Discussion Okay, Tapu Lele-GX's Price is Outrageous

Let's not forget that The Pokémon Company doesn't set the price on individual cards in the third-party market. We do. It's priced to reflect it's popularity and playability. Shaymin EX was no different and was actually worse. I remember the regular rare being priced around $80 with the full art being around $100 about a year ago. Lele is around $40 on tcgplayer right now. If you're planning on seriously playing actual tournaments then chances are you're going to fine with shelling out the money for Lele. Buying singles is always cheaper in the long run compared to buying packs on packs and hoping you'll put it. Like another user said, why spend $80 on packs over time when you can just buy two Lele if that's what you're really looking for?
 
Lol I was looking at the current Lele price and I just knew either Reddit or Pokebeach was going have a thread like this. I started Pokemon about 2.5 weeks ago and it was hovering around $35ish. Since I knew I wanted to be competitive, I decided to make that initial investment and bought 3. I'm glad I did since the price right now (8-13) is at $49ish. Even after Worlds, I still believe this card won't go under $40.

Lele is pretty liquid too. Since I got into this game, I don't think I once saw a Lele go less than 10% than the TCGplayers value on eBay. A good amount of the online stores buy back the Lele in the $30-35 range paypal too. If you ever need the cash relevantly fast or just don't trust eBay.

While it sucks to pay $40+ for a single card, but it's not so bad if you think about it. After you have your Lele set, you can practically build any deck for $50-60. I'm coming from Yu-Gi-Oh and the idea of a Tier 1 deck can cost $200-300 sounds so amazing and refreshing. Also, you can interchange most of your trainers into other decks...
 
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Not just trainers, you can do the same with Lele GX. Two or three copies can be varied into every single deck you decide to make unless for some bizarre reason it wouldn't fit. That's what I did with the only two Shaymin EX's I ever owned.
 
The price certainly is outrageous.

I hope they will do a promo for it because while it's true that other card games have insane pricing also we still have to remember that Pokemon tries to cater to a really wide audience but one that is largely 10+ and not so much 16+ as is the case with MtG (for example).

So if anything I hope TPC will make more of them, if anything do it for the kids, because the times where Charizards and the likes where stolen and fought over are not really good times for any TCG that has this type of audience.
 
If they make a promo, it would be unfair for all the people spending their money on Lele and then everyone can get it much cheaper. What would you think if you paid 120 for a playset and a few weeks later they are just worth 10 each?
 
FlashRayquaza said:
If they make a promo, it would be unfair for all the people spending their money on Lele and then everyone can get it much cheaper. What would you think if you paid 120 for a playset and a few weeks later they are just worth 10 each?
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I traded for one RR Tapu Lele-GX and bought another RR Tapu Lele-GX and a full art one so I paid the 120 you're speaking about and I want them to make a promo of it because I want the game to be more accessible for newer players. This is why I want it to happen because you never know what will become a promo and it keeps the secondary market in check because if they over invest, they could lose money so it'll be in their best interest to keep prices low. Tapu Lele-GX regular art shouldn't be more than 20 bucks, which would keep it in line of the price of a tin that has it. It also wouldn't affect the price of the full art and RR versions much, which gives incentive to upgrade, thus maintaining value, if you care about that kind of thing.
 
I imagine people were complaining on forums about Shaymin's price and they didn't release a tin for it. And now that they're finally releasing it as a promo, you still have to pay $100 just to get the promo box that has it. It is what it is. They will price it to reflect what people are willing to pay for it. It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's economics.

A kid that just wants to play for fun doesn't need Tapu Lele. They can even make a proxies of the card and play in their local league like many others do if they really want to. Those are want to seriously get into the competitive side of playing know that there's an investment that has to be made and those people are willing to make it. The fact remains that a brand new player to the game can build a competitive deck from scratch for less than $200, and that's accounting for at least two Tapu Lele. In the grand scheme of competitive card games, that's not bad.
 
HouchinsDJ said:
In the grand scheme of competitive card games, that's not bad.
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I wouldn't call it "good", either though. The "just for fun" argument isn't overly compelling for many players; if they aren't able to win in at least a slightly competitive manner, then it isn't fun, either. I suppose it is like most games, be they TCG, video game, board game, etc. If you can only enjoy them when you're facing less skilled opponent's and winning, then it is really winning you enjoy, not the game. If you can only enjoy them when you're using homebrew rules (I am inclined to treat proxies as part of homebrew rules), are you really enjoying the game or just something you developed based off of it?

