As one of the most recent additions to the Pokemon TCG, Melmetal stands out as an unusual Steel-type mythical Pokemon, with a lug nut for a face. While there aren’t years and years of vintage Melmetal cards to sift through and hunt down, this Pokemon still boasts some fairly rare and desirable cards among its best.
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While valuable Pokemon like Jirachi set a good precedent for what the future may have in store for Melmetal’s cards, this Pokemon doesn’t share the same cute factor that boosts Jirachi’s value. Despite the lack of characterizing features, Melmetal’s TCG career is holding steady thanks to one of the best Steel types ever, Lucario.
Cards are ordered according to their TCGPlayer Market Price, which you might pay on average for a copy of the cards below.
A Solid Solo Start
Melmetal starts strong considering it joined the Pokemon TCG during the Sword and Shield era, which featured numerous valuable cards. While Melmetal’s humble price tag doesn’t earn it a spot among the best cards from its era, most debuting Pokemon start slowly, then rise in value as they receive better cards or their demand increases.
However, despite its relatively affordable price, this Melmetal card is on the expensive side, considering Melmetal’s tepid popularity and lack of gorgeous art. Unfortunately, Melmetal VMAX has seen better days, as it once sat closer to $11, but dropped below the plateau and hasn’t seemed ready to break it again yet.
The Last Lonely Art
Prerelease Promo cards that build hype for upcoming sets typically remain fairly desirable as time goes on, rising in value if they’re particularly striking or feature a popular Pokemon. Sadly, Melmetal doesn’t have either distinction going for it, but this is one of the few promo Melmetal cards you can get your hands on.
However, Melmetal could use help to bring its value up, as this promo card isn’t rising as quickly as some others. However, this promo remains rare, with only two recent sales, as its price looks ready to rebound back toward the $12 mark after falling to about eight dollars in mid-2024.
Holding Strong
Melmetal finally gets a little help from its friend, as Lucario and Melmetal combine to form a perfect partnership, even if their value isn’t high enough to earn them a spot among the most valuable cards in Unbroken Bonds. Despite facing stiff competition from the cards in Unbroken Bonds, Lucario & Melmetal GX capitalizes on Lucario’s presence to build a small lead over its peers.
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This card is one of the most desirable Melmetal cards, along with its promo versions, as sales of this card have continued to rise since the start of 2024. This card began at around $8.50 in late 2023 and sat just shy of $11 by the end of October 2024, earning about a 30 percent increase in price.
Combining Partnership With Exclusivity
Many of the most valuable cards from the Sun & Moon era feature two Pokemon joining forces to form a powerful team, like this fantastic promo card. Lucario returns to help Melmetal secure a solid valuation, finally breaking through the glass ceiling to soar above $11.
Lucario’s popularity is a large part of the reason why Melmetal’s cards can maintain positive momentum without any new reasons to enjoy Melmetal.
Much like the prior Melmetal, this gorgeous promo is trending upward, rising from roughly nine dollars at the end of 2023 to almost $13 in November 2024. The four-dollar increase might not sound impressive, but it represents an almost 50 percent increase in this card’s value in about 12 months.
Rising With The Rainbow
The Lucario & Melmetal GX Secret Rare earns its crown as the most valuable Melmetal card ever, though this card would struggle to compete against the most expensive Lucario cards. While it’s hard to appreciate each Pokemon’s design with the rainbow color palette, the rarity of this card helps to bolster the price.
Unfortunately, this Melmetal card doesn’t mirror the same upward trend as the two prior entries, with the cards in lightly played (LP) condition continuing a fall from $22 to about $20. However, near-mint (NM) cards carry a small premium, hitting highs of $26 at the top end of the range.
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