EXCLUSIVE WAX REPORT CONTENT
Welcome to the subscriber-only companion to The Wax Report — October 2026. Below you’ll find the deeper dives, analysis, and bonus content referenced throughout this month’s issue.
SLAB NEWS
The Grading Boom Is Testing the Industry
Card grading continues to grow at a pace that even some of the industry’s largest companies have struggled to absorb. PSA, Beckett, SGC and TAG have all recently dealt with capacity or turnaround-time pressures, while CGC continues expanding its presence internationally. For collectors, the story isn’t simply who grades the most cards anymore—capacity, turnaround times, pricing and accessibility are becoming increasingly important parts of deciding where to submit.
PSA: 9 Million Cards and Counting
PSA’s active global backlog has fallen to approximately 9 million cards, down from 9.9 million on September 8. That’s progress, but PSA’s lower-cost Value and Value Bulk services remain paused. The company says Value won’t reopen based on a specific date; instead, reopening is tied to operational milestones as PSA works toward a backlog target of approximately 5 million cards.
PSA did reopen a middle-ground option on September 14: Standard grading at $59.99 per card, with an estimated 90–100 business-day turnaround and a $1,000 maximum insured value. PSA says its $200 million infrastructure investment has helped increase global production by about 40% versus last year, while its new Frankfurt facility expands its international capacity.
What we’re watching: When does PSA feel comfortable reopening Value, and what will demand look like when it does?
Beckett: Demand Surged — Then Submissions Reopened
Beckett temporarily paused Base and Standard submissions after reporting a 102% year-over-year increase in cards submitted and a 159% increase in TCG cards graded. During the pause, Beckett said it was hiring, extending operating hours, and upgrading software and grading workstations to increase capacity.
There’s now an important update: Base and Standard submissions are open again, along with Express. Beckett says pricing remains unchanged and it has not extended the estimated turnaround times as part of the reopening, although availability could change as the company monitors demand and backlog.
Beckett is also pushing its revamped slab presentation, including a redesigned label with added security features and a new autograph-grade designation.
What we’re watching: Can Beckett keep its lower-cost services open while maintaining turnaround times?
SGC: Turnaround Times Under Pressure
SGC acknowledged on September 2 that rapidly increasing demand had pushed turnaround times beyond levels it considered acceptable and adjusted its available service levels in response.
SGC says it is aggressively hiring, substantially expanding its operational space, and investing in technology and infrastructure. The company has also warned collectors to expect additional service-level adjustments between late 2026 and early 2027.
What we’re watching: Whether SGC’s expansion translates into noticeably shorter turnaround times over the next several months.
TAG: Digging Out of a Huge Backlog
TAG provides one of the more dramatic numbers in the grading industry. At its peak, TAG says its active backlog reached approximately 420% of its monthly processing capacity.
As of September 16, TAG reported that it had reduced that backlog by approximately 85%, bringing its current backlog load to roughly 63% of monthly capacity. TAG expects to reach full backlog catch-up sometime in October if its current trajectory continues.
Rather than immediately reopening unrestricted submissions, TAG has been using limited submission drops while it continues working through existing orders.
What we’re watching: October could be a significant month for TAG if it reaches full backlog recovery and begins expanding submission availability again.
CGC: Taking the Grading Fight Global
CGC’s current story looks somewhat different. Rather than announcing a major submission pause, CGC continues increasing its international presence and combining card grading with JSA autograph authentication.
In October, CGC and JSA will offer on-site services at the Asia Super Collectors Convention in Macau, including card grading with certain Friday submissions available for pickup by the end of the show. CGC/JSA are also accepting submissions at events in Spain and the United States during October.
What we’re watching: Whether CGC’s international expansion and its integration with JSA help it capture more of the sports-card and TCG grading market.
🔎 SLAB SPOTLIGHT
Mint Authentication
Each month, The Wax Report steps outside the hobby’s biggest grading names to spotlight an independent or emerging grader collectors may not have tried. October’s spotlight is Mint Authentication, which grades sports, TCG and non-sports cards using its proprietary 4 Score Grading System. Cards are evaluated across centering, corners, edges and surface from a 400-point starting score, which is then converted to Mint’s 10-point grading scale. Mint’s slabs include visible subgrades, QR-based certification verification, a sonically sealed holder and, according to the company, 99% UV protection.
