Salamence ex #187 — Journey Together Pokémon card

Salamence ex #187 Value

Name: Salamence ex #187 — Journey Together
Brand: Pokémon

Journey Together · Card 187/190 · Special illustration rare · 2025

Salamence ex from Journey Together is one of those cards that stops you mid-scroll, a special illustration rare with Tsuyoshi Nagano artwork that just has presence. If you are digging into Salamence ex value, here is the short version: raw copies sit around $59, and that is a solid number for a 2025 special illustration rare that collectors are still actively chasing. It is the kind of card people pull once and immediately start wondering if they got lucky.

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Market value & price

Raw / Ungraded

$59

Grade 9

$65

PSA 10

$296

PSA 10 is 5.1× the raw price

Value by grade

Where it drops

Pulled 17× on PackSpy across Courtyard, Collector Crypt · biggest hit $381.

Found in packs: Pokémon Starter Pack · Elite Pokémon Gacha Pack · Wildcard Basic Pack · Pokémon Pro Pack · Pokémon Platinum Pack …

Want to pull Salamence ex?

Rip a live pack on the sites that drop cards like this:

Rip on Courtyard →Rip on Collector Crypt →Rip on Packs.com →Rip on LastPack →

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission. 18+.

PriceCharting history ↗eBay sold listings ↗PSA price guide ↗

Card details

Set: Journey Together
Card number: 187 of 190
Rarity: Special illustration rare
Type: Dragon
HP: 320
Stage: Stage2
Retreat cost: 2
Illustrator: Tsuyoshi Nagano
Released: 2025

Attacks

Wide Blast
Fire · Colorless · Colorless
This attack does 50 damage to each of your opponent's Benched Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
Dragon Impact300
Fire · Water · Colorless · Colorless
Discard 2 Energy from this Pokémon.

Salamence ex — collector's take

Is Salamence ex worth grading?

So is Salamence ex worth grading? The jump from raw to a PSA 10 is real, a graded gem mint copy is worth about 5.1 times what the raw card sells for, taking it from $59 up to $296, with a Grade 9 landing at $65. That gap looks tempting, but hitting a true PSA 10 on a special illustration rare is not a given, these cards show every little edge wear and print line under a grader's light. Factor in grading fees, turnaround time, and the chance your copy comes back a 9 instead of a 10, and grading becomes less of a guaranteed win and more of a calculated bet. If the card is already clean and sharp in hand, it can be worth the shot. If it has visible wear, you may just be paying to confirm what you already suspected.

How rare is it?

As a special illustration rare, Salamence ex sits in one of the more sought after tiers Journey Together has to offer, the kind of slot that print runs simply do not produce in bulk compared to standard rares. That built in scarcity is a big part of why raw copies hold value at $59 and why a gem mint PSA 10 stretches all the way to $296. Scarcity like this does not need inflated hype, the rarity tier alone does the talking, and it is a big reason collectors keep this one on their want lists long after a set's initial release buzz fades.

Where to pull it

Here is where PackSpy actually earns its keep, because we track real pulls, not just guesses. Salamence ex has been recorded 17 times across sites we monitor, including courtyard and collector-crypt, with one lucky pull landing at $381. If you are opening packs hoping to find it, it has shown up in the Pokémon Starter Pack, Elite Pokémon Gacha Pack, Wildcard Basic Pack, Pokémon Pro Pack, and Pokémon Platinum Pack. That said, pulling packs is still a gamble, most rips do not come close to matching what you paid, so treat any hit as a bonus rather than the plan.

Questions people ask

How much is Salamence ex worth?

A raw, ungraded Salamence ex is worth $59 right now. Grade it and a 9 brings $65, while a true PSA 10 climbs to $296, so condition makes a real difference here.

Is Salamence ex worth grading?

It depends on the copy. A PSA 10 sells for about 5.1 times the raw price, jumping from $59 to $296, but gem mint condition is tough to land consistently, so weigh the grading cost and risk against how clean your card really looks before sending it in.