So, I recently bought one of my ‘grail’ cards. That is to say, I always loved Ho-oh because of Pokémon Gold (some of the best memories) and I had been following this card for quite some time.
Just a stunning card to me, and… it is (somewhat) affordable. Which got me thinking; how is it possible that I could pick this card up for under 3K when the Lugia is completely out of reach.
I have been in the Pokémon world since 2000 and Ho-oh and Lugia are both some of the most loved legendaries. Just very nostalgic with Ho-oh even being the first legendary shown. So why is the Lugia card almost fifteen times more expensive? Yes, the POP for 10’s is about half (44 to 88) but that is a very different ratio. The only reason I could come up with is that Neo Genesis was more popular than Neo Revelation, but it still seems weird. Or, maybe Lugia is just that much more popular now. Curious about what everyone thinks.
Ho-oh has hardly any holo and is a darker background. Lugia has a ton of holo and is lighter. The cards are probably more similar price NM raw, but PSA 10 has the gap for a reason
Congrats on the amazing pickup. Neo Revelation Ho-oh is my favourite card ever and I’ve been chasing it in a 10 for a long time now (just waiting for prices to go down a bit).
Even thought Ho-oh and Lugia are regarded as counterparts, they are not equal in TPC’s eyes and especially that of fans. Lugia had an entire movie dedicated to it during the initial Poke-boom so a lot of collectors remember the Pokemon very fondly. This probably extends to Lugia cards being a lot more popular than Ho-oh, which I’m not complaining about since it means my favourite Pokemon is a lot easier to collect.
It’s a great card for sure, and I absolutely love the artwork as well!
However I agree with the general opinion here: Lugia became way way more popular as a Pokemon, while the Neo Genesis one was gradually elevated to the “grail” status (being so hard to grade, and imho more recognizable to the general public)
Another thing which could be considered is that Ho-oh is suffering a bit of competition in Neo Revelation, being outshined by its double-holo variant and Shining Gyarados.
Lugia, like most WOTC white back holos, is simply brutal to grade. Tons of print lines and other defects, so it’s very hard to get a 10 on. In addition, it seems that Lugia is probably the most popular Gen 2 legendary figure overall and to me is sort of like the Charizard of Gen 2. Personally I am a Ho-Oh fan myself, and I think this one is a way cooler looking card.
That’s what I was thinking. When I think about Neo Genesis, the only thing that comes to mind is Lugia. For Neo Revelation, I immediately think of shiny Gyarados, shiny Magikarp, the legendary dogs, Celebi, Houndoom, and… Ho-Oh. I also prefer the Ho-Oh card to the Lugia one (and the Fire bird over the… Psychic bird?)
I also find it strange that Neo Revelation Ho-Oh appear so underappreciated (also at lower grades) compared to Neo Genesis Lugia. It is the second card after Rocket’s Mewtwo to have 3 attacks, highlighting that it is a very special card historically. The artwork is also amazing. However, Neo revelation also has the first two shining Pokemon, the three legendary beasts, and Celebi (the Mew of generation 2). Meanwhile, Lugia very clearly is the top card of Neo Genesis followed by the gen 2 starters. Lugia was also the main Pokemon of the second movie. I have this Ho-oh which is mislabeled as the unlimited variant, suggesting that the original grader sadly did not pay much attention to this card.
Very interesting. I also love the fact that this card has so many label misprints. It’s not very easy to label though, as there are the unlimited, first edition and then two double holo variants.
For a second I actually thought that the card I bought was a double holo error card because of the holo eye (there is galaxy holofoil in the eye), but that seems to be the case in all cards.
It doesn’t just stop at the Neo comparisons either, Lugia outdoes Ho-Oh at practically every turn since too.
The E-Series crystal versions are very comparable cards (and some of my favourites); both being scarce secret rares from sibling sets (and both even being numbered #149), but Lugia still manages to pull in a big premium in any like-for-like grade.
Agree. The thing about the double holo variant though is that it does not come in a PSA 10 first edition. So the choice is, first edition or double holo. For me, in the end, first edition won.
Congrats on the card! Neo Revelation Ho-Oh is one of my favorite Pokemon cards. I have a strong preference for the holo bleed (‘double holo error’) variant.
I prefer Ho-Oh to Lugia and am disappointed that TPC/TPCi has continually prioritized Lugia since their release. Pokemon the Movie 2000 will always hold a special place in my heart and fueled a lot of my interest in Lugia, but I will admit that I favor the aesthetic/design of Ho-Oh. If Lugia was redesigned without human-looking hands, I think I would love them equally - those wing sausages are so unsightly.
Both birds are awesome indeed. In my opinion, Mewtwo, Ho-oh and Lugia are still the best legendaries (design/lore wise). Lugia got some extra love with the movie, but Ho-oh will still be remembered for that first iconic episode.
Love the double holo error as well. I think the Misdreavus and the Ho-oh are the best cards in this categorie, although the Houndoom is beautiful as well.
lugia is just a way more popular pokemon same reason pokemon silver was always more popular than gold. neo genesis is also harder to grade in general. i actually had those at 2500 and struggled to move them before this recent boom
