{
  "url": "https://www.moonstonehq.com/articles/pokemon-bulk-cards-by-set",
  "slug": "pokemon-bulk-cards-by-set",
  "title": "Which Pokémon Sets Are Mostly Bulk? 129 Ranked",
  "summary": "Journey Together is 82.6% sub-dollar cards, the most bulk-heavy of 129 English sets. The share stopped climbing in 2014. Only the price kept falling.",
  "section": "Set economics",
  "published": "2026-09-22",
  "readMinutes": 9,
  "publisher": "moonstone",
  "findings": [
    {
      "value": "82.6%",
      "measures": "Journey Together, the most bulk-heavy of 129 sets",
      "basis": "157 of 190 priced cards under $1"
    },
    {
      "value": "58.2%",
      "measures": "the median set's share under $1",
      "basis": "129 dated English sets, 18,698 products"
    },
    {
      "value": "63.2% to 72.5%",
      "measures": "the range of all five era medians since 2014",
      "basis": "against 22.7% for 1999 to 2003"
    },
    {
      "value": "19 cents",
      "measures": "median card in a 2025 or 2026 set",
      "basis": "40 cents in a 2014 to 2016 set"
    }
  ],
  "tables": [
    {
      "title": "Every era, by level. The 129 sets sum across these nine rows",
      "columns": [
        "Era of release",
        "Sets",
        "Median share under $1",
        "Lowest set",
        "Highest set",
        "Median set's median card",
        "Median share under 25c"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Era of release": "1999-2003",
          "Sets": "15",
          "Median share under $1": "22.7%",
          "Lowest set": "0.0%",
          "Highest set": "32.3%",
          "Median set's median card": "$4.86",
          "Median share under 25c": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2003-2007",
          "Sets": "16",
          "Median share under $1": "28.0%",
          "Lowest set": "6.4%",
          "Highest set": "36.1%",
          "Median set's median card": "$2.44",
          "Median share under 25c": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2007-2010",
          "Sets": "15",
          "Median share under $1": "46.2%",
          "Lowest set": "21.8%",
          "Highest set": "51.6%",
          "Median set's median card": "$1.30",
          "Median share under 25c": "0.8%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2011-2013",
          "Sets": "12",
          "Median share under $1": "61.8%",
          "Lowest set": "37.7%",
          "Highest set": "78.6%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.70",
          "Median share under 25c": "3.9%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2014-2016",
          "Sets": "13",
          "Median share under $1": "69.5%",
          "Lowest set": "51.3%",
          "Highest set": "74.3%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.40",
          "Median share under 25c": "25.0%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2017-2019",
          "Sets": "16",
          "Median share under $1": "63.2%",
          "Lowest set": "0.0%",
          "Highest set": "76.1%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.44",
          "Median share under 25c": "25.1%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2020-2022",
          "Sets": "16",
          "Median share under $1": "72.5%",
          "Lowest set": "0.0%",
          "Highest set": "80.3%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.23",
          "Median share under 25c": "52.8%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2023-2025",
          "Sets": "19",
          "Median share under $1": "70.6%",
          "Lowest set": "0.0%",
          "Highest set": "82.6%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.20",
          "Median share under 25c": "57.5%"
        },
        {
          "Era of release": "2025-2026",
          "Sets": "7",
          "Median share under $1": "70.2%",
          "Lowest set": "57.8%",
          "Highest set": "72.9%",
          "Median set's median card": "$0.19",
          "Median share under 25c": "60.8%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Ranks 1 to 14 of 129, by share of the set's priced cards asking under $1",
      "columns": [
        "#",
        "Set",
        "Released",
        "Share under $1",
        "Cards",
        "Median card",
        "Share of the set's value in those cards"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "#": "1",
          "Set": "[Journey Together](/set/journey%20together)",
          "Released": "2025",
          "Share under $1": "82.6%",
          "Cards": "157 of 190",
          "Median card": "$0.16",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "6.5%"
        },
        {
          "#": "2",
          "Set": "[Obsidian Flames](/set/obsidian%20flames)",
          "Released": "2023",
          "Share under $1": "82.2%",
          "Cards": "189 of 230",
          "Median card": "$0.17",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "8.6%"
        },
        {
          "#": "3",
          "Set": "[Fusion Strike](/set/fusion%20strike)",
          "Released": "2021",
          "Share under $1": "80.3%",
          "Cards": "228 of 284",
          "Median card": "$0.18",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "1.9%"
        },
        {
          "#": "4",
          "Set": "[Darkness Ablaze](/set/darkness%20ablaze)",
          "Released": "2020",
          "Share under $1": "79.6%",
          "Cards": "160 of 201",
          "Median card": "$0.21",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "12.8%"
        },
        {
          "#": "5",
          "Set": "[Emerging Powers](/set/emerging%20powers)",
          "Released": "2011",
          "Share under $1": "78.6%",
          "Cards": "77 of 98",
          "Median card": "$0.47",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "26.5%"
        },
        {
          "#": "6",
          "Set": "[Sword & Shield](/set/sword%20%26%20shield)",
