The Short Answer
- Umbreon Gold Star (POP Series 5) set the 2026 record at ~$168,000 PSA 10 — the second-largest Gold Star sale ever
- Prismatic Evolutions 'Sunbreon' (Umbreon ex SIR #161) now trades ~$5-6.3k PSA 10, above Moonbreon
- Moonbreon (Evolving Skies #215) PSA 10 runs ~$4.1-4.7k on a 21,000+ pop — demand absorbs supply
- Vintage Umbreons (Skyridge, Neo Discovery, Aquapolis) carry 20-70x raw premiums at PSA 10
- Celebrations Gold Star reprint (~$500 PSA 10, ~18.7k pop) is the 'affordable' Umbreon — margin is thin
- The Umbreon tax is real but thinning at modern pop levels — screen hard before grading mid-tier Umbreons
The Umbreon Tax, Quantified
No Pokemon outside the original mascots commands money like Umbreon. In June 2026 the POP Series 5 Gold Star printed a ~$168,000 PSA 10 — the second-largest Gold Star sale in history, behind only Gold Star Mew. Meanwhile the modern chases keep repricing: Prismatic Evolutions' 'Sunbreon' SIR now trades above Moonbreon in PSA 10.
This guide ranks every era's key Umbreon by real PSA 10 comps and population data — and flags where the grading fee still pays versus where the premium has thinned.
Why Umbreon Prices Defy Population Logic
The 'Umbreon tax' — Umbreon cards trading above peers at equal scarcity — shows up at every tier:
- Moonbreon: 21,000+ PSA 10s would crater most cards; Umbreon VMAX still holds ~$4,100-4,700
- Neo Discovery: 1st Edition PSA 10 (~104 pop) ~$27,000; the unlimited version (~111 pop) hit $28,200 in 2026 — near-parity with the stamp, which defies normal vintage logic
- Classic vs reprint: identical artwork on POP 5 Gold Star (~$168k PSA 10) vs Celebrations reprint (~$500 PSA 10) — a ~340x spread from scarcity alone
The collector base is the moat. Umbreon's dark-lunar aesthetic built the strongest single-Pokemon collector following after Charizard — demand stays ahead of pop growth.
The Grail Tier (PSA 10 Comps)
| Card | Set/Year | PSA 10 Comp | Pop Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umbreon Gold Star #17 | POP Series 5 (2007) | ~$129,000-168,000 | Gold Star scarcity; ~$24,300 in PSA 9 (7x spread) |
| Umbreon Holo #H30 | Skyridge (2003) | ~$34,680-52,800 | WOTC e-Reader era; thin pop |
| Umbreon EX #112 | Unseen Forces (2005) | ~$34,174 | EX-era holo bleed survivor |
| Umbreon 1st Ed. #13 | Neo Discovery (2001) | ~$27,000-33,000 | ~104 PSA 10s |
| Umbreon Holo #H29 | Aquapolis (2003) | ~$14,000 | WOTC scarcity |
Grading call: any clean raw vintage Umbreon is worth grading — these are trophy assets where the slab authenticates and protects real value. Even PSA 8-9 outcomes hold thousands.
Modern Umbreons — Where the Action Is
| Card | Set/Year | Raw | PSA 10 | PSA 10 Pop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umbreon ex SIR 'Sunbreon' #161 | Prismatic Evolutions (2025) | ~$1,290 | ~$5,037-6,300 | ~5,887 |
| Umbreon VMAX Alt Art 'Moonbreon' #215 | Evolving Skies (2021) | ~$1,790-2,300 | ~$4,100-4,700 | ~21,137 |
| Umbreon Prime #86 | HGSS Undaunted (2010) | — | ~$4,560 | Thin |
| Umbreon GX Full Art #142 | Sun & Moon (2017) | ~$79 | ~$450-1,188 | ~1,180 |
| Umbreon & Darkrai GX Tag Team | Unified Minds | ~$80-150 | ~$300-500 | Moderate |
The shift: Sunbreon overtook Moonbreon in 2026 — three months of tape vs three years, and the newer chase already trades ~$300-1,600 above it in PSA 10. Sunbreon's ~5.9k PSA 10 pop vs Moonbreon's ~21.1k is the driver: still-scarce graded supply against the same demand engine.
The 'Affordable' Umbreons — Careful Here
- Celebrations Umbreon Gold Star reprint #17: ~$330 raw, ~$500 PSA 10, ~18,703 PSA 10 pop. Margin: ~$70 fee for a ~$170 premium — only flawless copies, and the pop is huge so premiums compress further.
- Umbreon VMAX (regular) #095 Evolving Skies: ~$30-50 raw — mostly skip.
- VMAX Climax/Eevee Heroes Japanese Umbreons: some carry premiums — check card-specific comps.
The trap with 'affordable Umbreon' is assuming the tax covers a mediocre card. It doesn't — it applies to premium copies of demanded printings. A PSA 9 reprint at $200-250 barely clears the fee.
Grading ROI by Tier
Always grade: any clean POP 5 Gold Star, Skyridge, Aquapolis, Neo Discovery, Unseen Forces, Undaunted Prime — grail-tier where slab+authentication is half the value.
Grade clean copies: Sunbreon, Moonbreon, GX FA, Tag Team — the premiums (2-4x raw) comfortably clear fees at PSA 10; screen hard since these are expensive even at raw.
Screen-then-decide: Celebrations reprint, mid-tier GX/VMAX — the math only works at a 10 on a card with comp support.
Verify current comps at our population tool — Umbreon prices re-rate fast (the Gold Star tripled its 2024 level in two years).
How to Grade Umbreon Cards
- Screen: all four components; dark Umbreon borders show whitening brutally — see our whitening guide.
- Tier by declared (post-grade) value: grails → PSA Premier/Premium; Sunbreon/Moonbreon → Express ($199, $2,500 cap) or Super Express ($349, $5k); mid-tier → PSA Standard or CGC.
- Under-declaring is the classic Umbreon mistake — a Sunbreon comps at $5k+ PSA 10, well past Priority's $1,500 cap. Details: declared value guide.
- Insure shipping to the graded value, not raw.
AI pre-grade any candidate first — on four-figure cards it confirms the grade band before you commit a $200+ tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive Umbreon card?
Is Moonbreon or Sunbreon worth more?
Is it worth grading an Umbreon card?
Why is Umbreon so expensive?
How much does it cost to grade an Umbreon card?
Sources & Further Reading
- CardboardSniper — Most Expensive Umbreon Cards
- PokeInvest — Umbreon Card Prices
- PSA Population Report
- Bill's Archive — Umbreon Tax
The PreGradeCards Research Team combines machine-learning engineers, grading analysts, and collector-education specialists to produce accurate, data-driven guides on AI card grading, professional grading standards, and collecting strategy.
With submission floors rising, pre-screening is no longer optional. Use our AI Pre-Grade Calculator to score a card's PSA 10 odds before you pay, and the Submission Planner to pick the right tier.