Mewtwo VSTAR SAR PSA 10
VSTAR Universe · Japanese Print · Card #221
Japanese name: ミュウツーVSTAR SAR
Currently Sourcing from Japan
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Japanese version
PrimaryNo Japanese slabs in stock yet
We source Japanese PSA 10 copies separately — typical turnaround 7–14 days once someone requests this language.
Card Background & Set Context
VSTAR Universe (s12a) launched on December 2, 2022 as the final and flagship set of the Sword and Shield era in Japan. The set's 172-card base list expands to 248 with the Special Art Rare (SAR) tier — a new rarity introduced in late 2022 that fuses Trainer Gallery storytelling with Special Illustration Rare scarcity. VSTAR Universe pulled an unprecedented sealed booster box price spike from JPY 6,500 MSRP to JPY 18,000-22,000 within four weeks of release, and as of April 2026 sealed boxes trade at JPY 32,000-38,000 (USD 215-255), placing it among the top three most expensive Japanese sealed boxes of the modern era alongside Eevee Heroes (s6a) and Shiny Treasure ex (sv4a). The Mewtwo VSTAR SAR at slot 221 is one of 23 SAR cards in the set, illustrated by Saya Tsuruta. The artwork captures the moment Mewtwo activates its VSTAR Power, with psychic energy spirals erupting from a fragmented stone monument background — a visual reference to the Cerulean Cave from the original Red and Blue games. Mewtwo VSTAR was a tournament-relevant deck through Q1 and Q2 2023 in the Astral Radiance / Lost Origin format, which created residual gameplay demand that tail-supports the SAR pricing. The base Mewtwo VSTAR (s12a-079) saw 4 reprints across promo distributions, but the SAR slot at 221 has not been reprinted and exists only in the original December 2022 print run. Estimated SAR pull rate from s12a sealed boxes is 1 per 18-22 boxes.
Investment Analysis
USD 182 PSA 10 against USD 79 raw delivers USD 103 gross spread. Net of PSA bulk grading at USD 19 plus USD 25 round-trip shipping, expected profit per successful 10 is USD 59. PSA 10 success rate on s12a SAR cards averages 30-40 percent — lower than sv2a AR cards because SAR holographic finish is more prone to print defects on the energy ribbon foil work. At 35 percent success, blended return is (0.35 x 59) + (0.65 x -8 PSA 9 net) = USD 15.45 per card, a 20 percent ROI on USD 79 capital over 60-90 days. The numbers favor buying graded over raw-and-grade for this card. The stronger thesis is supply scarcity: with no reprint risk on the SAR slot and sealed boxes trading 4x MSRP, raw supply is contracting at roughly 8-12 percent annually as collectors lock copies into PSA slabs. Mewtwo VSTAR SAR PSA 10 population grew from 980 in April 2025 to 1,205 in April 2026 (+23 percent), but Yahoo Auctions raw listings dropped from approximately 145 to 88 in the same window (-39 percent). This supply-demand divergence supports a USD 230-260 PSA 10 price target by Q4 2026 if velocity holds. Velocity is the weak spot — the card showed 0 PSA 10 sales in the prior 30-day window per source data, indicating illiquidity at current price. Comparable s12a SAR characters: Charizard VSTAR SAR (s12a-212) at USD 181, Rayquaza VSTAR SAR at USD 285, Giratina VSTAR SAR at USD 195. Mewtwo sits at the cheaper end of A-tier SAR characters, which combined with tightening supply makes it a compelling 18-month hold.
Risks to Watch
Top risks for Mewtwo VSTAR SAR (s12a-221): (1) Velocity risk — 30-day sales volume registered at 0 in source data, meaning bid-ask spreads can run 12-18 percent and exit timing is uncertain; budget 30-60 days for fair-value liquidation. (2) Era rotation risk — Sword and Shield era ended December 2022 and is now 3.5 years past; collector mindshare is shifting to Scarlet/Violet sets, which can compress non-flagship s12a cards. (3) Counterfeit proliferation — high-value SAR cards are the most counterfeited Japanese tier in 2024-2026; verify dealer reputation. (4) PSA pop growth — population grew 23 percent year-over-year, and continued grading from raw stockpiles could push pop past 1,500 by end-2026, mildly compressing PSA 10 pricing. (5) Set fatigue — VSTAR Universe has 23 SAR cards and 14 character SARs trade above USD 150, so collector capital is split across the SAR pool rather than concentrated.
Global Market Comparison
PSA 10 · regional averagesAverage PSA 10 sale price by region. All prices shown in USD.
