Understanding rarity: commons, holos, reverse holos, ultra rares and secret rares

Rarity is how often a card appears in packs. It is printed on the card as a symbol, and it is related to — but not the same as — what a card is worth.

Rarity confuses newcomers because two different things are being described: how hard a card is to find, and how much people will pay for it. They overlap, but plenty of rare cards are cheap and plenty of common cards are not.

The classic three symbols

• ▪Circle — common. The bulk of any pack.
• ▪Diamond — uncommon. Still plentiful.
• ▪Star — rare. One per pack in most modern products, in the rare slot.

Holo and reverse holo

A holo rare has a shiny foil treatment on the artwork area. A reverse holo is a common, uncommon or rare where the foil is applied to the rest of the card instead of the artwork. Reverse holos are usually inexpensive but they are the backbone of 'master set' collecting, where you chase every version of every card in a set.

The higher tiers

Above the standard rares sit a long and changing list of premium rarities — over the years these have included EX, Prime, Legend, Full Art, Secret Rare, GX, V, VMAX, VSTAR, Illustration Rare and more. The names change with each era; the principle does not. Cards with more elaborate treatments and full-art illustrations are printed in smaller numbers and sit at the top of a set's price list. A 'secret rare' is simply a card numbered above the set's stated total, for example card 204 in a 195-card set.

Why rarity is not value

1. 01Demand: a rare card of an unpopular Pokémon can be cheaper than a common Pikachu.
2. 02Popularity of the artwork: illustration matters enormously to collectors.
3. 03Condition: the same rarity in worse condition is a different price entirely.
4. 04Supply over time: heavily printed modern sets keep prices low even at high rarity.
5. 05Play relevance: cards used in competitive decks rise while they are legal and often fall afterwards.

A video version of this guide is planned for the DeuxyDex channel.