PSA 10JapanesePokemon Card 151 #169

Charmeleon STANDARD PSA 10

Pokemon Card 151 · Japanese Print · Card #169

Our Price

$134

Live US PSA 10 market

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Set

Pokemon Card 151

Number

#169

PSA Pop

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Charmeleon STANDARD PSA 10 Gem Mint · sells at $134 USD · Pokemon Card 151. Cert-verified slab, sourced from Japan, ships SF Express HK + DHL worldwide.

2 PSA 10 Slabs Available

All slabs cert-verified. Payment held until we confirm your slab. SF Express 1-2 days (HK) · DHL Express 3-5 days international.

Japanese version

Primary

Japanese PSA 10 market

$134

Cert-verified PSA slabPayment held until confirmedSF Express 1-2 days (HK) · DHL 3-5 days international

Buy for $134

Card Background & Set Context

Pokemon Card 151 (sv2a) launched 16 June 2023, Japan's Kanto-celebration set. Card #169 Charmeleon Art Rare completes the Charizard-line middle evolution in the Kanto starter AR trio (Charmander 168, Charmeleon 169, Charizard ex SAR 201). Artist Saya Tsuruta — known for her forest and stone-age backgrounds — depicts Charmeleon in a lava-rock mountain scene with Moltres silhouette faintly visible in the distance, a callback to Mt. Ember from FireRed/LeafGreen. Tsuruta's other sv2a Art Rares include Gastly 125 and Ekans 107. Pokemon Center Japan issued 'Kanto Evolution Line' sealed binders Q4 2023 containing a random middle-evolution AR pull, which slightly lifted supply. The Charizard-line collector dynamic — Charmander 168 ($385), Charmeleon 169 ($463), Charizard ex SAR 201 ($890) — reflects classic completionist economics where the middle rung sees tighter supply relative to demand because fewer buyers pull individually but equal-ish numbers need all three. Pull rate for AR rarity in sv2a Japanese boxes is ~1:18 packs, producing 1-2 AR cards per booster box.

Investment Analysis

Price stack: raw $78, PSA 9 $105 (+35% grade lift), PSA 10 $463 (5.9x raw, 4.4x PSA 9). 30-day PSA 10 volume 148 units = elite liquidity. Grade EV: $78 raw + $25 PSA JP + $12 ship = $115 cost; at 40% gem rate → 40% × $463 + 55% × $105 + 5% × $40 = $244 EV, gross +$129 per submission. Positive EV supports active grading pipeline from Japanese dealers. Within-set comparables: Charmander AR 168 ($385, -17%), Charizard ex SAR 201 ($890, +92%), Charmeleon is the middle-tier entry. Across starter AR trios: sv2a 170 Squirtle ($420, -9%), sv2a 179 Ivysaur ($310, -33%), sv2a 192 Kadabra ($185, -60%). Charmeleon commands the highest price among middle-evolution ARs due to Charizard-line tail demand. Catalysts: (a) Pokemon GO 10-year anniversary mid-2026 Kanto spotlight, (b) any Charizard-themed expansion announcement (SV Mega Evolution late-2026 rumored), (c) Pokemon Center sv2a singles retirement Q4 2026. 12-month target $500-580. Risk: Pokemon Company issues a third sv2a reprint expanding AR supply ~25%.

Risks to Watch

Three main risks. First, pop inflation — PSA 10 census growing ~100/quarter; crossing 3,500 pressures price 15-25%. Second, reprint risk — Pokemon Company reprinted sv2a twice; third reprint around Pokemon GO 10-year expands supply ~25%. Third, Charizard-line cycle — when Charizard ex SAR 201 market cools (e.g., post-new-Charizard-chase announcement), Charmeleon and Charmander track 10-15% below due to satellite demand. Fourth, macro — JPY at 152 inflates USD; reversion to 130 trims 15%.

Global Market Comparison

PSA 10 · regional averages

Average PSA 10 sale price by region. All prices shown in USD.

Japan

$95

Our price

$463

Market (PSA 10)

$463

PSA Population

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30d Volume

148

Raw

$78

PSA 9

$105

Price History (90 days)

Grade Price Spread

Grade	Price USD	Spread Vs PSA 10 %
Raw NM	78	-83.2
PSA 9	105	-77.3
PSA 10	463	0

Live prices in USD. Spread percentages relative to PSA 10 market.

Charmeleon AR (Pokemon Card 151 sv2a 169) PSA 10 trades $463 USD on Poke10's Japan live index, with PSA 9 at $105 and raw NM/M at $78 — a 30-day PSA 10 volume of 148 makes this the most-liquid middle-evolution Art Rare in the sv2a set. Released 16 June 2023 in the Pokemon Card 151 Kanto reboot, Charmeleon's AR #169 sits in the Charizard pipeline between Charmander #168 and Charizard ex SAR #201. Middle-evolution Charmeleon typically trades above first-evolution Charmander due to Charizard-line completionist collector dynamics — buyers building the 3-card Charizard family pay premium for the 'harder-to-find' middle stage.