          "Released": "2020",
          "Share under $1": "77.8%",
          "Cards": "168 of 216",
          "Median card": "$0.23",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "6.8%"
        },
        {
          "#": "7",
          "Set": "[Stellar Crown](/set/stellar%20crown)",
          "Released": "2024",
          "Share under $1": "77.1%",
          "Cards": "135 of 175",
          "Median card": "$0.18",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "4.2%"
        },
        {
          "#": "8",
          "Set": "[Sun & Moon](/set/sm%20base%20set)",
          "Released": "2017",
          "Share under $1": "76.1%",
          "Cards": "124 of 163",
          "Median card": "$0.23",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "4.7%"
        },
        {
          "#": "9",
          "Set": "[Scarlet & Violet](/set/scarlet%20%26%20violet)",
          "Released": "2023",
          "Share under $1": "76.0%",
          "Cards": "196 of 258",
          "Median card": "$0.17",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "4.5%"
        },
        {
          "#": "10",
          "Set": "[Crown Zenith](/set/crown%20zenith)",
          "Released": "2023",
          "Share under $1": "75.6%",
          "Cards": "121 of 160",
          "Median card": "$0.20",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "10.6%"
        },
        {
          "#": "11",
          "Set": "[Destined Rivals](/set/destined%20rivals)",
          "Released": "2025",
          "Share under $1": "74.6%",
          "Cards": "182 of 244",
          "Median card": "$0.20",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "2.2%"
        },
        {
          "#": "12",
          "Set": "[Flashfire](/set/flashfire)",
          "Released": "2014",
          "Share under $1": "74.3%",
          "Cards": "81 of 109",
          "Median card": "$0.37",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "1.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "13",
          "Set": "[Steam Siege](/set/steam%20siege)",
          "Released": "2016",
          "Share under $1": "74.1%",
          "Cards": "86 of 116",
          "Median card": "$0.29",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "5.4%"
        },
        {
          "#": "14",
          "Set": "[XY](/set/xy%20base%20set)",
          "Released": "2014",
          "Share under $1": "74.0%",
          "Cards": "108 of 146",
          "Median card": "$0.44",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "5.3%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Ranks 116 to 129 of 129, the same measure, lowest last. Ties broken by the higher median card",
      "columns": [
        "#",
        "Set",
        "Released",
        "Share under $1",
        "Cards",
        "Median card",
        "Share of the set's value in those cards"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "#": "116",
          "Set": "Team Magma vs Team Aqua",
          "Released": "2004",
          "Share under $1": "19.6%",
          "Cards": "19 of 97",
          "Median card": "$2.77",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.4%"
        },
        {
          "#": "117",
          "Set": "[Team Rocket](/set/team%20rocket)",
          "Released": "2000",
          "Share under $1": "19.3%",
          "Cards": "16 of 83",
          "Median card": "$4.86",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.6%"
        },
        {
          "#": "118",
          "Set": "Delta Species",
          "Released": "2005",
          "Share under $1": "16.8%",
          "Cards": "19 of 113",
          "Median card": "$3.52",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.2%"
        },
        {
          "#": "119",
          "Set": "Sandstorm",
          "Released": "2003",
          "Share under $1": "13.0%",
          "Cards": "13 of 100",
          "Median card": "$2.77",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.3%"
        },
        {
          "#": "120",
          "Set": "[Gym Heroes](/set/gym%20heroes)",
          "Released": "2000",
          "Share under $1": "12.1%",
          "Cards": "16 of 132",
          "Median card": "$2.88",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.6%"
        },
        {
          "#": "121",
          "Set": "[Neo Destiny](/set/neo%20destiny)",
          "Released": "2002",
          "Share under $1": "11.5%",
          "Cards": "13 of 113",
          "Median card": "$7.47",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.1%"
        },
        {
          "#": "122",
          "Set": "Team Rocket Returns",
          "Released": "2004",
          "Share under $1": "6.4%",
          "Cards": "7 of 109",
          "Median card": "$7.67",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "123",
          "Set": "[Gym Challenge](/set/gym%20challenge)",
          "Released": "2000",
          "Share under $1": "3.8%",
          "Cards": "5 of 132",
          "Median card": "$3.62",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.1%"
        },
        {
          "#": "124",
          "Set": "[Expedition Base Set](/set/expedition)",
          "Released": "2002",
          "Share under $1": "3.0%",
          "Cards": "5 of 165",
          "Median card": "$13.49",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "125",
          "Set": "[Shining Fates Shiny Vault](/set/shining%20fates%20shiny%20vault) (annex)",
          "Released": "2021",
          "Share under $1": "0.0%",
          "Cards": "0 of 122",
          "Median card": "$2.83",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "126",
          "Set": "[Hidden Fates Shiny Vault](/set/hidden%20fates%20shiny%20vault) (annex)",
          "Released": "2019",
          "Share under $1": "0.0%",
          "Cards": "0 of 94",
          "Median card": "$12.39",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "127",
