Flareon Star
Quick take
- Gold Star rarity from EX Power Keepers, the final main EX-era set
- One of three Eeveelution Gold Stars in the set alongside Jolteon and Vaporeon
- Illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda, who drew every Gold Star in the game
- Shows the shiny color version of Flareon
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Power Keepers
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 100/108 · $600.00 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe last-call Gold Star Flareon that closed the EX era
EX Power Keepers shipped in early 2007 as the final main set of the EX era. Inside were three Gold Star Eeveelutions: Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon. Flareon 100/108 is the fire one. Gold Stars are the chase class of that whole era, and these three get the most attention because Eevee and its evolutions never stop being popular.
“Gold Star rarity from EX Power Keepers, the final main EX-era set”
Every Gold Star ever printed was illustrated by one person, Masakazu Fukuda. That makes the class feel curated rather than random, and it gives the Flareon a pedigree beyond just being rare. The card shows the shiny version of Flareon, so the flame mane and tail run a lighter, more golden tone than the standard red.
For master-set builders this is one of the headline pulls from Power Keepers. You cannot finish the set without it, and you cannot finish the EX-era Eeveelution run without the matching Jolteon and Vaporeon. Flareon usually lands as the most affordable of the three, so it tends to be where people start when they chase the trio.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Flareon sits near the top of the EX Power Keepers set in value, in line with the other Gold Stars. Within the Eeveelution trio it is usually the most affordable, with Jolteon and Vaporeon pulling ahead. Raw copies trade well into vintage chase territory, and clean graded copies command real premiums.
Vintage Gold Stars have tracked the broader vintage market upward over the past several years. The Eeveelutions are among the steadier names because demand rarely softens for long. Graded population stays low against interest, so high grades tend to hold their footing better than raw copies through dips.
This is a blue-chip vintage chase with a deep, stable collector base. It is not a speculative flip. The bigger risk is condition and authenticity, not demand. Counterfeits are common, so a graded copy from a trusted slab protects most of the value. Expect it to track the vintage market rather than spike on hype.
Graded copies carry a clear premium over raw, and the gap widens sharply at the top grades because the surface and edges ding easily. PSA 9 and 10 examples sit well above mid-grade and raw, while a PSA 7 or 8 narrows that gap. For any serious money, buy it slabbed.
Gold Stars were brutal to pull. Across most EX-era sets they landed at roughly one per two booster boxes, around one in seventy-two packs. EX Power Keepers was more generous, with Gold Stars showing up closer to one or two per box. Even then, that rate covers any Gold Star in the set, not this specific one. Pulling the Flareon rather than one of the other Gold Stars stretched the odds much longer. For most collectors the practical path is the singles market, not packs.
Modern Scarlet and Violet chases look similar on paper. A Special Illustration Rare runs about one in ninety packs, and a Hyper Rare can be one in several hundred. The real difference is age and supply. Vintage Gold Stars have had nearly two decades of attrition, so clean copies are genuinely scarce rather than just statistically rare.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Fukuda is the only artist credited on Pokemon Gold Star cards. He illustrated the entire class across the EX era. His Gold Star work has a clean, character-forward look that the sub-set is known for.
Flareon is drawn in its shiny coloring, with the flame mane and tail running a lighter, more golden tone than the standard red. Fukuda lets the flames spill past the card frame, a hallmark of the Gold Star sub-set where the art breaks the border instead of sitting neatly inside it.
Gold Star cards use a distinct holo pattern and a gold star symbol next to the Pokemon name to mark the rarity. The shiny palette is the alternate-color version of the Pokemon, not a recolor invented for the card, which ties the art back to the in-game shiny.
The shiny coloring, the frame-breaking flames, and Fukuda's single-artist run give Gold Stars a coherence most rarity classes lack. Flareon is the fire entry in the most popular trio he drew, so it carries the art prestige and the Eeveelution pull at once.
BackgroundAbout Flareon Star
Flareon is the Fire-type evolution of Eevee, introduced in the first generation. Eevee's branching evolutions made the whole family a fan staple early, and that popularity has carried through every generation since. Flareon is the warm, fluffy fire member of the line.
- ›Eeveelutions are among the most collected Pokemon families
- ›Fire typing and the flame-mane design read well in art
- ›Part of a recognizable trio collectors chase together
- ›Strong nostalgia for first-generation Pokemon
- ›Recurring across the TCG as one of Eevee's core evolutions
- ›Featured throughout the franchise as a fan-favorite Eeveelution
This Gold Star is a collector card, not a tournament piece. As a Basic with modest HP it was never a competitive staple, and its value today comes from rarity, art, and the Eeveelution following.
Own it wellCollector guide
Holo surface and edges are the usual problem areas on this card. Look for surface scratches under the foil, whitening on the corners and back edges, and any print line through the holo. The black borders show wear fast, so edge nicks stand out.
Grade it if the copy is genuinely clean, since the premium at PSA 9 and 10 is significant and a slab also settles authenticity. For played copies the grading fee may not pay off, though a slab still helps resale on a card this heavily faked. Read the grading guide →
Keep it in a penny sleeve inside a snug top loader or a graded slab, out of direct light and away from humidity. Vintage holos can cloud and warp if stored loose or in heat, so treat it like the chase card it is. See the storage guide →
Buy graded for any serious spend. This is one of the most counterfeited vintage classes, so a trusted slab is worth the premium. If you buy raw, buy from a seller with real return terms and clear photos of both sides, and verify before you commit. See the singles buying guide →
Run the light test: hold the card to a bright light and look for the thin black core layer inside genuine cards, which fakes usually miss. Check the surface texture, since real holos have a feel that flat reprints lack. Watch how the holo moves under tilt. Inspect the back swirl, which should show a smooth color gradient rather than a flat or pixelated print. Compare the gold star symbol and font against a known-good reference.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors consistently rank the EX-era Eeveelution Gold Stars among the most desirable vintage cards, and the Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon trio gets called out as their best vintage appearance. Fukuda's Gold Star work is widely praised as some of the best-looking art in the game.
Discussion tends to focus on completing the trio, spotting fakes, and chasing high grades. Flareon comes up often as the recommended starting point because it is usually the cheapest of the three to land first.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other EX Power Keepers master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
