Obsidian Flames — hidden value, key parallels, and dealer notes

Obsidian Flames (OBF) released August 11, 2023. It's the third Scarlet & Violet set, headlined by a Charizard ex that became the SV-era's first true "everyone wanted this" card. The set is also where the modern Hyper Rare / Special Illustration Rare pricing convention truly cemented itself.

But the Charizard ex isn't where the real margin lives for dealers. The set's mid-tier parallels are.

The shape of the set

• 197 cards in the main set
• 31 secret rares numbered 198-230 (Hyper Rares, SIRs, etc.)
• Total: 230 cards
• Print run: large, similar to Paldea Evolved
• Sealed product: standard booster packs, ETB, Booster Bundle, 3-pack blisters

The headline chase

#228 — Charizard ex (Special Illustration Rare)

The card. The reason Obsidian Flames was sold out at every Target for two months after release.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $400-650
• PSA 9: $1,000-1,500
• PSA 10: $3,000-5,500

This is one of the most-graded Pokemon cards of the modern era. Pop count is high, but demand floor is essentially unbreakable while Charizard remains the franchise's most iconic Pokemon.

#229 — Charizard ex (Hyper Rare, gold)

The gold Charizard ex from OBF. Same character as the SIR; different (rarer) finish.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $130-180
• PSA 9: $360-500
• PSA 10: $900-1,400

#198 — Charizard ex (Full Art)

The base Full Art Charizard ex from OBF (the non-SIR version). The "first tier" Charizard ex pull.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $40-65
• PSA 10: $200-340

The under-recognized chase tier

This is where dealers leave money on the table.

#222 — Pidgeot ex (Special Illustration Rare)

The set's second SIR, eclipsed by Charizard's shadow. Most dealers under-price this card.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $110-160
• PSA 10: $400-650

Pidgeot has steady mid-tier collector demand. The card is undersupplied at PSA 10 — graded pop is much lower than Charizard ex.

#220 — Reshiram ex (Special Illustration Rare)

Another under-radar SIR. Reshiram demand is steady but not viral.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $40-65
• PSA 10: $180-320

#218 — Greninja ex (Special Illustration Rare)

The Greninja ex SIR. Greninja is a perennial fan-favorite.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $80-130
• PSA 10: $350-550

#221 — Roaring Moon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

Roaring Moon is the set's apex predator-aesthetic Pokemon. Dark-type collectors love this.

Comp range:

• Raw NM: $90-140
• PSA 10: $400-700

The "Tera" parallel tier (the quiet margin)

Obsidian Flames continued the Tera Type parallel mechanic from Paldea Evolved. The Tera variants of the chase cards are under-priced relative to their actual scarcity.

• #199 Tera Forretress ex (full art): $20-35. Underrated.
• #214 Tera Houndstone ex (full art): $25-40. Underrated.
• #215 Tera Magnezone ex (full art): $28-45. Underrated.

The Tera Type ex cards have populated themselves into the SV-era pricing matrix over the last 18 months. Cards that launched at $15-20 are now $25-45 raw.

Mid-tier inventory

Reliable $5-20 sellers:

• 199 Tyranitar ex (full art): $15-25
• 200 Greninja ex (full art): $14-22
• 204 Houndstone ex (full art): $9-15
• 209 Reshiram ex (full art): $12-20
• 210 Roaring Moon ex (full art): $18-32

The full art ex tier (non-SIR) is steady-margin inventory. These are cards I'm always happy to have in stock.

Sealed product

Obsidian Flames sealed is past its prime. The OBF Charizard-driven retail demand has cooled; supply has caught up. Hold if you want to but don't expect 2x appreciation.

What I refuse to list raw

For Obsidian Flames at current comps:

• #228 Charizard ex SIR — raw $400-650, PSA 10 $3,000-5,500. Always slabbed.
• #222 Pidgeot ex SIR — raw $110-160, PSA 10 $400-650. Slabbed if condition justifies.
• #218 Greninja ex SIR — raw $80-130, PSA 10 $350-550. Slabbed if condition justifies.

The Hyper Rares (gold tier) are borderline. I grade if I expect a true 10; sell raw if not.

The watch list

Cards I'm accumulating because I think they're under-priced:

1. #222 Pidgeot ex SIR. Underweight in the market relative to the actual chase tier.
2. Tera Type ex full arts as a category — same logic as Paldea Evolved.
3. OBF base set Full Art trainer cards (Penny, Geeta, Bianca). Trainer demand has been climbing in the SV era and these are accessible entry points.

The skip list

• Common Pokemon (non-ex). Bulk.
• Energy cards. Bulk.
• Common trainer cards. Bulk.
• OBF Booster Bundles past 12 months out from release. Sell-through, don't hold.

Pull rates from a booster box (sample of 4 boxes)

Per box (36 packs):

• ~3-5 ex pulls (full art tier)
• ~0.5-0.8 SIR hits (the chase tier)
• ~0.25 Hyper Rare hits
• Lots of bulk

Charizard ex SIR pull rate is roughly 1 in 5-7 booster boxes for me. Highly variable; some pulls in zero, some in two consecutive.

How OBF fits in your inventory mix

Obsidian Flames belongs in your inventory if you're carrying any SV-era Pokemon. The Charizard tie-in alone justifies allocation. About 8-12% of my SV-era inventory is OBF.

The pattern across OBF mirrors Paldea Evolved: large print, headline chase that dominates conversation, under-recognized parallels that compound.

— Jamie

Prices are mid-2026 snapshots. Verify with current comps. The vault's auto-pricing pulls live comp data on every OBF card you import.