Salamence VMAX (Secret)
SWSH03: Darkness Ablaze · 194/189 · Secret Rare
Current Prices
Number
194/189
Rarity
Secret Rare
Variant
Holofoil
Market
US (TCGplayer)
Last Updated
Aug 1, 2026
Salamence VMAX (Secret): Rarity & Collectibility
Salamence VMAX (Secret) in its sought-after Holofoil variant is a Secret Rare — a top-of-the-set short print and one of the toughest cards to land in the wild. Cataloged as Secret Rare #194/189 of the SWSH03: Darkness Ablaze set, it is the kind of card RarePokemonCard tracks for scarcity and collector demand rather than raw price alone. The harder a card is to pull in top condition, the more weight serious collectors place on it.
How Rare & Valuable Is Salamence VMAX (Secret)?
In 2026, a Near Mint Salamence VMAX (Secret) (Secret Rare, SWSH03: Darkness Ablaze #194/189) changes hands at roughly $13.53, and its scarcity does most of the heavy lifting on that figure. Because demand concentrates on clean copies, surface wear is punished hard: a Near Mint example commands about $13.53, whereas a Damaged one slides to around $5.75. Across the wear scale that reads Near Mint $13.53, Lightly Played $10.55, Moderately Played $10.53, Heavily Played $8.46, Damaged $5.75 — proof that for a collectible like this, presentation is inseparable from value. At the very top, a gem-mint PSA 10 Salamence VMAX (Secret) is valued near $69.00 — about 5.1x the raw copy, the clearest sign of how much collectors pay for flawless scarcity.
Graded Salamence VMAX (Secret): Gem Mint & Population
For a chase card like Salamence VMAX (Secret), the high-grade market is where the real money lives. A PSA 10 (or CGC 10 / BGS Black Label equivalent) Salamence VMAX (Secret) sits around $69.00 — roughly 5.1x a raw copy. That gap exists because relatively few examples ever earn a perfect grade, so gem-mint population is the real scarcity collectors chase. Step down a notch and demand spreads across PSA 9 $24.99, CGC 10 $49.99, CGC 9.5 $11.50 — each tier a smaller, scarcer pool than the one below it. The rule of thumb for collectors: the rarer the card, the more a certified high grade matters to its standing.
Detailed Price Breakdown
| Source | Condition / Grade | Average | Low | High | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ebay | NEAR MINT | $12.00 | $12.00 | $12.00 | 39 |
| ebay | BGS 10 | $75.09 | $75.09 | $75.09 | 8 |
| ebay | BGS 9 5 | $35.18 | $35.18 | $35.18 | 15 |
| ebay | CGC 10 | $49.99 | $49.99 | $49.99 | 15 |
| ebay | CGC 9 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $8.50 | 10 |
| ebay | CGC 9 5 | $11.50 | $11.50 | $11.50 | 5 |
| ebay | PSA 10 | $69.00 | $69.00 | $69.00 | 40 |
| ebay | PSA 2 | $7.28 | $7.28 | $7.28 | 1 |
| ebay | PSA 8 | $25.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 | 9 |
| ebay | PSA 9 | $24.99 | $24.99 | $24.99 | 21 |
| ebay | SGC 10 | $36.99 | $36.99 | $36.99 | 1 |
| tcgplayer | DAMAGED | $5.75 | $5.75 | $5.75 | 16 |
| tcgplayer | HEAVILY PLAYED | $8.46 | $8.46 | $8.46 | 3 |
| tcgplayer | LIGHTLY PLAYED | $10.55 | $10.36 | $11.06 | 81 |
| tcgplayer | MODERATELY PLAYED | $10.53 | $11.09 | $11.09 | 7 |
| tcgplayer | NEAR MINT | $13.53 | $13.53 | $13.53 | 540 |
Collector Outlook for Salamence VMAX (Secret)
Secret Rares like Salamence VMAX (Secret) are scarce by design, and that built-in shortage is what underpins their long-term collectibility. An accessible pickup whose pull is enjoyment and progress toward a finished set. Whether you are chasing it for a set or as a centerpiece, revisit Salamence VMAX (Secret) on RarePokemonCard — rarity demand in 2026 shifts with reprints, set nostalgia, and how few high-grade copies surface.
