Espeon Star
Quick take
- One of two Gold Stars in the league-only POP Series 5 set
- Shares Umbreon's scarcity, usually at a lower price point
- Pull rate around 1 in 40 packs, on a product that barely reached stores
- The vintage grail for collectors who favor Espeon over Umbreon
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in POP Series 5
The storyThe quieter half of the POP 5 pair
Every set has a headline card and a card that lives in its shadow. In POP Series 5 that split is Umbreon and Espeon. They were printed the same way, distributed the same way, and pulled at the same rate. The only real difference is that Umbreon is the more chased Eeveelution, so Espeon settled into second place on price.
“One of two Gold Stars in the league-only POP Series 5 set”
That second place is still rarefied air. POP Series 5 was given out through Pokemon League organized play, not sold in stores, so the supply was capped from the start. Espeon and Umbreon were the two Gold Stars, and pulling either took around forty packs from a product that was already hard to find.
For Espeon fans, the order of preference flips. This is the card they want, and it carries the same league-exclusive prestige that makes the pair so collectible.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Sits just under Umbreon in the POP 5 market. Raw copies trade in the four figures, with clean graded examples climbing higher. The Umbreon premium is real but the gap narrows for collectors who specifically want Espeon.
Moves with Umbreon and with vintage Eeveelution demand generally. POP 5 supply is fixed, so the long-term direction follows interest in the early Eeveelution cards rather than set reprints, of which there are none.
Same fundamentals as Umbreon at a lower entry, fixed supply against steady demand. Some collectors treat the Espeon as the value side of the pair. Condition is the limiting factor, and graded copies hold the safer position.
Significant. Clean graded copies command a clear premium over raw, and top grades are scarce because the card is nearly twenty years old. Check centering and surface before paying the graded price.
Like the Umbreon, the Espeon pulled at roughly 1 in 40 POP Series 5 packs, and those packs only came through Pokemon League organized play. Supply was capped by the distribution method, not just the odds.
Shares its rarity with the Umbreon Gold Star in the same set, both rarer in practice than the retail EX-era Gold Stars. The Espeon trades lower only because Umbreon pulls more demand, not because it is any more common.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Fukuda handled the bulk of the Gold Star illustrations, so the Espeon shares a visual language with the Umbreon and the rest of the run. His Gold Star cards favor a clean composition that puts the shiny Pokemon front and center.
Shiny Espeon, rendered in the alternate coloring rather than the standard lilac, posed against a light background that contrasts with Umbreon's dark one. The two cards read as a deliberate pair.
Rare Holo Gold Star printing with the gold star beside the name and the era's holofoil treatment. The shiny palette is the immediate tell that this is a Gold Star and not a regular Espeon.
It completes the POP 5 Eeveelution pair, and for Espeon collectors it outranks the Umbreon. A clean shiny Espeon from a league-only set is a hard card to better.
BackgroundAbout Espeon Star
Espeon debuted in Gold and Silver in 1999 as the Psychic-type Eeveelution, evolving from Eevee with high friendship during the day. It is the daytime mirror to Umbreon's nighttime evolution, and the two are almost always collected together.
- ›Sleek Psychic-type design with a loyal following
- ›Permanent pairing with Umbreon in fan culture
- ›Strong presence across games, anime, and merchandise
- ›Steady demand as part of the wider Eeveelution craze
- ›Debuted in Pokemon Gold and Silver (1999)
- ›Frequent feature in Pokemon GO events
- ›Recurring subject of high-end Eeveelution TCG cards
The POP 5 card is collected for display, not play. Its value comes entirely from scarcity and Espeon's fan base.
Own it wellCollector guide
The usual vintage wear applies, edge whitening, holo scratching, and centering drift. Clean copies are scarce for the same reason as the Umbreon, this was a casually handled league product in 2007.
Grade clean copies. The high-grade premium is meaningful and a slab settles the authentication question. PSA is the default for vintage Pokemon and has the most comp data here. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve and a rigid holder for raw copies, a graded slab for long-term holds. Keep it away from light and stable on humidity. Treat it like the four-figure card it is. See the storage guide →
Graded is the safer buy at this level. eBay carries the deepest graded supply, and recent sold comps beat asking prices as a value guide. If you want the pair, expect to pay up for the Umbreon side. See the singles buying guide →
Gold Stars are heavily faked, so authenticate before buying. The light test (real cards block light through a black core layer), the surface texture, the holo behavior, and the back's blue swirl gradient all help. For serious money, buy a graded slab from PSA, CGC, or BGS.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Well loved, and treated as the natural companion to the Umbreon. Espeon collectors often rank it as the more desirable of the two, which keeps demand healthy even in Umbreon's shadow.
- ›Clean graded copies sell in the four-to-five-figure range
- ›Usually tracks a step below matching-grade Umbreon comps
Comes up in Eeveelution collection tours and 'POP 5 pair' discussions. The card rides the same vintage Eeveelution interest that lifted Umbreon, and completing the pair is a common collector goal.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other POP Series 5 master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