One of Mint’s biggest differentiators is straightforward pricing. Its current Standard service is $14 per card with a stated 15–20 business-day turnaround, while Express is $34 per card with a stated 2–5 business-day turnaround; shipping time is additional. Mint also advertises no membership requirement or grading upcharges, and autograph authentication/grading can be added to submissions.
Why we’re watching: Mint is competing less on established resale-market dominance and more on affordability, presentation, grading transparency and accessibility. For collectors, the interesting question is whether newer independent graders like Mint can turn those advantages into broader collector acceptance over time.
Transparency: KettsKards has an existing relationship with Mint Authentication. Mint’s inclusion in Slab Spotlight is not a paid ranking or an endorsement over other grading companies.
The Wax Report Takeaway
The biggest grading story right now isn’t a new slab or grading scale—it’s capacity.
Collectors continue sending cards to graders in enormous numbers. PSA is still sitting on roughly nine million cards, Beckett experienced triple-digit submission growth, SGC is expanding to address turnaround times, and TAG has spent months digging out from a backlog several times its monthly capacity.
For collectors, that means the logo on the slab isn’t the only consideration. Price, turnaround time, resale market, accessibility and confidence in the grader all matter when deciding where—and whether—to submit.
Grading services, pricing and estimated turnaround times can change. Information above reflects published company information available September 24, 2026.
UNPOPULAR OPINION
PSA Isn’t Worth the Hype
Alright, I’m climbing onto the soapbox for this one.
PSA is the king of the grading market. But that doesn’t automatically make PSA the smartest place to send every card.
There. I said it.
Before the PSA faithful start throwing slabs at me, understand what I’m not arguing. I’m not saying PSA doesn’t have tremendous brand recognition. I’m not saying a PSA 10 doesn’t frequently command a premium. And I’m certainly not saying collectors should stop using PSA.
I’m saying something much simpler:
For a collector trying to buy, grade, sell and reinvest, waiting months to maximize the value of one card can sometimes be worse business than making less money several times during the same period.
And right now, the turnaround-time problem makes that argument especially interesting.
The Clock Matters
PSA’s current situation is extraordinary. Earlier this year, the company said its active backlog was approaching 10 million cards and temporarily stopped accepting its four Value service levels. PSA recently introduced a $59.99 Standard tier with an estimated 90–100 business-day turnaround. Its current grading page also warns that turnaround estimates aren’t guaranteed and can change with submission volume and capacity.
Ninety to 100 business days isn’t three months.
Once weekends are removed, that’s roughly four to five calendar months before accounting for shipping and other potential delays.
So let’s put away the grading-company fan jerseys for a minute and look at this like a business.
Suppose I have a card that could sell for $100 as a PSA 10.
I submit it, wait roughly four or five months, get my 10—assuming it actually gems—and eventually sell it.
Great. I’ve created a $100 sale.
But what did my money do while that card was gone?
Nothing.
It was sitting inside plastic somewhere in the grading pipeline.
What If I Don’t Need the PSA Premium?
Here’s where my unpopular opinion really begins.
Mint Authentication currently advertises a 15–20 business-day Standard service for $14 and a 2–5 business-day Express service. Its Express service is currently $34 per card.
That creates an entirely different business model.
Let’s use your hypothetical and assume—not claim—that the same card in a smaller grader’s Gem Mint slab can repeatedly find buyers at 50% of its $100 PSA 10 comp.
That’s $50.
One PSA sale = $100 gross revenue.
But if I can turn comparable inventory six times at $50 while you’re waiting for the PSA card?
That’s $300 in gross sales.
Eight turns?
$400.
No, that does not mean I’ve made $300–$400 in profit. I’ve still got card acquisition costs, grading fees, shipping, selling fees and the risk that a card doesn’t receive the grade I expected.
But that’s precisely my point:
Velocity has value.
The PSA slab can be worth substantially more and still not necessarily produce the better return on working capital.
And PSA Isn’t the Only Company Grading Cards
The idea that collectors simply won’t use alternatives also deserves some scrutiny.
GemRate reported that graders processed approximately 3.61 million cards in July 2026 alone. PSA dominated at roughly 2.49 million—but CGC graded approximately 856,000, Beckett about 161,000, TAG roughly 57,000, and SGC around 44,000.
That’s not evidence that those slabs command PSA prices—they generally shouldn’t be assumed to.
