Chase cards

Chase cards are cards in a set that many collectors aim to pull, often called the "hit cards". The term is a collector word and not an official category. Which cards count as chase in a given set is decided by the collecting community and changes over time.

What makes a card a chase card

• Rarity: cards such as secret rares and Illustration Rare are pulled less often than ordinary cards.
• Pokémon: popular Pokémon such as Charizard and Pikachu usually have a steady fan base, and cards featuring them are often counted as chase.
• Artwork: a beautiful illustration or a particular artist can lift a card that would otherwise be ordinary.
• Variant: holo, full art or other special editions make the card more exclusive.

Chase and pull rate

Chase cards usually have a low pull rate, but the two terms are not the same. Pull rate is about probability. Chase is about what collectors want. A card with a low pull rate is not automatically a chase card if nobody wants it, and a card with a moderate pull rate can be chase if it is very popular. That is why the chase list for a set can change after the set is out.

The hunt and its cost

For many people the hunt itself is part of the hobby: opening sealed products in the hope of pulling a particular card. There is no guarantee of getting it, and many choose to obtain the single card instead. How the two routes compare is described in sealed versus singles. A booster box is a common way to open many packs, but the outcome is random.

A caveat

Since the chase concept rests on what collectors want, it says little about a card's future value. Popularity can turn, and a new set can pull interest away. See the sets' card lists in the card catalog to find out which cards exist.

In summary

Chase card is an informal term that mirrors collectors' wishes. It can change from set to set and from month to month. To understand which cards are chase in a set, it makes sense to look at rarity, Pokémon and artwork together. Remember also that many collectors do not hunt the chase cards but cards they like themselves, regardless of what the community thinks.