Mew

Mew sits at #25 in Celebrations, released in October 2021. Celebrations is part of the modern English Pokémon TCG era and uses the standard contemporary card frame and rarity tiers. Illustration by Saki Hayashiro.

The flavor text on the card reads: "Its DNA is said to contain the genetic codes of all Pokémon, so it can use all kinds of techniques." Pokédex entries from this era are short and often quirky, written by the original Japanese localization team for a specific stat-block layout that no longer exists in modern cards.

The original Mythical Pokémon. Famous for the "Mew under the truck" rumor in 1998. Only legitimately obtainable through Nintendo events at launch. No Mew in Wizards-era sets until the famous Southern Islands promo. Its rarity in pre-Internet Pokémon collecting drives lasting cult interest.

Celebrations shipped in Holofoil and Reverse Holo. Every card in the set is a holo of some kind, and each card carries a 25th anniversary stamp on the artwork. The set was sold only in special anniversary product, never standard booster packs.

For graded buyers, modern cards have cleaner cardstock than the Wizards-era prints, so the grading bar is higher. A PSA 10 on a modern holo or alt-art requires close to flawless centering and pristine surface. PSA 9 populations are large; PSA 10 populations on the marquee chases (Special Illustration Rares, alt arts) are the cards that actually move price. Submission math favors clear PSA 10 candidates and stays away from PSA 8 or 9 outcomes.

If you are buying this card, the order of operations is rarity tier first, then condition. Confirm whether you are looking at the standard holo, an alt art / Special Illustration variant, or a Hyper Rare; the price spread between tiers is often 10x or more. For raw purchases on chase-tier modern cards, insist on photo or video showing the holo surface and edges. Modern cardstock is stiffer than Wizards-era stock but the high pull rates mean PSA 10 supply is large; price your buy against PSA 10 population reports.