It is evidence that there is significant collector demand for grading outside PSA.
And some alternatives can offer substantially faster premium services. SGC, for example, currently lists an expedited service with an estimated 2–3 business-day turnaround for eligible cards, although its standard service has recently stretched beyond 40 business days because SGC itself is dealing with increased demand.
TAG is another cautionary example: demand became so strong that TAG also developed a major backlog and restricted submissions. As of September 16, however, TAG reported reducing its peak backlog by approximately 85% and was targeting full catch-up in October.
So this isn’t simply PSA slow, everybody else fast.
Demand can overwhelm any grader.
The Part Nobody Likes Talking About
Here’s where I really plant my flag.
Collectors have become obsessed with asking:
“Which slab sells for the most?”
I think flippers should sometimes be asking:
“Which option lets me make the most money with this capital over the next six months?”
Those aren’t necessarily the same question.
If you’re grading a grail, a scarce vintage card, or something where maximizing resale value matters far more than speed, waiting for PSA can make perfect sense.
But a $30, $50 or $100 modern card I’m trying to flip?
I’m supposed to park that inventory for months simply because one company’s label might produce the highest eventual sale price?
I’m not convinced.
Give me a reputable grader, a good-looking slab, transparent grading, a reasonable fee and a turnaround measured in days or weeks instead of months, and suddenly accepting a lower resale price doesn’t sound nearly as crazy.
Because while somebody else is waiting for one card to come home, I may have already sold, reinvested, graded and sold again.
And again.
And again.
That’s not anti-PSA.
That’s understanding opportunity cost.
The Bottom Line
PSA deserves its position in this hobby. Its scale alone is remarkable, and the resale premium attached to many PSA slabs is real.
But highest resale value doesn’t automatically mean highest return on your time and money.
For collectors building long-term collections, PSA’s premium may be exactly what they want.
For somebody trying to keep inventory moving?
I’ll take a serious look at the grader who gets my card back while people are still interested in buying it.
Now I’ll get off my soapbox.
🏈 OCTOBER’S PLAYER TO HUNT
The Answer Is… Denzel Boston
Remember those mystery numbers from the front of this month’s Wax Report?
7 catches. 154 yards. 22 yards per reception. 2 touchdowns. A touchdown in each of his first two NFL games.
If you guessed Denzel Boston, give yourself the win.
But here’s the more important question for collectors: If Boston keeps doing this, how long will his rookie cards remain priced like those of a player the hobby hasn’t completely discovered yet?
That’s why the Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver is October’s Player to Hunt.
From Waiting His Turn to the NFL
Boston’s path is interesting because he wasn’t an overnight star.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver grew up in Washington and played at Emerald Ridge High School, where he was also a track athlete. He then stayed home to play for the University of Washington—and walked into an absolutely loaded receiver room featuring future NFL players Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk.
That meant waiting.
Boston caught only five passes in 2023 while Washington made its run to the national championship game. Once the path cleared, however, he exploded: 63 receptions, 834 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, followed by 62 receptions, 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. Fourteen of his 20 collegiate receiving touchdowns came in the red zone.
There’s a nice hobby parallel here: Boston spent years sitting behind names everybody already knew before getting his opportunity.
He credits Odunze with helping shape that patience. Boston said his former Washington teammate taught him “patience” and “fortitude” and later advised him to arrive in the NFL prepared and ready to master the playbook.
Cleveland eventually selected Boston 39th overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook said the organization believed some teams had given Boston a first-round grade.
And falling out of Round 1 apparently bothered Boston.
After the draft he said the experience gave him a “chip on my shoulder.”
That’s not a bad chip for a collector to keep an eye on.
Then Training Camp Started…
The preseason buzz wasn’t manufactured after two good regular-season games.
Browns coach Todd Monken praised Boston’s preparation during camp, saying the rookie was extremely diligent and highlighting something important about his 6-foot-4 frame: Boston doesn’t merely have size—he plays big, particularly at the catch point.
Veteran Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy noticed something else. He said Boston continually approached him with questions because “he wants to be great” and wanted to keep learning.
Former Washington coach Jedd Fisch was watching from afar, too. During training camp he described Boston’s early Cleveland performance as “phenomenal.”
Then the games counted.
Two Games. Two Touchdowns.
Boston started both of Cleveland’s first two games.
Week 1 vs. Jacksonville: 2 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD.
