2007 POP 5 Gold Star Umbreon PSA 10 Sells for $104K

2007 Pokémon POP Series 5 Gold Star Umbreon in PSA 10 is one of those cards that sits right at the intersection of nostalgia, real rarity, and modern collecting. A recent copy – 2007 Pokémon POP Series 5 #17 Gold Star Umbreon, graded PSA GEM MT 10 – sold at goldin on 2026-04-20 for $104,920.

For a small, non-holo promo from a mid‑2000s reward program, that number can look surprising at first glance. Put in context, it lines up with how the hobby has been treating this card over the past few years.

The card: 2007 POP Series 5 Gold Star Umbreon #17

Let’s pin down exactly what this card is:

• Character: Umbreon (Gold Star version)
• Year: 2007
• Set: Pokémon POP Series 5
• Card number: #17
• Rarity/variant: Gold Star (shiny Pokémon variant, marked by a gold star next to the name)
• Distribution: Pokémon Organized Play (POP) reward pack, not regular booster boxes
• Grading company: PSA
• Grade: GEM MT 10 (PSA’s highest standard grade)
• Key issue status: Widely considered one of the top chase cards of the POP era and a cornerstone Gold Star Eeveelution

Gold Star Umbreon is not a rookie card in the sports sense, but within Pokémon it functions as a key issue: a premier Umbreon card with a unique artwork and a distribution story that makes high-grade copies legitimately scarce.

Why POP Series 5 and Gold Stars matter

POP (Pokémon Organized Play) Series packs were reward packs given out through events and league participation. They weren’t mass-retail like standard sets, and the pull rates for Gold Stars inside them were extremely low.

POP Series 5, released in 2007, is especially important because it contains:

• Gold Star Umbreon #17
• Gold Star Espeon #16

Both are shiny (alternate color) versions of the fan-favorite Eeveelutions, and both quickly became some of the most sought-after Gold Stars outside of the big three starters and Rayquaza.

For collectors, “Gold Star” means:

• Distinct gold star symbol next to the Pokémon’s name
• Unique shiny artwork that typically appears only on that card
• Historically low pull rates compared with most modern chase cards

This places POP Series 5 Umbreon firmly in the mid-2000s “EX era” of Pokémon – old enough that surviving, clean copies are limited, but not so old that huge amounts were opened and slabbed from day one.

Grade and population: why PSA 10 matters

PSA GEM MT 10 is PSA’s top grade. It signals a card is essentially pack-fresh: sharp corners, strong centering, clean surfaces, and no print defects beyond very minor, acceptable ones.

Gold Star Umbreon is notoriously hard to grade because of:

• Dark borders and background, which show whitening and chipping very easily
• POP pack handling, where cards weren’t always treated with the same care as chase cards in modern sealed product
• Age and storage, since many copies sat in collections or binders before grading became widespread for this card

While exact pop report numbers can change over time, the broad picture has been consistent: PSA 10 copies are a small fraction of the total graded population. In other words, this isn’t a card where tens of thousands of PSA 10s exist. That limited supply is a major factor when you’re looking at a sale above six figures.

Market context: how does $104,920 fit in?

This copy sold at goldin on 2026-04-20 for $104,920.

When collectors talk about price context, they often reference “comps”, short for comparable sales – recent, public sale prices for the same or very similar cards. For Gold Star Umbreon in PSA 10, comps over the last few years (across major marketplaces and auction houses) have generally shown:

• A significant premium for PSA 10 over PSA 9, with 9s often landing in a much lower bracket than 10s
• Occasional six-figure sales for strong 10s in well-publicized auctions
• Some fluctuation tied to broader Pokémon sentiment, but without a complete reversion to pre-boom levels

Within that framework, a $104,920 result for a PSA 10 copy is in line with the card’s position as a top-tier Gold Star and one of the hobby’s recognized “grails” from the EX era, rather than an outlier that lives in a different universe from recent comps. The exact ranking among record prices can shift as more data comes in, but this result sits comfortably in the high end of the established range for this card in gem condition.