Let me add, I came to accept that successful TCG's want more for their cards than I am willing to pay; part of why I now play only via the PTCGO. I think players should be bothered by it, but I also don't think Tapu Lele-GX is a surprise; it is just the latest example and by now? Experienced players should be used to it. I just believe they also ought to be annoyed by it. ;)
 
HouchinsDJ said:
Let's not forget that The Pokémon Company doesn't set the price on individual cards in the third-party market. We do. It's priced to reflect it's popularity and playability. Shaymin EX was no different and was actually worse. I remember the regular rare being priced around $80 with the full art being around $100 about a year ago. Lele is around $40 on tcgplayer right now. If you're planning on seriously playing actual tournaments then chances are you're going to fine with shelling out the money for Lele. Buying singles is always cheaper in the long run compared to buying packs on packs and hoping you'll put it. Like another user said, why spend $80 on packs over time when you can just buy two Lele if that's what you're really looking for?
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The Pokemon Company doesn't reap the benefits of individual cards in the third-party market either. Therefore, it would be in the company's interest to release a promo to undercut that third-party market and shift those benefits their way.
 
baboon159 said:
Shaymin EX got to almost double the price you listed. There was also a time when on tcgplayer the basic art was more expensive than the full art. The highest I have seen the full art Shaymins were $153. I really doubt that Tapu Lele will do that, and I think it will drop in price after worlds is over.
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By how much do you think Tapu Lele will go down after worlds?

VS Seeker isn't in the format anymore post-rotation, so with Lele's ability to grab a supporter should replace such a card. One card gets supporters from the discard pile, the other gets a supporter from the deck, so seeing it as a replacement for VS Seeker that way makes me feel that Tapu Lele will be more important than she was before.

Also, I don't recall shaymin's price going down that much after Worlds 2016. I think right afterwards shaymin's price (regular art) was around $70-$80 that time. Correct me if i'm wrong though.
 
HouchinsDJ said:
I imagine people were complaining on forums about Shaymin's price and they didn't release a tin for it. And now that they're finally releasing it as a promo, you still have to pay $100 just to get the promo box that has it. It is what it is. They will price it to reflect what people are willing to pay for it. It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's economics.
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Just would like to point out for what it is worth you are NOT paying $100 for just a promo Shaymin EX, it comes with plenty of other full art cards as well. Now I will not deny that it is probably the most 'valuable' card of the set, I'm just saying it's not just Shaymin EX. Your statement also falls a little flat since this is in fact not a tin but a premium product. You're right though that it is what it is.
 
If it wasn't for Jirachi-EX's 90 HP, maybe Tapu Lele-GX would've seen its must-have status in Standard being eclipsed by a card that does the same thing, only slightly cheaper, in Expanded...

^ But, it is what is is: Jirachi-EX is not a good "poor man's Lele" as one would've thought it was, as it falls flat to Lysandre/Guzma in a similar light to Shaymin-EX as a target for easy two-prize KOs...

...Sometimes, a must-have can be as expensive as a one-night bare-bones hotel stay for one person, before taxes and other fees... And so, that can be called your "entry fee" of sorts to the game in terms of not being able to win as efficiently as those with it without said must-have, and what an unfair fee that is... :(

^ However, as long it's a must-have, and no adequate substitutes exist, if you want to play, you have to accept it, or get out of the game altogether...
 
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A lot of people on this thread are saying that either you get Lele, or stop playing.
Now, children, this is a really great example of WRONG!
I play the game as a broke little child running Tapu Koko. I have been told that Koko needs Lele. I don't have a Lele. Will I run Koko and have fun anyway? You bet your britches I will. The point of the game is to have fun, right? (I know, cheesy kid's show line.)
Well, it's better to lose and have fun than to be grumpy and win.
I plan to get a Lele when I have an adequate cash flow and have controlled my urge to buy nothing but packs. But for now, I run Koko Loco.
My philosophy is:
Don't worry about it. Stuff all your money in a bank account, check the number every so often, and when you see you can get Lele, press that buy button!
My only concern is that Lele's price will increase faster than I can get the money.