Week 2 vs. Tampa Bay: 5 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD.
That leaves him at 7 receptions, 154 yards, 22.0 yards per catch and 2 touchdowns, with a long reception of 55 yards.
That’s an extremely small sample, so we’re not crowning him after eight quarters of NFL football.
But that’s precisely why we’re talking about him now.
Player to Hunt isn’t supposed to identify the guy after everybody already knows he’s a star. We’re trying to identify the moment when production begins appearing before the card market has completely decided what the player is worth.
And Boston may be entering that window.
Now Let’s Talk Cards
This is where things get interesting.
Boston’s NFL card market is still developing, and we already have several different entry points—from inexpensive rookies to autographs and a legitimate rookie patch autograph.
The cheap hunt
One market tracker currently puts Boston’s 2026 Topps Flagship 1991 Rookie Chrome around $3 raw. His earlier 2025 Bowman U Now card is around $6 raw.
That’s bargain-box territory.
Those aren’t necessarily the cards I’d expect to become his defining rookie cards, but they’re exactly the kind of low-dollar cards collectors can chase without needing Boston to become an All-Pro for the purchase to make sense.
The autograph sweet spot
Now we’re getting interesting.
Boston’s 2026 Topps Flagship 1991 Rookie Autograph #91FRA-DB had documented sales before his regular-season breakout of $26, $32, $35 and $44.99. A market tracker currently estimates the raw card around the mid-$30 range.
And we’re already seeing signs of movement elsewhere in his autograph market.
A 2026 Topps Flagship First Signatures Boston rookie auto sold for $39.99 on September 19, while another sold for $65 on September 20. Another Boston Flagship auto sold for $50 on September 20.
That’s the portion of the market I’d be watching especially closely.
Not because $40 automatically becomes $100.
Because Boston now has something those cards didn’t have when the season began:
NFL production.
And Then There’s the RPA
Boston is also included in the 2026 Topps Flagship Rookie Patch Autograph checklist.
One Boston RPA /99 sold at auction for $150 on September 4, before his first NFL regular-season touchdown. Another /99 was recently being offered around $149.99, although an asking price should never be confused with an actual sale.
There’s also evidence that collectors will already pay for Boston’s scarce parallels. A Topps Flagship Black Sandglitter rookie numbered to 10 sold via a best-offer listing carrying a $124.99 displayed price on September 3; because the offer was accepted, that displayed amount should not be treated as the confirmed transaction price.
So Boston already has a market hierarchy developing:
Cheap rookies → rookie autos → numbered parallels → RPA /99 and other scarce premium cards.
That’s exactly what we want in Player to Hunt. There’s something available for the $5 collector and the collector willing to make a larger speculative purchase.
What History Tells Us About Rookie WR Cards
Here’s where we need to be careful.
It’s tempting to say, “Boston looks like Player X, and Player X’s rookie auto sells for $300, therefore Boston’s will eventually sell for $300.”
Card markets don’t work that way.
Wide receivers are especially dependent on sustained production, quarterback play, team success, injuries, product popularity, scarcity and—as much as collectors may hate admitting it—hype.
But comparable young receivers can teach us something useful.
Boston himself entered the NFL drawing physical comparisons to bigger receivers. NFL.com’s draft coverage described him as a contested-catch specialist in the mold of Mike Evans and Nico Collins, while other pre-draft coverage noted comparisons to Puka Nacua. Those are stylistic comparisons, not projections that he’ll have their careers.
And that’s an important distinction for the card market.
Players such as Nacua demonstrated how quickly hobby perception can change when a receiver dramatically exceeds his pre-NFL expectations. But the opposite happens constantly, too: rookie receivers flash, collectors rush in, production levels off, and the cards retreat.
That’s why timing matters.
We’re not trying to buy Boston cards after a 1,300-yard season.
We’re asking whether $3 rookies, roughly $40–$65 autos and a higher-end RPA market that’s only beginning to establish itself offer an interesting risk/reward before we know what Boston becomes.
What Could Send the Market Higher?
Boston doesn’t need to become Justin Jefferson next Sunday.
What we’d want to see is much simpler: continued targets, continued starting snaps, another explosive play or two, and evidence that Cleveland views him as a long-term featured receiver rather than an early-season surprise.
Another 80–100-yard game would bring more attention.
A nationally televised breakout could bring considerably more.
