A set being at the tail end of its life doesn’t mean you’ll never see it in stores again, but it does means printing is done.
Card companies don’t wake up in 2025 and say, “Hey, let’s fire up the factory and print more 2023 product.” That makes zero sense. The Pokémon Company moves forward. New sets, new hype, new cycles. That’s how the machine stays alive.
Sure — there might be millions of boxes sitting in warehouses, slowly trickling out over the next few years. And yes, every set feels overprinted at some point. But zoom out.
There are millions of fans today.There will be millions more tomorrow. History has been very clear: It’s almost never enough. Even the most “unpopular” sets eventually become desirable — not always because the cards were loved, but because supply stopped and demand didn’t. Humans are wired to collect. We hoard. And the moment other people want something, we want it more.
So yeah — maybe you think Bubble Mew is ugly. Fair take. But when everyone else wants it, suddenly a whole new group of people decide…“Maybe I like it too.” Or at the very least: I know others will.
That’s why the real sweet spot isn’t brand-new… and it isn’t ancient either. It’s the set that’s about two years old.
For a collector-investor, that’s where you often get the fastest appreciation in the shortest window.
Printing’s done. Distribution is winding down. Attention has already moved on.
From there, it’s simple. Pick your profit target.100%? 200%? 500%? Sell and then re- look at existing opportunities, and ask the same question: What's going out of print soon?
So what set am I talking about? Look at the date today and do the math. I’m not going to spell it out for you. But if you’ve been paying attention…I probably already have.