Worth Reading

• Charizard ex 151: The Special Illustration Rare That Revived Kanto — The 2023 Scarlet & Violet 151 set brought the original 151 Pokémon back — and its Charizard ex special illustration rare became an instant modern grail. Here is what drives it and what to check.
• A BGS 10 Black Label Mega Charizard Hit $47,600 — While Raw Copies Trade Under $1,000 — The Phantasmal Flames #125 SIR is a $47,600 card in a Black Label slab and a sub-$1,000 card raw. Here is what four perfect 10 subgrades actually buy — and why the gap is the whole story.
• Shining Charizard: The Original Shiny Chase Card — Before every set had an alt-art secret rare, Neo Destiny gave collectors the Shining Pokémon — and Shining Charizard is the one that still defines the vintage-holo top shelf.