A multi-touchdown game?
That’s when bargain boxes tend to get searched pretty quickly.
But there’s an equally important other side.
Seven receptions is still only seven receptions. Two NFL games tell us almost nothing about whether Boston can sustain this over 17. Defensive coordinators adjust. Rookie workloads fluctuate. Quarterback situations change. And hobby money can disappear from a receiver just as quickly as it arrives.
So don’t read Player to Hunt as:
BUY DENZEL BOSTON.
Read it as:
WATCH DENZEL BOSTON BEFORE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
Because the interesting part isn’t that Boston has already become expensive.
It’s that he hasn’t.
A second-round rookie who waited behind future NFL receivers in college, became Washington’s leading receiver, entered the NFL with questions about separation and speed, impressed his coaches throughout camp, and then scored touchdowns in each of his first two professional games now has raw rookies available for only a few dollars and some rookie autographs changing hands in roughly the $40–$65 neighborhood.
Maybe the hobby has it right.
Maybe two games are just two games.
Or maybe we’re watching the beginning of the hobby discovering Denzel Boston.
That’s why he’s The Wax Report’s October Player to Hunt.
Market note: Card prices above are snapshots from available sales/market data checked September 24, 2026. Thinly traded cards can move dramatically, and asking prices are not sales. Nothing here guarantees future card values.
👻 OCTOBER’S TCG CHARACTER TO HUNT
The Answer Is… GENGAR
Remember the clues from the front of this month’s Wax Report?
I’ve been haunting Pokémon since Generation I.
I was there near the beginning of the TCG.
Some of my vintage cards now sell for thousands of dollars.
And one of my newest cards has quickly become a major chase in Pokémon’s 30th Celebration.
If you guessed Gengar, you got it.
But unlike our Player to Hunt, Denzel Boston, Gengar isn’t an unknown rookie waiting to be discovered. He’s been around for three decades.
So why are we telling collectors to hunt Gengar now?
Because something interesting is happening across several generations of Gengar cards at the same time—and Pokémon’s 30th anniversary has put the character directly back into the spotlight.
From Lavender Town to Hobby Royalty
Gengar goes all the way back to Pokémon’s original Generation I.
He’s the final evolution of the Gastly → Haunter → Gengar line: the mischievous purple Ghost/Poison-type whose giant grin has become instantly recognizable even to people who aren’t hardcore Pokémon collectors.
That longevity matters in the TCG.
Thirty years of Pokémon has created generations of collectors who grew up with different characters. But Gengar has something relatively few Pokémon possess: cross-generational recognition.
A kid can pull a new Gengar today.
A twenty-something collector remembers Gengar cards from the 2010s.
And an original Pokémon collector approaching 40 can remember chasing Gengar during the Wizards of the Coast era.
That’s a powerful collector base.
And we’re beginning to see what that can mean financially.
It Started With Fossil
One of Gengar’s foundational English-language cards is the 1999 Fossil 1st Edition Holo Gengar #5/62.
Thirty years later, that card provides a fascinating look at what happens when character popularity collides with age, scarcity and condition.
Recent raw 1st Edition examples have sold in roughly the $200–$450 range, although condition creates enormous variation. PSA 9 examples have recently changed hands around $2,400–$3,500.
And then there’s the PSA 10.
Recent tracked sales include approximately $39,999 in August 2026 and $47,500 in June 2026.
Think about that for a moment.
We’re talking about Gengar.
Not Charizard.
Not Pikachu.
A pristine early Gengar can now inhabit serious five-figure territory.
That doesn’t mean every Gengar card becomes valuable. Far from it.
But it demonstrates something important for our hunt:
Collectors have already shown that they’ll pay elite-Pokémon money for the right Gengar.
And It Isn’t Just Vintage
This is where the story gets considerably more interesting.
If those prices existed only for 1999 cards, we could simply call this nostalgia.
But modern Gengar is showing strength too.
One of the best examples is Gengar & Mimikyu-GX Alternate Full Art from 2019 Team Up.
TCGplayer reported earlier this month that its market price had reached approximately $1,764.71. More remarkable is where it came from: TCGplayer says the card was around $320 in November 2024 before its longer-term climb.
That’s roughly a 5½× difference between that earlier price point and the September 2026 market price.
Again, that’s not evidence that it’ll rise another 5×.
Quite the opposite—we need to recognize how much appreciation has already happened.
