VINTAGE
One WOTC era card a week, taken apart: what was printed, what destroys the grade, what survives.
Every figure this column quotes comes from our own pulls and re-renders whenever the site rebuilds, so an older piece still shows current numbers. The board behind it is the cheap SIRs board, and the formulas are written out on the methodology page.
Every piece
7 published-
Vintage1st Edition Machamp PSA 10 and the Cut It Came With
The 1st Edition Machamp PSA 10 rate sits last among the sixteen Base Set holofoil rares, and the fifteen cards sharing its printed face say why.
October 14, 2026
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VintageSouthern Islands Mew PSA 10 and the Foil Penalty
The Southern Islands Mew PSA 10 rate sits far under the twelve unfoiled cards that shipped beside it in the same 2001 binder, and the foil is the difference.
October 1, 2026
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VintageBase Set 2 Blastoise PSA 10 and the Cosmos Foil
Base Set 2 Blastoise PSA 10 rates sit under the 1999 print on every foiled pair, while the same set's unfoiled cards grade better than their own originals.
September 24, 2026
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VintageSkyridge Crystal Charizard PSA 10 and the Beaten Half
More than half the copies ever submitted never reached a PSA 8, and taking them out of the count moves the Skyridge Crystal Charizard from fourth to second.
September 17, 2026
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VintageAncient Mew PSA 10 Population and the Cosmos Foil
The Ancient Mew PSA 10 population sits near 4.5 percent, and the four non foil promos handed out at the same cinema counter show what the foil costs.
September 10, 2026
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VintageNeo Genesis Lugia PSA 10: The Stamp and the Corners
The 2000 Neo Genesis Lugia was printed stamped and unstamped, and the eighteen holofoil rares cut beside it show what really caps the grade.
September 4, 2026
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VintageLegendary Collection Charizard PSA 10: What Caps the Grade
The 2002 Legendary Collection Charizard was printed in three finishes, and the population data on all three points at handling wear rather than at foil.
August 27, 2026
Nothing here is financial advice. Graded cards are speculative and illiquid.