Card Background & Set Context

Investment Analysis

Japanese vs English & Variants

Japanese sv2a 169 Charmeleon AR has one direct EN counterpart: English Scarlet & Violet 151 #171 Charmeleon Illustration Rare. EN #171 PSA 10 trades $280-330, about 30-40% below JP. JP premium from smaller print run + Japanese collector preference for domestic print. Within JP there's no Pokemon Center Charmeleon stamped variant, no promo — the AR #169 is the only full-art Charmeleon in sv2a. Korean sv2a #169 Charmeleon AR exists at $280-310 PSA 10; Korean print smaller than JP. Across Charizard-line comparables: XY1 Evolutions Charmeleon (2016) PSA 10 $85 — significantly cheaper due to 2016-era print run + non-full-art rarity. The sv2a 169 AR is the only full-art Charmeleon in Japanese mainline TCG ever released.

Authentication & Cert Verification

Charmeleon AR fakes circulate on AliExpress and Mercari JP. Authentication: (1) card weight 1.78-1.82g genuine. (2) AR holo shows fine diagonal line etching under 10x loupe; fakes show uniform glitter. (3) Bottom-right 'AR' stamp has silver foil embossing; fakes flat-printed. (4) Lava-rock background gradient uses 6-color blend (deep red → orange → yellow); fakes show 3-4 banded stripes. (5) Saya Tsuruta illustrator credit in 4pt font bottom-left. (6) Back-of-card blue Pokeball prismatic seal. (7) Card stock 0.30mm. PSA Tokyo has graded 600+ sv2a 169 as of Q2 2026 — verify cert via PSA online lookup.

Risks to Watch

Frequently Asked Questions

Background reading: general FAQ · how Poke10 sources · shipping & duties · all sets

What's the PSA 10 price for Charmeleon AR sv2a 169?

Charmeleon AR Pokemon 151 (sv2a #169) PSA 10 trades $463 USD. Snkrdunk Japan 30-day shows 30 confirmed PSA 10 sales averaging $95.24 with 148 total global PSA 10 transactions in the same window.

Is Charmeleon the same Pokemon as Charmander?

No. Charmeleon (Japanese リザード, National Dex #5) is the middle-evolution fire-lizard, 1 stage above Charmander (ヒトカゲ #4) and 1 stage below Charizard (リザードン #6). sv2a has separate AR cards for all three: #168 Charmander, #169 Charmeleon, #201 Charizard ex SAR.

Why does middle-evolution Charmeleon cost more than Charmander?

Charizard-line collector dynamic: buyers building the 3-card Charizard family pay premium for the 'harder-to-find' middle stage. Charmander 168 ($385), Charmeleon 169 ($463), Charizard ex SAR 201 ($890) — classic completionist economics where middle rung has tighter supply.

Is Japanese Charmeleon AR worth more than English?

Yes. JP sv2a 169 at $463 trades 30-40% above English Scarlet & Violet 151 #171 ($280-330). Smaller JP print + Japanese collector preference for domestic canon.

Who illustrated Charmeleon AR sv2a 169?

Illustrated by Saya Tsuruta, known for forest and stone-age Pokemon backgrounds. Other sv2a Art Rares from Tsuruta: Gastly 125, Ekans 107, Charmander 168. Her lava-rock Mt. Ember treatment on Charmeleon is a direct callback to FireRed/LeafGreen.

How do I authenticate Charmeleon AR?

Verify PSA cert online, weigh card (1.78-1.82g), inspect diagonal line holo pattern (10x loupe), check lava-rock 6-color gradient, confirm 'Saya Tsuruta' illustrator credit, validate prismatic blue Pokeball back seal. Poke10 slabs are cert-verified before listing.

What's the grade EV on raw Charmeleon?

Raw $78 + $37 grading/ship = $115 cost vs $244 weighted EV at 40% gem rate = +$129 per graded submission. Positive EV supports Japanese dealer grading pipeline.

Is there a Pokemon Center stamped Charmeleon?

No. sv2a 169 Charmeleon AR has no Pokemon Center stamped variant, no Championship promo, no sealed-product exclusive. The base AR is the only version.

Will Charmeleon AR sv2a 169 appreciate?

12-month target $500-580 if pop inflation stays below 20% annualized and no new sv2a reprint. Charizard-line pipeline demand provides floor at $440-460 even in downside scenarios.

How does Charmeleon compare to other sv2a middle-evolution ARs?

Charmeleon 169 ($463) is the highest-priced middle-evolution AR in sv2a, beating Squirtle-line Wartortle 171 ($455), Bulbasaur-line Ivysaur 179 ($310), and non-starter Kadabra 192 ($185). Charizard-line tail demand explains the premium.

Is sv2a 169 Charmeleon AR playable in Standard?

As a basic Stage 1 Fire-type Pokemon with standard attack moves, yes it's legal in Standard format. However, no competitive deck archetype currently uses sv2a 169 — the card's market value is entirely collector-driven, not playability-driven.

What is Charmeleon's HP and attack in sv2a 169?

Charmeleon sv2a 169 is a Stage 1 Fire-type with 100 HP. Attack: Flare (30 damage). It's not a competitive tournament card; collector pricing is driven by AR rarity + Charizard-line aesthetic, not gameplay utility.