But it tells us that collectors aren’t merely paying up for old Gengar.
They’re paying substantial money for desirable Gengar artwork and scarce modern cards too.
The Team Up Rainbow Rare Gengar & Mimikyu-GX provides another example. TCGplayer recently had that card around $458.72 and specifically noted the broader trend of collectors increasingly treating Gengar as a top-tier Pokémon character.
That’s when my collector antenna starts going up.
Because now we have:
Vintage demand.
Modern demand.
Premium-card demand.
And now…
A 30th Anniversary catalyst.
Enter 30th Celebration
Pokémon’s 30th Celebration arrived September 16, and this isn’t a normal expansion.
The set contains 128 main-set cards, a 30-card Classic Collection celebrating Pokémon TCG history, roughly 30 Secret Rares, and an extraordinary 30 different Pikachu cards.
Obviously, Pikachu is going to get attention.
Mew and Mewtwo are prominent.
Anniversary nostalgia is everywhere.
And sitting inside all of that is our guy.
The standard Gengar ex #90/128 gives collectors an inexpensive version of the character from the anniversary set. Pokémon’s official database confirms it’s a 280 HP Gengar ex evolving from Haunter.
But that’s not the card that has my attention.
Gengar ex #154/128 — The New Chase
The Gengar ex Special Illustration Rare #154/128 is the one to watch.
And collectors wasted virtually no time discovering it.
Remember: 30th Celebration only released on September 16.
As of September 23, market tracking based on completed transactions put the card around $130–$140 raw, depending on the source and methodology. One tracker calculated approximately $133.63, based on 32 completed sales.
Recent individual sales have bounced around considerably—roughly $115, $145, $156, $159 and higher among tracked copies.
That volatility is important.
This card is brand new.
Nobody should look at $130 and assume that’s its permanent price.
More product is coming.
More packs will be opened.
More Gengars will hit the market.
Prices could fall substantially as supply increases.
But that’s exactly why we’re watching instead of blindly buying.
Here’s the Interesting Comparison
Look at the ladder that’s developing across Gengar’s history:
30th Celebration standard Gengar ex #90 — only a few dollars currently.
30th Celebration Gengar ex SIR #154 — roughly $130–$140 raw in the young market.
Team Up Gengar & Mimikyu-GX Rainbow Rare — roughly $459.
Team Up Gengar & Mimikyu-GX Alternate Full Art — roughly $1,765.
1999 Fossil 1st Edition Gengar Holo PSA 9 — recent sales roughly $2,400–$3,500.
1999 Fossil 1st Edition Gengar Holo PSA 10 — recent tracked sales reaching roughly $40,000–$47,500.
That’s an enormous range.
And that’s precisely why I chose Gengar.
You Don’t Have to Buy the $1,700 Gengar
This is where The Wax Report hunt becomes useful.
When collectors realize a character is becoming expensive, there’s a natural tendency to chase the card everybody is already talking about.
That can mean arriving late.
Instead, I’d start looking sideways.
What Gengar cards haven’t received the same attention yet?
What attractive artwork is sitting in a $5–$25 range?
Which older cards are still obtainable raw?
Which numbered, promotional, Japanese or overlooked modern Gengars have low enough entry prices that collectors don’t need another five-figure sale to justify owning them?
And which cards have already run so far that we’d rather watch than chase?
That’s the hunt.
There are even dramatically different price points within Gengar’s older catalog. Current TCGplayer listings/market data span from relatively accessible non-holo Fossil examples into hundreds of dollars for cards such as Dark Gengar, Gengar Prime and other desirable older issues.
In other words:
Don’t hunt one card. Hunt the character.
The Charizard Comparison
Here’s where I think Gengar gets particularly interesting.
Charizard has spent decades as the hobby’s obvious monster.
Pikachu is the franchise mascot.
Everyone knows those two.
That recognition is already baked into enormous portions of their card markets.
Gengar sits in a different position.
He’s enormously popular and already capable of supporting four- and five-figure cards, yet he doesn’t have quite the same automatic mainstream status as Pikachu or Charizard.
TCGplayer’s recent market commentary is particularly noteworthy because it described collectors as increasingly treating Gengar as a top-tier character alongside Pikachu and Charizard.
That’s not proof that Gengar prices will follow Charizard.
But it’s a trend worth paying attention to.
