak only reached $190. This is likely due to Machamp not being as popular of a Pokémon compared to Legendaries or iconic regular favorites like Charizard or the Eeveelutions.
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Machamp is a slightly odd choice for popularity and likely relies on the success Pokémon TCG Alternate Art cards usually have. The success of this card relies on its creative Machamp idea surrounded by the warm background of a market. The only reason for collectors to hold onto this card would be personal preference, as this card likely has the least chance for a price rise on this list.
Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Charizard V
Charizard is often one of the most popular cards in any set, and this Alternate Art Charizard V is no exception. Currently priced between $170 to $200, it is also the only card in Brilliant Stars card that is still worth over $100, and it did have a peak period where perfect condition copies were selling for well over $300. The presence of Charizard is assisted by its duel with Venusaur, giving the card an epic, mid-battle feeling. Due to the unwavering popularity and worth of Charizard in the Pokémon TCG, this is another card collectors should hold on to in case of any future rise.
Pokémon TCG: Rainbow Charizard VSTAR Star
Rainbow cards, while aesthetically appealing, have not had as much monetary success as the other cards. In 2022, this Rainbow Charizard VSTAR is the only one that still prices over $50, with some copies selling for a little over $100. Just like the previous card, the popularity of Charizard helps give this card relevance, though any future rise in price would be less likely. The rainbow cards are colorful additions to any TCG set, but they lack the beauty of alternate art cards, which is why they do not have the same price ceiling.
Pokémon TCG: Alternate Art Origin Palkia V And Dialga V
The final 2022 cards of note are the Alternate Art Origin Palkia V and Dialga V, two of Pokémon TCG's Astral Radiance cards still worth the most money. Both currently sit in the $50 to $75 range but have peaked between $100 and $150. This is primarily due to the popularity of Dialga and Palkia, mixed with the success of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The second reason is the artwork on the cards, which perfectly represents the powers of Generation 4's Legendary duo. Palkia's card embodies the entity cutting apart and piecing space back together, while Dialga's shifting winds and rippling waves represent the entity's ability to manipulate time.
2022 was another successful year for the TCG, although it fell slightly behind the previous few years. Any success is still a good sign for the franchise, with the likelihood of the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet TCG sets giving the game a chance to rebound. The beauty of collectible cards is that even when new cards come out, the old ones are still valuable in their own ways. While any price rise is unpredictable, these eight cards are the Pokémon Trading Card Game's 2022 cards worth the most money.
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Source: Pokéllector (Lugia, Giratina, Aerodactyl, Machamp, Charizard, Rainbow Charizard, Dialga, Palkia), Pokémon TCG/Twitter