It also continues a pattern we’ve seen since the early 2020s: a long-term separation between truly scarce, high-grade copies of iconic cards and the rest of the market. As supply in PSA 10 stays effectively capped, auctions like this help define the going rate when serious bidders compete.

How lower grades and related cards compare

Looking beyond this specific card and grade helps round out the picture:

• PSA 9 Gold Star Umbreon tends to sell at a substantial discount to PSA 10. The eye appeal can still be excellent, but even minor centering or edge issues keep it out of gem mint territory. Many collectors view 9 as a more accessible way to own the card.
• Raw (ungraded) copies vary widely in condition. Because the card is so condition sensitive, raw listings that appear clean are often treated with caution unless they’re inspected closely.
• Gold Star Espeon from POP Series 5 tracks a somewhat similar pattern. The two cards are often discussed together as POP 5’s twin chase pair, and shifts in one often draw attention to the other.

Overall, there’s a clear tiering:

1. PSA 10 Gold Star Umbreon – extremely limited, strong auction competition, true centerpiece status
2. PSA 9 and other high grades – still important cards, but more collectors can participate
3. Mid and lower grades / raw – more about owning the artwork and history than chasing top-tier rarity

Why collectors care about this card

Gold Star Umbreon checks several boxes that matter to both newer and veteran collectors:

• Fan-favorite Pokémon: Umbreon has long been one of the most popular Eeveelutions, especially with players who grew up in the Gold & Silver era.
• Shiny variant: The blue-ring shiny Umbreon artwork makes this card instantly recognizable and distinct from standard Umbreon prints.
• Challenging distribution: POP reward packs limited exposure compared to mainline sets. That matters more and more as time passes and sealed POP product dries up.
• Era appeal: The EX era / mid-2000s window is far enough back to feel nostalgic but modern enough to feature clean, polished card design.
• Grading difficulty: The card is genuinely tough to gem. High-grade scarcity isn’t just about grading habits; it’s baked into the card’s physical characteristics.

For many, this card represents a high-water mark for Umbreon collecting. It often sits alongside other major Gold Stars (Rayquaza, Charizard, etc.) and Trophy-style cards as part of serious long-term Pokémon collections.

Recent hobby and Umbreon interest

Umbreon itself doesn’t rely on current competitive play or new releases the way a modern athlete card might. Instead, interest is driven by:

• Ongoing popularity of Eeveelutions across games, anime, and merchandising
• Periodic Pokémon anniversaries, reprints, and video game remakes that renew nostalgia for the Gold/Silver era
• A broader trend where collectors prioritize recognizable, historically important cards over short-lived modern hype

That means sales like this tend to reflect slow-moving collector preferences rather than short-term news or events.

What this sale tells us

The $104,920 goldin sale on 2026-04-20 reinforces a few themes that have been consistent in the Pokémon card market:

1. Truly scarce, high-grade key issues still command meaningful premiums. PSA 10 Gold Star Umbreon fits firmly in that category.
2. Mid-2000s POP and EX-era chase cards have settled into a mature collector lane. They’re no longer the new frontier, but they are established targets with documented demand.
3. Condition and grading continue to define the top of the market. The gap between a top-grade example and the same card in near-mint or lightly played condition remains substantial.

For collectors, this sale is another data point rather than a shock. It’s useful when you’re:

• Evaluating where your own Umbreon or Espeon Gold Stars might sit relative to the top of the market
• Comparing PSA 10 pricing to PSA 9 or raw
• Deciding which era and type of rarity resonate most with your long-term collecting goals

As always, prices can move up or down over time. But in terms of hobby significance, 2007 Pokémon POP Series 5 #17 Gold Star Umbreon in PSA GEM MT 10 remains one of the defining Umbreon cards – and this six-figure goldin auction on 2026-04-20 simply underlines that status.