Recent reporting on the broader Pokémon collecting boom also identifies Pikachu, Charizard and Gengar among characters whose rare cards have experienced significant appreciation as nostalgia, scarcity and adult collector spending have converged around the 30th anniversary.
And that gives us our thesis.
What Are We Actually Betting On?
Not that Gengar ex #154 will double.
Not that a $10 Gengar becomes $1,000.
And definitely not that Gengar replaces Charizard.
We’re looking at something broader:
Can Gengar continue moving from “very popular Pokémon” toward true blue-chip character status in the card hobby?
There are reasons to think the question is worth asking.
He has 30 years of history.
He has demand across vintage and modern cards.
He has iconic older cards that collectors already value heavily.
He has modern cards commanding four figures.
And now, during Pokémon’s biggest nostalgia event yet, he has a brand-new Special Illustration Rare that collectors immediately pushed into triple-digit territory.
That’s a pretty compelling résumé.
But Here’s the Risk
This part matters just as much as the bullish case.
The 30th Celebration Gengar is nine days old.
Early-set pricing can be brutal.
People race to own the first copies. Supply is temporarily limited. More sealed product enters circulation. More cards get pulled. Sellers compete.
And prices can come down.
We already see volatility in the Gengar SIR’s completed sales.
So if you’re reading this thinking:
“Wax Report says buy Gengar ex #154 for $150 immediately!”
No.
That’s not what we’re saying.
In fact, the better opportunity could eventually be created by the opposite scenario: anniversary hype cools, supply increases, the SIR retreats—and collectors get a more attractive entry point into a card featuring a character whose broader market remains strong.
That’s why we’re hunting, not chasing.
The Wax Report Hunt
For October, I’d divide the hunt into three lanes.
The bargain hunt: inexpensive Gengar cards you genuinely like. There’s very little financial risk in digging through dollar boxes and inexpensive modern singles for good-looking cards of a character with this kind of following.
The serious hunt: attractive older Gengars, desirable modern artwork, scarce parallels and anniversary cards after prices establish themselves. This is where research matters.
The grail hunt: Team Up Gengar & Mimikyu, high-grade vintage Fossil, Gengar Prime, Dark Gengar and other established premium cards. At these prices, you’re no longer speculating with pocket change. Condition, authenticity, population and recent completed sales become critical.
And I’d add one rule:
Don’t buy the chart. Buy the card.
If a Gengar doubled last month, that alone isn’t a reason to buy it.
We’re looking for cards we’d be happy owning even if the price doesn’t move.
Because unlike Denzel Boston, Gengar can’t tear an ACL, get traded, lose his starting job or retire.
The character has already survived 30 years.
The question isn’t whether Gengar will still matter to Pokémon collectors next Sunday.
It’s whether today’s collectors are beginning to place him into a different tier than they did five or ten years ago.
The vintage market says collectors will pay thousands.
The modern market says they’ll pay thousands.
And the brand-new 30th Celebration market is already telling us they’ll chase him again.
Maybe Gengar has already reached his ceiling.
Maybe anniversary excitement cools and some of these prices come back to earth.
Or maybe, thirty years into Pokémon’s history, we’re watching collectors increasingly recognize something that’s been hiding in the shadows all along:
Gengar isn’t just one of Pokémon’s most popular Ghost types anymore.
He may be becoming one of the hobby’s defining characters.
And that’s why Gengar is The Wax Report’s October TCG Character to Hunt.
Ship It Right or Pay the Price
You sold the card. The buyer paid. Great—but the sale isn’t really finished until that card arrives safely.
I’ve shipped hundreds of cards and have more than 700 positive eBay reviews, and one thing I’ve learned is that shipping isn’t the place to save a few pennies. Poor packaging can turn a successful sale into a damaged card, a refund and an unhappy buyer.
Whether you’re shipping a $5 card or a $500 slab, the goal is simple: get the card to the buyer in exactly the same condition it was in when you sold it.
Here’s how I approach it at KettsKards.
PWE — Simple Doesn’t Mean Unprotected
For cards under about $20, I’ll generally use a Plain White Envelope, or PWE.
First, the card goes into a penny sleeve to protect the surface. Next comes a rigid top loader.
Some sellers prefer semi-rigid holders for PWE shipping because they’re thinner and more flexible. Personally, I don’t. I’ve successfully shipped hundreds of cards using top loaders, and I prefer the extra rigidity protecting the card.
