Cynthia's Ambition (Secret)
SWSH09: Brilliant · 178/172 · Secret Rare
Current Prices
Number
178/172
Rarity
Secret Rare
Variant
Holofoil
Market
US (TCGplayer)
Last Updated
Aug 1, 2026
Cynthia's Ambition (Secret): Rarity & Collectibility
Cynthia's Ambition (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 #178/172 of the SWSH09: Brilliant 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 Cynthia's Ambition (Secret)?
In 2026, a Near Mint Cynthia's Ambition (Secret) (Secret Rare, SWSH09: Brilliant #178/172) changes hands at roughly $5.51, 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 $5.51, whereas a Damaged one slides to around $4.00. Across the wear scale that reads Near Mint $5.51, Lightly Played $4.94, Moderately Played $4.61, Heavily Played $3.79, Damaged $4.00 — proof that for a collectible like this, presentation is inseparable from value. At the very top, a gem-mint PSA 10 Cynthia's Ambition (Secret) is valued near $41.75 — about 7.6x the raw copy, the clearest sign of how much collectors pay for flawless scarcity.
Graded Cynthia's Ambition (Secret): Gem Mint & Population
For a chase card like Cynthia's Ambition (Secret), the high-grade market is where the real money lives. A PSA 10 (or CGC 10 / BGS Black Label equivalent) Cynthia's Ambition (Secret) sits around $41.75 — roughly 7.6x 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 $21.20, CGC 10 $28.79, CGC 9.5 $20.00 — 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 | $5.32 | $5.32 | $5.32 | 67 |
| ebay | ACE 8 | $16.28 | $16.28 | $16.28 | 1 |
| ebay | BGS 9 | $20.50 | $20.50 | $20.50 | 1 |
| ebay | BGS 9 5 | $18.50 | $18.50 | $18.50 | 1 |
| ebay | CGC 10 | $28.79 | $28.79 | $28.79 | 12 |
| ebay | CGC 8 5 | $14.99 | $14.99 | $14.99 | 1 |
| ebay | CGC 9 | $7.50 | $7.50 | $7.50 | 1 |
| ebay | CGC 9 5 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | 4 |
| ebay | PSA 10 | $41.75 | $39.50 | $44.00 | 37 |
| ebay | PSA 6 | $6.75 | $6.75 | $6.75 | 3 |
| ebay | PSA 7 | $14.99 | $14.99 | $14.99 | 2 |
| ebay | PSA 8 | $20.99 | $20.99 | $20.99 | 26 |
| ebay | PSA 9 | $21.20 | $15.51 | $26.89 | 26 |
| ebay | SGC 10 | $11.00 | $11.00 | $11.00 | 1 |
| ebay | SGC 9 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $8.50 | 2 |
| tcgplayer | DAMAGED | $4.00 | $4.00 | $4.00 | 6 |
| tcgplayer | HEAVILY PLAYED | $3.79 | $3.79 | $3.79 | 4 |
| tcgplayer | LIGHTLY PLAYED | $4.94 | $4.94 | $4.94 | 127 |
| tcgplayer | MODERATELY PLAYED | $4.61 | $4.61 | $4.61 | 21 |
| tcgplayer | NEAR MINT | $5.51 | $5.00 | $5.58 | 1,278 |
Collector Outlook for Cynthia's Ambition (Secret)
Secret Rares like Cynthia's Ambition (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 Cynthia's Ambition (Secret) on RarePokemonCard — rarity demand in 2026 shifts with reprints, set nostalgia, and how few high-grade copies surface.
