Brilliant Stars Chase Cards: Is the $278 Charizard V Alt Art Worth Grading?

Brilliant Stars Chase Cards: Is the $278 Charizard V Alt Art Worth Grading?

Brilliant Stars (SWSH09) released in English on February 25, 2022, the set that introduced VSTAR cards. Today the Charizard V alternate full art 154/172 sells for $278.80 raw in our catalog as of October 13, 2026, and an Umbreon VMAX from the Trainer Gallery follows at $101.22. This guide prices the chase list and says which cards deserve a grading fee.

Brilliant Stars Raw Prices on October 13, 2026

The Charizard V alt art is worth 4.1 times the next card in the main set and 2.75 times the best Trainer Gallery card. Below the top three, the main set drops to $15 or less. Prices are TCGplayer market prices from the ZeroPop catalog, pulled October 13, 2026.

Card	Rarity	Raw market	Grading call
Charizard V 154/172	Alternate Full Art	$278.80	Grade a clean copy
Umbreon VMAX TG23	Trainer Gallery	$101.22	Grade a clean copy
Sylveon V TG14	Trainer Gallery	$77.70	Borderline
Mimikyu VMAX TG17	Trainer Gallery	$73.72	Borderline
Umbreon V TG22	Trainer Gallery	$72.10	Borderline
Charizard VSTAR 174/172	Secret Rare (gold)	$67.54	Borderline
Sylveon VMAX TG15	Trainer Gallery	$65.54	Borderline
Arceus V 166/172	Alternate Full Art	$60.28	Borderline
Lumineon V 156/172	Alternate Full Art	$15.37	Skip
Arceus VSTAR 184/172	Secret Rare (gold)	$14.64	Skip
Charizard VSTAR 018/172	VSTAR	$11.50	Skip

The set is 172 numbered cards, 14 secret rares and a 30 card Trainer Gallery, 216 in all, according to Serebii. Our catalog lists the Trainer Gallery as its own set page. We did not pull graded sale prices, so the grading column weighs raw price against the fee, not a PSA 10 comp. Current fees are in our PSA grading cost breakdown.

Charizard V Alt Art: The Card That Pays for a Submission

At $278.80 raw, the Charizard V alternate full art costs 34.5 times the regular Charizard V 017/172 in the same set ($8.08). Same Pokemon, same set, same attack names, and the only difference is the artwork and the finish. The scene is a Charizard mid swoop over a landscape with Venusaur in the lower left.

We found five community scans of it. The best reads 9.5 and the other four read 9, so no scan we pulled reached a 10. That is a small sample, but it matches how the card looks: pale gray borders show every nick, and the holo texture on the art hides surface scratches until you tilt the card.

At $278 raw a fee is a small slice of value, which makes a clean copy an easy submit. A copy with whitened corners or a 60/40 print shift is a sell raw. Check centering before anything else (method in card centering explained).

Umbreon VMAX: The Trainer Gallery Card Worth More Than Any Gold Card

Umbreon VMAX TG23 is $101.22 raw, higher than every main set card except the Charizard. Trainer Gallery cards carry a TG prefix and sit outside the 172 count, so a seller who writes "Umbreon VMAX" without the number can mean a different card entirely. Read the number.

The Umbreon V from the same gallery (TG22) is $72.10, which is 71 percent of the VMAX. Both are dark cards, and dark art with a glossy finish shows fingerprints and surface lines more than corners. We found no community scan of either Umbreon, so we have no grade distribution to quote. Scan your own copy under a lamp first.

Sylveon and Mimikyu: Borderline Calls at $65 to $78

Sylveon V TG14 ($77.70), Mimikyu VMAX TG17 ($73.72) and Sylveon VMAX TG15 ($65.54) sit in the band where the fee decides the outcome.

Our four Sylveon VMAX scans read 10, 10, 9 and 9, so a 10 is reachable. Our five Mimikyu VMAX scans all read 9.5. At these prices, grade only a copy that scans clean, and only if you intend to keep or sell it as a slab. A raw card at $65 that comes back a 9 has not gained anything we can show.

Arceus V and the Gold Cards: Mixed

Arceus V alt art 166/172 is $60.28, the third most valuable card in the main set.

The gold Charizard VSTAR 174/172 is $67.54 and worth a look on a clean copy. Gold finishes show scuffs on the bottom corners first. The gold Arceus VSTAR 184/172 is $14.64, which is a skip.

The Skip List: Lumineon V and Every VSTAR Under $15

Skip the Lumineon V alt art. At $15.37 it is the cheapest alt art in the set, and the art is dark coral with heavy holo, so it is also hard to inspect.

Our one scan reads 9.5, and it would not change the call. The regular Charizard VSTAR ($11.50), Charizard V ($8.08) and Arceus VSTAR ($5.73) are binder cards.

Should You Grade Brilliant Stars Cards? The Verdict

Grade the Charizard V alt art and the Umbreon VMAX, and only copies that scan clean. Everything else is a coin flip at $60 to $78 or a skip below $16. Opening packs of this set, the realistic goal is one alt art and a pile of bulk.

Compare how other Sword & Shield alt art sets break down in Silver Tempest, Lost Origin, Crown Zenith and Evolving Skies, or browse the wider Pokemon cards worth grading list.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Brilliant Stars come out?

English Brilliant Stars released on February 25, 2022, per Serebii and our catalog. It is the ninth set in the Sword & Shield numbering, hence SWSH09.

What is the most valuable Brilliant Stars card?

The Charizard V alternate full art, 154/172, at $278.80 raw in our catalog on October 13, 2026. The Umbreon VMAX from the Trainer Gallery is second at $101.22.

Is the Charizard V alt art worth grading?

Yes, if your scan shows even borders and clean corners. The best of our five community scans reads 9.5 and the rest read 9, so budget for a 9 rather than a 10.

Are the Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery cards worth grading?

Only the Umbreon VMAX ($101.22) clearly is. Sylveon V, Mimikyu VMAX and Sylveon VMAX run $65.54 to $77.70, and the Eeveelution cards (Vaporeon, Flareon, Eevee, Jolteon) sit near $20 to $23, where a fee costs about as much as the card.

How many cards are in Brilliant Stars?

172 numbered cards, 14 secret rares numbered 173 to 186, and a 30 card Trainer Gallery per Serebii. Secret rares print past the total, so Charizard VSTAR reads 174/172.

Is the Charizard VSTAR worth anything?

The gold secret version, 174/172, is $67.54. The regular holo VSTAR, 018/172, is $11.50, a gap of about 5.9 times for the gold finish.