Next, I put blue painter’s tape across the opening of the top loader. And yes, I do this even though I’m also using a team bag.
Why?
Because a team bag keeps everything contained, but it doesn’t necessarily stop the card from moving inside the top loader. I’ve received cards where an edge or corner worked its way out of the top loader during shipping. Painter’s tape helps prevent that movement.
Here’s a little tip: fold one end of the painter’s tape over itself to make a pull tab. Your buyer will appreciate it when they’re trying to open the package.
Then the top loader goes into a team bag.
I’ll usually include a KettsKards thank-you card or sticker and throw in a lightweight sports sticker as a little extra. I fold everything inside a half-sheet of paper, place it into the envelope and use my shipping label across the envelope flap for additional security.
One last thing: weigh your package. Don’t guess.
As of September 2026, eBay Standard Envelope rates are $0.78 for 1 oz., $1.07 for 2 oz. and $1.36 for 3 oz. Eligible envelopes must also meet the current eBay and USPS requirements for dimensions, weight, thickness and flexibility, including a maximum thickness of ¼ inch. Rates and requirements can change, so always verify the current standards before shipping.
Thick Cards Need Different Treatment
This is one I’ve learned through experience, both buying and selling cards.
Please don’t ship a thick relic or memorabilia card in a semi-rigid holder just to keep the package thin.
A standard 35-point card has some flexibility. Once you’re dealing with a 75-point or thicker relic or memorabilia card, you’re dealing with something much less flexible.
I’ve received thick cards shipped in semi-rigid holders, and I’ve seen what can happen during mail processing. The holder can flex. The thick card doesn’t want to.
When something has to give, it can be the card.
And that’s how you end up with a crease.
At KettsKards, my rule is simple:
Thick cards get a properly sized rigid top loader.
That may also mean PWE isn’t the appropriate shipping method anymore.
Don’t force a thick card into PWE specifications just to save money on postage. Package the card correctly first. Then weigh and measure the completed package. If it doesn’t meet the current requirements for that mailing service, move up to a bubble mailer or box.
A couple of dollars in postage is a lot cheaper than refunding a damaged card.
Bubble Mailer — Time to Step Up the Protection
Once a card gets into roughly the $20–$99 range, my personal shipping standard changes.
I start exactly the same way:
Penny sleeve → top loader → blue painter’s tape → team bag.
Now I add rigid protection to the front and back. Commercial card-shipping protectors work great. If I don’t have those available, two appropriately sized pieces of sturdy cardboard can work too.
Then I add bubble wrap and put everything inside a padded bubble mailer.
For a graded card, the philosophy doesn’t change. Protect the slab from scratches, give it additional protection, cushion it against impacts and don’t let it bounce freely around inside the mailer.
For shipments like these, I’ll generally use a tracked service such as USPS Ground Advantage, depending on the current carrier and marketplace requirements.
When It’s Time for a Box
Once I’m dealing with a card around $100 or more, I’ll usually consider moving to a small box.
Those dollar amounts aren’t USPS rules. They’re my KettsKards rules of thumb based on the level of protection I’m comfortable providing.
I’ll protect the card or slab, add rigid protection where appropriate, wrap everything thoroughly in bubble wrap and place it into a properly sized box.
Then comes one of the easiest shipping tests you’ll ever perform:
Shake the box.
Seriously.
Can you hear something moving? Can you feel the contents shifting?
Then you’re not finished.
Add more bubble wrap or cushioning until everything stays securely in place.
Think about the journey that package is about to take. It’s going to be sorted, stacked, transported and handled numerous times before it reaches the buyer.
You want the packaging absorbing that punishment—not the card.
Every Layer Has a Job
There’s a reason behind every step.
Penny sleeve: protects the card’s surface.
Top loader: provides structural protection.
Painter’s tape: helps prevent unwanted movement.
Team bag: keeps everything contained and adds another protective barrier.
Rigid protectors or cardboard: help resist bending and crushing.
Bubble wrap: cushions impacts.
Mailer or box: protects the entire package.
You don’t need to turn a $5 card into Fort Knox.
But don’t become so focused on saving a few cents on shipping supplies that you lose sight of the goal.
The buyer trusted you with their money. Your job as the seller is to make sure the card they purchased reaches them safely.
Ship it right the first time—or you may end up paying the price.