BGS Black Label Mew ex SIR Sale Hits $236,543

2024 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Paldean Fates SIR #232 Mew ex – BGS Black Label 10 at $236,543

On May 18, 2026, a 2024 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Paldean Fates Special Illustration Rare (SIR) #232 Mew ex, graded BGS PRISTINE 10 with the coveted Black Label, sold at Goldin for $236,543. For an ultra-modern Pokémon card, that is a major result and a useful data point for how the hobby is valuing both Paldean Fates and perfect-graded Mew chase cards.

Below is a breakdown of what sold, why it matters, and how this price fits into the broader market.

What exactly is this card?

• Character: Mew ex
• Year: 2024
• Set: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet – Paldean Fates
• Card number: #232
• Variant: Special Illustration Rare (SIR)
• Grading company: Beckett Grading Services (BGS)
• Grade: PRISTINE 10 with all four subgrades at 10 (Black Label)
• Population: Pop 2 (only two copies with this grade in the BGS population report at the time of sale)

This is not a rookie card in the traditional sense—Mew has appeared on cards since the 1990s—but it is a key ultra-modern chase card. The Paldean Fates SIR treatment gives Mew a high-end, full-art illustration with strong pack-pull difficulty compared with regular ex cards and standard full arts.

Why collectors care about Paldean Fates Mew ex SIR

Even without speculating on exact print runs (which Pokémon does not publish), several things are clear:

1. Paldean Fates is a premium subset. Like earlier "shiny" and special-art focused releases (e.g., Hidden Fates, Shining Fates), Paldean Fates is positioned as a chase-heavy product. Boxes tend to be opened heavily by breakers and collectors looking specifically for big hits like Special Illustration Rares.

2. Mew is a long-standing fan favorite. Mew sits in the same tier of popularity as Charizard, Pikachu, and Mewtwo for many collectors. That matters because character popularity often supports long-term demand more reliably than short-term hype around newer, less-established Pokémon.

3. Special Illustration Rare artwork. SIR cards combine full-art layouts with detailed, scene-based art rather than simple portrait shots. For modern and ultra-modern Pokémon, SIRs and earlier "alt arts" are increasingly viewed as the flagship chase tier within a set.

4. Ultra-modern era dynamics. This 2024 card sits firmly in the ultra-modern window (roughly mid-2010s to present). Ultra-modern Pokémon typically has:

   • Higher raw supply than vintage
   • More intense grading volume
   • Strong segmentation by grade (gem-mint vs. 9s vs. raw)

   In that environment, true top-pop, perfect graded cards are where collectors often differentiate.

The significance of a BGS Black Label 10 (Pop 2)

A BGS Black Label 10 means all four subgrades—centering, corners, edges, and surface—received 10s. Beckett then designates the overall card as a Pristine 10 and uses a black label to signal that it is perfect across the board.

Key implications:

• Extreme scarcity at the grade level. With a population of only 2 in Black Label, this card is not just rare in packs; it is exceptionally rare in perfect condition. Many copies will grade 9 or 9.5, and even PSA 10s are more accessible than a BGS Black Label.

• Collector psychology. For certain buyers, a top-pop (the highest-graded example or one of the highest-graded) is the preferred way to own a modern chase card. When you combine a beloved character, a premium variant, and a pop-2 Black Label, you are looking at the upper end of what the market is willing to pay for that specific card.

• Separation from other gem grades. In many ultra-modern markets, there is a noticeable price gap between PSA 10s, BGS 10 Gold Labels (Pristine, but not all 10s), and BGS Black Labels. That gap can be especially wide for key characters and desirable artworks.

Market context and recent sales

For context, this Goldin sale closed at $236,543 on May 18, 2026.

When we talk about comps (short for "comparables"—other recent sales used for context), it’s useful to look at both the exact card and nearby versions:

• The exact BGS Black Label 10, Paldean Fates Mew ex SIR #232 has extremely thin sales history, simply because the population is so low.
• Closely related versions include:
  • PSA 10 copies of the same SIR card
  • BGS 9.5 and BGS 10 (Gold Label) examples
  • Other high-end Mew illustration or alternate-art style cards from modern sets

Across the major marketplaces and auction houses, available public data show:

• PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 copies of this Mew ex SIR generally trade for a small fraction of this $236,543 result, consistent with the usual premium applied to Black Labels for key characters.
• There are no long histories of repeated six-figure sales for this exact Black Label at the time of writing, so this auction stands out as one of the clearest, early markers for what top-pop Paldean Fates Mew ex can command.

Because ultra-modern sets are still being opened and graded, both population counts and price ranges can change quickly. The important anchored facts here are:

• This example is one of only two Black Label copies.
• It achieved a mid six-figure price at a major auction house.

Those two things place it at the very top of the known market for this specific card.

How this sale fits into the broader Pokémon market

While every card is its own case, this Goldin result reflects several broader themes for Pokémon collectors and small sellers:

1. Character and artwork still lead. The combination of a legacy character (Mew) and premium, story-driven artwork continues to outperform more generic releases, especially in high grades.

2. Grade scarcity matters more than print-run speculation. For ultra-modern cards, raw copies and mid-tier grades can be relatively accessible. What has remained scarce—and often strongly valued—are the true top-pop grades where the population is in the single digits.

3. Auction houses are a venue for the very top end. While most transactions for this card’s lower grades still happen on fixed-price marketplaces, six-figure, pop-2 Black Labels often surface at established auction houses like Goldin, where serious bidders know to look.

4. Price levels are context, not guarantees. This $236,543 sale shows what one pristine example commanded at a given point in time, under specific bidding conditions. It does not guarantee future prices for other copies or grades, but it is a useful reference when comparing versions.

Takeaways for collectors and small sellers

If you are collecting Paldean Fates Mew ex SIR or thinking about grading your copy, here are some grounded, practical points:

• Centering and surface will be critical. Most cards will not reach Black Label territory. Even small print lines, edge dings, or centering issues can move a card from a potential 10 down to a 9.5 or 9.

• PSA 10s and BGS 9.5s remain the volume play. That is where most graded copies will sit and where most day-to-day market activity is likely to occur.

• Top-pop chasing is a niche, but influential, segment. Results like this show that a small group of buyers is willing to pay a steep premium for the best-known examples, particularly for iconic characters.

• Track both population reports and actual sales. Population reports (the grading company’s count of each grade) help you understand relative scarcity. Actual sales data give you real-world price context. Together, they paint a clearer picture of where a card sits in the market.

Final thoughts

The 2024 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Paldean Fates SIR #232 Mew ex BGS Black Label 10 that sold at Goldin on May 18, 2026, for $236,543 is more than just a high price tag. It captures the intersection of three powerful forces in the modern hobby:

• A deeply established, globally loved character
• A premium chase variant from a modern, heavily opened set
• One of the very few perfect-graded copies in existence

For collectors watching the evolution of ultra-modern Pokémon, this sale offers a clear, documented benchmark for how the market is currently valuing the absolute best examples of key Special Illustration Rares.