Future prices Q's:
Will the price stop growing after Worlds?
Will the price go down after Worlds?
If it keeps going, where will the price end?
After all the hype of Worlds and such events, what price will Lele eventually settle at?
What are the chances of Pokémon releasing a promo Tapu Lele?
(Please answer these)

My guesses:
Yes, or the price grow will reduce.
Possibly, 50/50 chance.
$60, no more.
$30-$40
3,561,492 to 1.
(Please answer those questions)

I must plan for the future.
Goomy awaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!...
 
Lord Goomy said:
Future prices Q's:
Will the price stop growing after Worlds?
Will the price go down after Worlds?
If it keeps going, where will the price end?
After all the hype of Worlds and such events, what price will Lele eventually settle at?
What are the chances of Pokémon releasing a promo Tapu Lele?
(Please answer these)
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1. Tapu Lele's price will only continue growing. It gets even better after rotation.
2. No.
3. Who knows? Shaymin reached 100 quickly, Lele could do the same thing for all we know.
4. Same as #3.
5. When it finally rotates to expanded. They will not do that to Lele because it's an amazing card. Doing that causes the people who are buying packs to try and get it to stop.
 
WAIT
If the price only continues growing, BUY NOW AND SELL IT LATER! It's like playing the TCG stock market!
So, we all agree that Lele's price is unbeatably rising, and probably will hit big numbers, like $37372849271?
Whelp. The journey continues. Come back after the break for more of Lord Goomy's pricey adventure!
While I'm at it, is Shaymin's ability or Lele's ability better?
 
Lord Goomy said:
WAIT
If the price only continues growing, BUY NOW AND SELL IT LATER! It's like playing the TCG stock market!
So, we all agree that Lele's price is unbeatably rising, and probably will hit big numbers, like $37372849271?
Whelp. The journey continues. Come back after the break for more of Lord Goomy's pricey adventure!
While I'm at it, is Shaymin's ability or Lele's ability better?
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1. Why would you sell it? You want it so you can use it!
2. Well, not everyone would agree with my stance, some believe it will fall.
3. ---
4. Depends on the scenario, neither one is necessarily better than the other.
 
Lord o da rings said:
1. Why would you sell it? You want it so you can use it!
2. Well, not everyone would agree with my stance, some believe it will fall.
3. ---
4. Depends on the scenario, neither one is necessarily better than the other.
Click to expand...

1. Oh wait.
2. There's hope yet!
3. The break isn't over.
4. Good to know.
Extra Credit:
I have finally found a place where my questions can be answered by more than one person.
THANK YOU POKÉBEACH PEOPLE!
 
Lord Goomy said:
A lot of people on this thread are saying that either you get Lele, or stop playing.

Future prices Q's:
Will the price stop growing after Worlds?
Will the price go down after Worlds?
If it keeps going, where will the price end?
After all the hype of Worlds and such events, what price will Lele eventually settle at?
What are the chances of Pokémon releasing a promo Tapu Lele?
Click to expand...

1-It's going to be just like Shaymin. It's going to continue increasing overtime until it rotates out, which will make it fall hard.
2-The price isn't going to go down most likely.
3-Because of there being now three rarities, it could be about 70/90-100/100+ (RA/FA/RR) judging by how Shaymin went, but who knows, it could go even higher.
4 is basically the same as three.
5- Realistically, the chances of a promo Lele are about the same chances as a promo Shaymin. Not happening until it hits expanded. One point you could make though is that unlike Shaymin, a gen 4 mythical in a gen 6 set, Lele is more prominent as a Pokemon in this current generation. Thing is though, Burning Shadows is out and the Island Guardians have all already come out. If they were going to make a promo Lele, most likely they would have by now as some sort of tin promo. Although it could have possibly been more likely just on that basis, it's chances are slim if none...An event shiny Lele could help it's chances, but even then who knows. As of now, TLDR, the chances are low as of now. This could increase over time. but it's incredibly unlikely.

Honestly I'm not planning on getting more than one of each version of Lele just for the collection. I'm not a player IRL, I haven't the time, or the money to go competitive and visit tournaments(as much as I'd love that). But...I still do hope Lele's price drops just so it makes it easier to get. I have no problem spending 40-50+ on something like higher-valued BW Full arts, Shinings, etc. Basically anything more desirable as a collector. Lele doesn't have that same desirability to warrant me dishing out almost 200 dollars on all three versions of it. I have better priorities, at least as a collector.
 
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