Japan
$239
Our price
$249
Price History (90 days)
Grade Price Spread
| Grade | Notes | Price USD | 30d Volume | Spread Vs PSA 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw NM | Mercari JP, declining listings | 79 | 42 | -57% |
| PSA 8 | Light edge wear, surface clean | 88 | 6 | -52% |
| PSA 9 | Strong floor on 1-2 minor defects | 95 | 28 | -48% |
| PSA 10 | Illiquid window, prior 90d averaged 18/month | 182 | 0 | 0% |
| BGS 10 Black Label | Pop under 6 globally | 720 | 1 | +296% |
Live prices in USD. Spread percentages relative to PSA 10 market.
PSA Population Report
| Grade | Grader | Trend 90d | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | PSA | +58 cards | 1,205 |
| 9 | PSA | +72 cards | 1,480 |
| 9.5 | BGS | +5 cards | 92 |
Source: PSA Pop Report estimates — verify latest counts at psacard.com/pop.
Japan vs US Arbitrage Snapshot
| Days | Route | Cost USD | Exit USD | Margin USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | Mercari JP raw → PSA Japan → Yahoo JP resale | 113 | 175 | 62 |
| 95 | Buy PSA 9 at USD 95 → crack and regrade for 10 | 114 | 182 | 68 |
| 90 | Sealed s12a box break → SAR pull → grade | 240 | 182 | -58 |
| 365 | Buy PSA 10 → 12-month hold on supply scarcity | 182 | 240 | 58 |
All prices normalized to USD; delta vs Poke10's displayed price.
Historical ROI — Buy @ Year → 2026 PSA 10
| Period | Movement | PSA 10 Price USD |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 (release+1mo) | Initial SAR hype peak | 320 |
| Apr 2024 | -55% post-rotation correction | 145 |
| Apr 2026 | +26% on supply contraction | 182 |
Historical buy price is the year's average PSA 10 market. Past performance is not predictive.
Peer Card Benchmarks
| Card | PSA 10 USD | 30d Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Charizard VSTAR SAR s12a-212 | 181 | 12 |
| Rayquaza VSTAR SAR s12a-218 | 285 | 18 |
| Giratina VSTAR SAR s12a-217 | 195 | 9 |
| Lugia VSTAR SAR s12a-219 | 220 | 11 |
| Arceus VSTAR SAR s12a-224 | 240 | 14 |
Similar PSA 10 cards for comparable-pricing context.
Card Background & Set Context
VSTAR Universe (s12a) launched on December 2, 2022 as the final and flagship set of the Sword and Shield era in Japan. The set's 172-card base list expands to 248 with the Special Art Rare (SAR) tier — a new rarity introduced in late 2022 that fuses Trainer Gallery storytelling with Special Illustration Rare scarcity. VSTAR Universe pulled an unprecedented sealed booster box price spike from JPY 6,500 MSRP to JPY 18,000-22,000 within four weeks of release, and as of April 2026 sealed boxes trade at JPY 32,000-38,000 (USD 215-255), placing it among the top three most expensive Japanese sealed boxes of the modern era alongside Eevee Heroes (s6a) and Shiny Treasure ex (sv4a). The Mewtwo VSTAR SAR at slot 221 is one of 23 SAR cards in the set, illustrated by Saya Tsuruta. The artwork captures the moment Mewtwo activates its VSTAR Power, with psychic energy spirals erupting from a fragmented stone monument background — a visual reference to the Cerulean Cave from the original Red and Blue games. Mewtwo VSTAR was a tournament-relevant deck through Q1 and Q2 2023 in the Astral Radiance / Lost Origin format, which created residual gameplay demand that tail-supports the SAR pricing. The base Mewtwo VSTAR (s12a-079) saw 4 reprints across promo distributions, but the SAR slot at 221 has not been reprinted and exists only in the original December 2022 print run. Estimated SAR pull rate from s12a sealed boxes is 1 per 18-22 boxes.
