Alt Art and Special Illustration Rare: How Much More Are They Worth?
A Special Illustration Rare can be worth dozens of times the plain version of the same Pokemon ex. Here is the data, why the alt art holds the value, and how to check yours.
In this guide
If you pulled a big beautiful full-art Pokemon and a plain version of the same card, you already sense the gap. The data makes it stark: in modern Pokemon, almost the entire value of an ex sits in its short-printed alternate art, not the plain version you see far more often. If you are hunting value, the alt art is the card that matters.
Two versions of the same ex
Every modern Pokemon ex comes two ways: a plain Double Rare, printed in bulk, and a Special Illustration Rare, a short-printed full-art alternate of the same Pokemon in the same set. Same character, same set, completely different scarcity. Because the SIR is a separate, scarcer printing, it has its own market and its own price, which is why "how much more is the alt art" has a real, measurable answer.
The alt art is basically the whole card
We matched 88 of these pairs to measure it directly. The plain Double Rare ex trades at a median of just €0.71, effectively bulk, because it is printed in bulk. The Special Illustration Rare of the same card trades at a median of €31. That is a median 33x premium, and 97% of the alt arts measured were worth at least 5x their plain ex. In other words, practically all of an ex's value is in the short-printed alt art. The full breakdown is in the alt-art premium study.
The lesson for valuing your cards: the plain Double Rare ex is a playset piece near bulk, and the SIR is the money card. Do not confuse the two, and do not assume every "ex" you own is valuable, only the alt art version usually is.
Why the alt art holds the value
Two forces stack. First, scarcity: the SIR is short-printed, pulled far less often than the plain ex. Second, demand: collectors specifically want the full-art version for the artwork, not just the playability. Scarce plus wanted-for-the-art is exactly the recipe for a large premium, and it shows up across the board, not just on the marquee Pokemon. It is the same pattern that makes Lorcana Enchanteds and other alternate-art treatments the chase in their games.
How to check what your alt art is worth
- Pin the exact printing, and confirm it is the Special Illustration Rare (a separate listing and number from the plain Double Rare).
- Filter to English, Near Mint or better.
- Average the four lowest current offers on the SIR listing. That is what it is genuinely selling for.
This is the method from what's my trading card worth, applied to the alt art specifically. To identify the exact printing and pull its live value fast, scan a card →, or read what's my Pokemon card worth for the Pokemon-specific walk-through.
Selling an alt art
The value is only realised if the listing names it as the Special Illustration Rare, not the plain ex, and prices the SIR market. State the exact printing, price it right, and open a free shop and list your cards → with no marketplace fee. If it is a high-value SIR, ship it safely so it arrives in the grade you sold.