Tropical Wind - 026 (2004 World Championships) [Participation]

The latest Scarlet & Violet expansion 'Surging Sparks' officially launched worldwide. Early chase cards include Pikachu ex SAR and several new Illustration Rares. First-week prices are inflated — expect correction in 2-4 weeks.

PSA raised their base-level grading fee from $30 to $35 for standard cards. Express and Super Express tiers unchanged. This may reduce casual submissions and tighten PSA 10 supply for modern cards.

As expected, the market saw a 5-10% correction across most categories following the December holiday buying surge. Vintage cards held better than modern, with Base Set holos showing minimal decline.