Best Pokémon Sets to Grade From the Sword and Shield Era

19 May 2025

The Sword and Shield era ran from early 2020 to early 2023 and produced some of the most collectible modern Pokémon cards. Not every set is worth your grading budget though. Here's where to focus.

Evolving Skies

This is the standout set of the entire era, full stop. The alternate art Eeveelution cards are some of the most sought-after modern Pokémon cards ever printed. Umbreon VMAX Alt Art, Rayquaza VMAX Alt Art, Sylveon VMAX Alt Art, and Glaceon VMAX Alt Art all command strong premiums in graded form.

The set also has solid pull rates for regular V and VMAX cards, so even the non-alt-art hits can be worth grading if they're in top condition.

Brilliant Stars

The Trainer Gallery subset is the highlight here. Cards like the Umbreon VMAX character rare and the Charizard VSTAR regular art are strong grading candidates. The set's Charizard VSTAR alone makes it worth paying attention to.

Lost Origin

Giratina VSTAR Alternate Art is the chase card and it grades well when you find clean copies. The Trainer Gallery cards are also solid. The set has a good mix of collectible cards that benefit from grading.

Silver Tempest

Lugia VSTAR Secret Art Rare is the big one. The Trainer Gallery subset again provides good grading targets. Lugia has a strong collector following that keeps demand steady.

Fusion Strike

Mew VMAX Alt Art and Gengar VMAX Alt Art are both strong choices. Fair warning though: Fusion Strike had some print quality issues, so inspect cards carefully before submitting. You might find more surface imperfections than usual with this set.

Chilling Reign

The Galarian bird trio alternate arts (Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos) are all worth grading. They're popular designs with consistent demand. The Blaziken VMAX Alt Art is another good pick.

Sets to Skip for Grading

Battle Styles, Rebel Clash, and Darkness Ablaze don't have the same grading upside. The chase cards from these sets don't command big enough premiums to justify grading costs for most collectors. There are exceptions for specific cards, but as a general rule, your money is better spent grading cards from the sets listed above.