Special Illustration Rare (SIR)

Quick Specifications
Classification Card Categories
Market Volatility 47% (Stable)
Est. Auction Freq 7 / month

The top chase rarity in Scarlet & Violet-era Pokémon sets, featuring full-card alternate illustrations of featured Pokémon and trainers. SIRs are among the hardest pulls in modern Pokémon and dominate the value charts of each set — cards like the 151 Mewtwo SIR carry high premiums raw and graded.

Condition & Grading Challenges

Standard Condition Check: Inspect all four corners under 10x magnification. Ensure surface is free of wax stains and gum residue (vintage) or print lines (modern).

Investment Profile

General Market: Tracks with the broader sports card index (SCI-500).

Expert Context

"The Special Illustration Rare (SIR) serves as a critical data point for the card categories index. Based on our current data (Seed: 2555568803), verified listings for this item show a stable trend in pricing."

Think Your Card Has Special Illustration Rare (SIR) Potential?

Upload a photo — our AI reads centering, corners, edges, and surface in about a minute and tells you whether it's worth a paid grading submission.

Grade Your Card Free
Cite This Entry
"Special Illustration Rare (SIR)." PreGradeCards Institutional Wiki, 2026, http://pregradecards.com/wiki/special-illustration-rare. Accessed 01 Oct. 2026.

Metric Data LIVE

Category Volatility
A Reliability
929 Trend Score

"This topic is currently active in 7 upcoming major auction houses."

View Population Report

Grading Special Illustration Rare (SIR)?

Use our AI caliper tool to verify centering before you submit.

Start Free Scan