What Was Going On With Pokémon?

By 2006, Pokémon was near the end of the Game Boy Advance era. Pokémon Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen were still major nostalgia anchors, while the Nintendo DS era was about to take over with Diamond & Pearl.

The anime was moving through the Battle Frontier period, which makes this set feel like part of the bridge between Hoenn nostalgia and the next generation of Pokémon.

That “in-between era” matters today. Collectors who were kids during the mid-2000s are now coming back for the cards they opened, damaged, traded away, or never pulled.

The Card Game at the Time

The TCG was still deep in the Pokémon-ex era. These cards were powerful, but risky, because knocking one out gave your opponent two Prize cards. This created a very different feeling from modern Pokémon, where big multi-prize cards are everywhere.

Crystal Guardians also kept some of the Delta Species flavor alive. Collectors love that because it ties the set to one of the most creative concepts Pokémon ever tried.

Gold Star Celebi: The Big Chase

Celebi Gold Star is the card most collectors immediately think about from EX Crystal Guardians. Gold Stars are already among the most desired Pokémon cards ever made, and Celebi has long-term appeal because of its Mythical Pokémon status and beautiful artwork.

Recent public market data shows raw/played Celebi Gold Star copies can still sell for hundreds, while PSA 9 examples have shown sales in the several-thousand-dollar range. PSA also tracks Celebi Gold Star sales history and population data, making it one of the key cards from this set to watch over time.

Charizard Reverse Holo Stamped

This is one of the coolest cards in the set. Charizard already drives collector demand, but a stamped reverse holo from the silver-border EX era adds another layer of appeal.

Stamped reverses from this period are gaining more attention because they are harder to find clean than many collectors realize. Surface scratches, edge whitening, and poor binder storage make high-grade copies difficult.

Blastoise δ Species and the Crystal Theme

I really like the crystal in this artwork. It gives the card a totally different feeling from normal Blastoise cards. That is one of the reasons Crystal Guardians stands out: the set actually feels like it has an environment.

Blastoise, Charizard, Venusaur, and the Hoenn starters all give this set strong character recognition, but the crystal theme makes the cards feel unique instead of just another reprint-style appearance.

Groudon ex and Silver Border Power

Groudon ex is another strong collector card from this set. The silver border EX cards are getting more attention right now because collectors are starting to appreciate how different this era feels from both vintage Wizards cards and modern Pokémon.

These cards were not printed like modern sets, and many copies were played heavily. That makes clean, gradable examples harder to find.

Sealed Product Today

Sealed EX Crystal Guardians product is scarce. Collectors may still occasionally find:

• Booster packs
• Booster boxes
• Blister packs
• Theme decks
• Graded sealed packs

Booster boxes are extremely rare and can command very high prices when they surface. One public pricing tracker shows Crystal Guardians booster box data around the high five-figure range, but sales volume is very low, so sealed prices should be treated carefully and checked against recent verified sales.

Loose packs are more accessible than boxes, but buyers need to be careful because older EX-era packs may be weighed, searched, or resealed.

Cards I Would Watch

• Celebi Gold Star — the obvious grail.
• Charizard δ Species stamped reverse — Charizard plus stamped EX-era demand.
• Blastoise δ Species — strong artwork, crystal theme, starter popularity.
• Groudon ex — legendary EX-era silver border appeal.
• Jirachi ex — mythical Pokémon collectors love this kind of card.
• Kyogre ex — pairs naturally with Groudon ex collectors.
• Starter-line stamped reverses — binder collectors and master set builders chase these.

Grading Thoughts

EX-era cards can be difficult to grade. The silver borders show wear, holo surfaces scratch easily, and many cards were handled by kids before sleeves were common.

That is why PSA 9 and PSA 10 copies can carry such a large premium over raw cards. Even cards that look “pretty good” in a binder may not grade as high as expected once corners, edges, and surface are checked closely.

Subscriber Checklist Access

I’m building a downloadable PokeFarm TCG master checklist library for subscribers. These checklists help track regular cards, holos, reverse holos, EX cards, Gold Stars, and personal condition notes.

Shop & Follow PokeFarm TCG

Follow @pokefarmtcg on Instagram for pickups, vintage cards, restoration tests, checklist updates, and set guide posts.

You can also shop from me through eBay and my TCGplayer Pro shop, where I aim to price cards around 5% below market value whenever possible.

Final Thoughts

EX Crystal Guardians is not the loudest EX-era set, but it has serious collector appeal. Between Celebi Gold Star, Charizard stamped reverse, Blastoise δ Species, Groudon ex, the crystal artwork, and scarce sealed product, this set has a lot more going for it than many collectors realize.

For master set builders, this is a fun one. For long-term collectors, it is also one of those sets where the middle-tier cards may still have room to be appreciated more.