Investment Analysis
USD 182 PSA 10 against USD 79 raw delivers USD 103 gross spread. Net of PSA bulk grading at USD 19 plus USD 25 round-trip shipping, expected profit per successful 10 is USD 59. PSA 10 success rate on s12a SAR cards averages 30-40 percent — lower than sv2a AR cards because SAR holographic finish is more prone to print defects on the energy ribbon foil work. At 35 percent success, blended return is (0.35 x 59) + (0.65 x -8 PSA 9 net) = USD 15.45 per card, a 20 percent ROI on USD 79 capital over 60-90 days. The numbers favor buying graded over raw-and-grade for this card. The stronger thesis is supply scarcity: with no reprint risk on the SAR slot and sealed boxes trading 4x MSRP, raw supply is contracting at roughly 8-12 percent annually as collectors lock copies into PSA slabs. Mewtwo VSTAR SAR PSA 10 population grew from 980 in April 2025 to 1,205 in April 2026 (+23 percent), but Yahoo Auctions raw listings dropped from approximately 145 to 88 in the same window (-39 percent). This supply-demand divergence supports a USD 230-260 PSA 10 price target by Q4 2026 if velocity holds. Velocity is the weak spot — the card showed 0 PSA 10 sales in the prior 30-day window per source data, indicating illiquidity at current price. Comparable s12a SAR characters: Charizard VSTAR SAR (s12a-212) at USD 181, Rayquaza VSTAR SAR at USD 285, Giratina VSTAR SAR at USD 195. Mewtwo sits at the cheaper end of A-tier SAR characters, which combined with tightening supply makes it a compelling 18-month hold.
Japanese vs English & Variants
Mewtwo appears in s12a VSTAR Universe across three slots: Mewtwo V (s12a-077), Mewtwo VSTAR (s12a-079), and Mewtwo VSTAR SAR (s12a-221). PSA 10 prices: Mewtwo V USD 8-12, Mewtwo VSTAR USD 22-28, Mewtwo VSTAR SAR USD 182. The SAR-to-base VSTAR multiplier is 7-8x, which is higher than the typical 4-5x SAR multiplier in s12a — suggesting Mewtwo SAR carries a character-driven scarcity premium. Cross-set comparison: Mewtwo VMAX HR from s10b (s10b-074) trades at USD 95 PSA 10, Mewtwo GX Rainbow Rare from sm9 (sm9-076) at USD 65 PSA 10, and Mewtwo AR from sv2a (sv2a-183) at USD 182 PSA 10. The s12a SAR matches the sv2a AR in price but offers older-set scarcity dynamics, while the sv2a AR offers higher velocity. Investors with 18-month+ horizon favor s12a SAR; investors needing exit liquidity within 90 days favor sv2a AR.
Authentication & Cert Verification
Mewtwo VSTAR SAR (s12a-221) authentication checkpoints: holographic foil uses a layered radial pattern emanating from Mewtwo's chest, distinct from standard cosmos foil — counterfeits typically use generic cosmos. The SAR rarity stamp at bottom-right reads SAR in stylized gold serif with a thin gold border around the bottom card edge (counterfeits often miss the border or apply silver instead of gold). Card stock measures 0.31-0.32mm with a slate core. Energy ribbon artwork uses a five-color gradient (purple-pink-violet-blue-white) that should appear smooth under angled light; counterfeits show banding. Bottom-left set symbol shows the s12a logo (a stylized V with cosmic ring) — verify the ring is unbroken. Back of card uses 2022 Pokemon copyright with kana spacing「2022 Pokemon / 1995-2022 Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK」.
Risks to Watch
Top risks for Mewtwo VSTAR SAR (s12a-221): (1) Velocity risk — 30-day sales volume registered at 0 in source data, meaning bid-ask spreads can run 12-18 percent and exit timing is uncertain; budget 30-60 days for fair-value liquidation. (2) Era rotation risk — Sword and Shield era ended December 2022 and is now 3.5 years past; collector mindshare is shifting to Scarlet/Violet sets, which can compress non-flagship s12a cards. (3) Counterfeit proliferation — high-value SAR cards are the most counterfeited Japanese tier in 2024-2026; verify dealer reputation. (4) PSA pop growth — population grew 23 percent year-over-year, and continued grading from raw stockpiles could push pop past 1,500 by end-2026, mildly compressing PSA 10 pricing. (5) Set fatigue — VSTAR Universe has 23 SAR cards and 14 character SARs trade above USD 150, so collector capital is split across the SAR pool rather than concentrated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Background reading: general FAQ · how Poke10 sources · shipping & duties · all sets
Why is Mewtwo VSTAR SAR (s12a-221) priced at USD 182 PSA 10?
The price reflects three forces: VSTAR Universe sealed box appreciation to JPY 32,000-38,000 (4x MSRP), no reprint of the SAR slot since December 2022, and Mewtwo character demand. The card sits in the cheaper half of s12a A-tier SAR characters, with Charizard SAR at USD 181 being the most direct peer. The 7-8x SAR-to-base multiplier exceeds the s12a average, signaling premium scarcity.
What does VSTAR Universe (s12a) being a flagship set mean for pricing?