          "Set": "[Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery](/set/crown%20zenith%20galarian%20gallery) (annex)",
          "Released": "2023",
          "Share under $1": "0.0%",
          "Cards": "0 of 70",
          "Median card": "$13.22",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "128",
          "Set": "[Aquapolis](/set/aquapolis)",
          "Released": "2003",
          "Share under $1": "0.0%",
          "Cards": "0 of 185",
          "Median card": "$17.86",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        },
        {
          "#": "129",
          "Set": "[Skyridge](/set/skyridge)",
          "Released": "2003",
          "Share under $1": "0.0%",
          "Cards": "0 of 178",
          "Median card": "$31.39",
          "Share of the set's value in those cards": "0.0%"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Median share of a set priced under $1, by release era. 129 sets",
      "unit": "%",
      "note": "Asks on 2026-09-22, 129 sets, 18,698 priced products. Nothing after 2014 climbs: those five era medians sit between 63.2% and 72.5%, the highest of them the 2020-2022 row, against a 47-point climb over the fifteen years before. Bars are the median across the sets in that era, not a pooled share.",
      "points": [
        {
          "label": "1999-2003",
          "value": 22.7,
          "basis": "15 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2003-2007",
          "value": 28,
          "basis": "16 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2007-2010",
          "value": 46.2,
          "basis": "15 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2011-2013",
          "value": 61.8,
          "basis": "12 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2014-2016",
          "value": 69.5,
          "basis": "13 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2017-2019",
          "value": 63.2,
          "basis": "16 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2020-2022",
          "value": 72.5,
          "basis": "16 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2023-2025",
          "value": 70.6,
          "basis": "19 sets"
        },
        {
          "label": "2025-2026",
          "value": 70.2,
          "basis": "7 sets"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sections": [
    "What is being counted, and on which day",
    "The fourteen most bulk-heavy sets",
    "The three ways this is wrong",
    "What would overturn this"
  ],
  "method": [
    "As of `price_history` day 20718, which is 2026-09-22. Population: `cards` rows with lang = 'en' and a non-empty tcg_id, collapsed to one row per tcg_id, preferring a catalogue-native id over a synthetic `enx-` one and then the lexically first id; 240 rows collapse away, leaving 21,452 distinct product ids of which 21,416 carry a price on day 20718. A set enters the universe with a recorded release date and 60 or more of those products: 129 sets, 18,698 products. Release dates come from `report:spread:setsmeta` joined on `normalizeCardIdentity.setKey` from src/server/db/card-identity.ts, then on the same key after stripping one leading era code from the PROVIDER name only, then through a hand-audited alias table of 27 entries; stripping is never applied to catalogue names, so 'Expedition Base Set' cannot become 'Base Set', and its alias to the provider's 'Expedition' is written out in the script. 53 catalogue sets remain undated. All 53 are promo sets, trainer kits, McDonald's collections, POP series or one-off products; six of them do hold 60 or more priced products, all six being Black Star Promo sets, so they are excluded by the release-date rule and not by size. Prices are TCGplayer market prices for the flagship printing, which are asks. Bulk is defined as an ask strictly under $1.00. Medians take the upper-middle value on even samples. The ranking is over all 129 sets and is printed as two contiguous slices, ranks 1 to 14 and ranks 116 to 129; the full ordered list is in the scratch dump. Ties in the share are broken by the higher median card price ranking as the less bulky set, which is what separates ranks 125 to 129, all at 0.0%. Era is a half-open range of release dates, cut at 2003-06-01, 2007-05-01, 2011-01-01, 2014-01-01, 2017-01-01, 2020-01-01, 2023-01-01 and 2025-09-01; the nine rows partition all 129 sets with no gap and no overlap, and the script asserts that they sum to 129. An earlier draft cut on fractional years with gaps between the bounds and lost three sets, Skyridge, Diamond & Pearl and Mega Evolution, which is why the sum is asserted rather than assumed. The era columns are medians across sets, not pooled shares. Both pooled shares quoted in the sceptic section are taken over the era rows themselves, not over calendar years: the 1999 to 2003 row pools 244 of 1,707 cards, 14.3%, and the 2023 to 2026 rows pool 3,288 of 4,878, 67.4%. The September 7 requote figures compare day 20702 with day 20718 over the same fixed list of product ids per set, so no card enters or leaves across the comparison. The requoted sets were identified from the step itself rather than assumed: on day 20702 to day 20703 every constituent of Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge, Neo Genesis and Neo Discovery repriced, along with 97.0% of Neo Revelation and 96.5% of Neo Destiny, and no other set in the universe combined a move on that scale with a change in its sub-dollar count. On the three neighbouring day pairs we checked, no set at all repriced in full. Scripts: apps/web/scripts/rs-build.mts, rs-figures.mts and rs-extra.mts; every printed number with its query is in apps/web/.scratch-reddit-sets/figures.json. Nothing here is investment advice."
  ],
  "terms": "Figures are moonstone's own recorded measurements, dated as published. Quote them with the population stated beside them. The article at `url` is the human form of this file."
}