![Mew Ex [Ultra Ball League] #151 Pokémon card](https://storage.googleapis.com/images.pricecharting.com/qo3yqygxkmtqirsy/1600.jpg)
![Gengar [Cosmos Holo] #94 Pokémon card](https://storage.googleapis.com/images.pricecharting.com/wzrxjqushg3tfpoj/1600.jpg)
Gengar Cosmos Holo Hits 2,280% ROI in Scarlet & Violet 151
The numbers just dropped, and they're loud: Gengar [Cosmos Holo] #94 from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet 151 is returning 2,280% ROI on a PSA 10 grade.
For context, that's a $33.19 raw card turning into $1,385 at PSA 10—a $1,326.81 net profit after grading fees and seller commissions. It's the kind of arbitrage opportunity that makes investors sit up, especially when you dig into why this card is moving.
The Cosmos Holo Effect
Gengar's Cosmos Holo is the rare variant from 151 that combines extreme scarcity with mainstream appeal. The regular Gengar ex in the set sits nowhere near this value. But the Cosmos Holo treatment—a newer special foil pattern introduced in recent sets—has created a chase dynamic that the raw market has only recently caught up to.
With only 368 total graded copies across all grades at PSA, this isn't bulk volume territory. Only 29% of submissions came back PSA 10 or higher, which means the gem-rate floor is relatively tight. That's the key friction point: supply is artificially constrained, and demand from collectors willing to pay PSA 10 comps hasn't peaked yet.
The Starter Trio Still Matters
But Gengar isn't the whole story. The Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex trio from 151 continues to dominate volume and maintain healthy ROI spreads:
| Card | Raw | PSA 10 | Gem Rate | Net Profit | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mew Ex [Ultra Ball League] #151 | $7,760.18 | $14,617.72 | 29% | $6,832.54 | 87.8% |
| Charizard ex #199 | $369.89 | $1,572.00 | 29% | $1,177.11 | 298.1% |
| Gengar [Cosmos Holo] #94 | $33.19 | $1,385.00 | 29% | $1,326.81 | 2,280.1% |
| Blastoise ex #200 | $140.00 | $600.00 | 31% | $435.00 | 263.6% |
| Venusaur ex #198 | $114.95 | $475.00 | 31% | $335.05 | 239.4% |
| Zapdos ex #202 | $92.94 | $464.69 | 30% | $346.75 | 294.0% |
| Alakazam ex #201 | $69.35 | $346.00 | 31% | $251.65 | 266.7% |
| Pikachu #173 | $85.00 | $616.50 | 30% | $506.50 | 460.4% |
Numbers assume PSA Value Bulk at $25.00.
Charizard is the volume play: 2,049 sales per year and 89,211 total graded. That's no accident. The market has priced it aggressively, and while the 298% ROI is solid, it's crowded. Blastoise sits at 31% gem rate and 263% ROI on a slimmer 1,688 annual sales. Venusaur trails slightly but still clears 239% ROI.
The real sleepers are the lower-volume specials: Pikachu #173 (regular, not ex) is posting 460% ROI on 1,166 sales, and Zapdos ex #202 hits 294% on solid 1,433 annual volume.
Why 151 Is Still the Strongest Modern Set
Scarlet & Violet 151 landed in 2023 as a "Gen 1 celebration" set, and it has aged like fine scotch. Unlike most modern sets that cool off within 12 months, 151 continues to climb. The market is attributing this to two forces:
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Scarcity of high-grade copies. 29–31% gem rates across the ex cards mean the PSA 10 supply is genuinely tight. Every card on this table has fewer than 100,000 total graded copies; most hover in the 27,000–54,000 range. That's nothing compared to recent bulk sets.
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Generational nostalgia + Gen 1 revival. The Pokémon Company is leaning hard into Gen 1. September 16 brings the 30th Celebration set—the first-ever worldwide simultaneous release, with every pack containing all foils and a new rarity tier. That's hype. And it's going to spike interest in 151 as the "last best Gen 1 modern set before the anniversary."
The Mew Ex Caveat
Mew Ex [Ultra Ball League] #151 is the outlier here. At a raw price of $7,760.18, it's not a flip target for most graders—it's already expensive raw. The 87.8% ROI is respectable but low relative to everything else on the table, and the low sales volume (17 per year) means liquidity risk. This card is for rich collectors, not arbitrage.
How We Calculate This
Expected Value (EV) is the sum across all possible PSA grades of: P(grade) × PSA comp price × (1 − marketplace fee) − raw cost − grading fee. Numbers are based on live population data from PSA and real-time market comps. Net profit is EV minus raw cost and grading fees; ROI is net profit divided by total cost (raw + grading). We update these calculations weekly across 14,000+ cards. Learn more here.
What's Next for 151
The real catalyst is September. Pitch Black drops July 17 (Mega Darkrai ex), Storm Emerald follows in late August or early September (Mega Rayquaza ex), and then 30th Celebration lands September 18. That's three major releases in eight weeks. If 30th Celebration is as hyped as the Pokémon Company is claiming—and early teases suggest it will be—expect Gen 1 remakes and reprints that could either cannibalize 151 demand or validate it as "the foundational modern Gen 1 set."
The data currently favors the latter. Investors who want to move on 151 should do it within the next 4–6 weeks, before 30th Celebration's Sep 18 release absorbs collector wallet share. After that, 151's story becomes tethered to the anniversary set's performance.
Ready to Find Your Next Play?
The free Should You Grade tool shows you raw prices, PSA 10 comparables, and gem rates. But if you want to rank 14,000+ cards by EV, net profit, and ROI—the exact screens this article is built on—updated weekly, you'll want Pro. Run the screens yourself and spot the next Gengar Cosmos Holo before the market does.