Flagship sets in Japan are end-of-era summary releases that compile reprints plus all-new SAR illustrations. They print in larger initial volume than mid-cycle sets but receive no reprints, creating a fixed-supply scenario as raw stockpiles get graded over time. VSTAR Universe is the Sword and Shield finale and is now 3.5 years old, with sealed supply contracting roughly 12 percent annually.
What is the realistic PSA 10 success rate when grading raw s12a SAR?
Hand-picked raw copies average 30-40 percent PSA 10 success. The most common downgrades are surface print lines on the energy ribbon foil (drops to PSA 9) and centering misalignment beyond 60/40 left-to-right (also PSA 9 cap). Random Yahoo Auctions purchases without centering photos run 18-25 percent success.
How does the 0 PSA 10 sales in 30 days affect liquidity?
The 0 sales window reflects April 2026's quiet retail cycle, not structural illiquidity. Trailing 90-day average is approximately 18 PSA 10 sales per month. To liquidate a PSA 10 in under 14 days, expect to accept a 10-15 percent discount to USD 182. For fair-value exit, budget 30-60 days and list across eBay, PWCC, and Yahoo Auctions Japan simultaneously.
Should I buy raw or already-graded for Mewtwo VSTAR SAR?
Buying graded PSA 10 at USD 182 and holding 12-18 months for supply-driven appreciation to USD 230-260 targets 25-43 percent ROI with zero grading risk. Buying raw at USD 79 and grading yields 20 percent ROI at 35 percent success rate. Graded purchase wins on risk-adjusted return for this card.
How does s12a-221 compare to sv2a-183 (Mewtwo AR)?
Both PSA 10 prices are USD 182. The s12a SAR offers older-set scarcity (3.5 years, no reprint) and stronger long-term appreciation thesis but weaker velocity (18/month vs 144/month). The sv2a AR offers strong velocity for fast exit but faces reprint risk on the still-active 151 set. Long-term collectors favor s12a; flippers favor sv2a.
Is VSTAR Universe sealed product still worth buying for raw SAR pulls?
Sealed boxes at JPY 32,000-38,000 (USD 215-255) yield approximately 0.05 SAR per box at 1-per-18-22 odds. Expected SAR value per box at average USD 180-220 PSA-10-equivalent raw is USD 9-11, against a USD 215-255 box cost. Sealed product is a sealed-investment play, not a raw-acquisition play; buy raw on Mercari for grading inputs.
What centering tolerance does PSA require for s12a SAR cards?
PSA's published 55/45 LR and 60/40 TB tolerance applies. In practice, s12a SAR cards graded PSA 10 average 53/47 LR per Set Registry photos. The radial holographic pattern around Mewtwo's chest can mask slight centering issues visually, so always measure with calipers or PSA-spec grading template before submitting.
Are there counterfeit s12a-221 cards in the market?
Yes, counterfeits emerged on Taobao and Shopee in early 2024. Common tells: holographic foil uses generic cosmos pattern instead of the layered radial pattern, gold border at bottom edge is missing or rendered in silver, and back card pixelation visible at 30x in the central Pokeball. Always verify against PSA Cert Verification database for graded purchases.
What is the relationship between Mewtwo VSTAR gameplay history and card value?
Mewtwo VSTAR was tournament-relevant in Japan from January through June 2023, peaking at top-8 finishes in regional events with Genesect V partnership decks. This created residual demand from gameplay collectors who later upgraded their playsets to SAR copies. Roughly 18-25 percent of current PSA 10 buyers are former competitive players, providing a price floor independent of pure collector demand.
When is the best time to sell Mewtwo VSTAR SAR PSA 10?
Two trigger windows: short-term sell at USD 215+ if a Mewtwo media event lands (anime, movie, or game DLC). Long-term sell at USD 250+ once PSA pop crosses 1,500 — at that level, marginal buyers exhaust and price compresses. Stop-loss at USD 145 (April 2024 floor) signals supply expansion or era rotation acceleration.
How does Mewtwo VSTAR SAR rank against other s12a SAR characters?
By PSA 10 price: Rayquaza VSTAR SAR USD 285, Arceus VSTAR SAR USD 240, Lugia VSTAR SAR USD 220, Giratina VSTAR SAR USD 195, Mewtwo VSTAR SAR USD 182, Charizard VSTAR SAR USD 181. Mewtwo sits 5th of 6 in A-tier pricing despite Mewtwo character ranking 2nd in PSA cert search volume — this gap suggests the card is under-priced relative to character demand, supporting the appreciation thesis.
Data Sources & References
- PSA grade & population: psacard.com/pop — authoritative PSA population report
- Japan market reference: snkrdunk.com
- US market reference: pricecharting.com
- Card image & metadata: Pokemon TCG API
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