Umbreon is considered the rarest and most valuable Eevee evolution
As a passionate Pokémon gamer and TCG collector myself, I have closely followed the Eeveelutions over the years. After thorough analysis of availability, card data, community perception, and more, I confidently stand by Umbreon as the rarest and most valuable Eevee evolution.
Scarcity and Difficulty of Obtaining Umbreon
Evolving an Eevee into Umbreon has long been uniquely challenging:
- Requirement of high friendship level AND levelling up at nighttime
- In Gen 2 games, friendship raising and day/night cycle made it very tedious
- I estimate only 10-15% of Eevee evolutions result in Umbreon due to difficulty
Beyond games, Umbreon‘s early TCG printings were extremely limited:
- Iconic H32 from Neo Discovery has market availability of 5% or less
- Later releases like EX Unseen Forces also had short supply for this popular card
Estimated Umbreon availability across key games/sets:
| Game/Set | Umbreon Availability |
|---|---|
| Pokemon Gold/Silver | ~15% odds |
| Neo Discovery (H32) | <5% |
| EX Unseen Forces | ~8% |
Clearly, normalized availability of Umbreon has been an outlier compared to other Eeveelutions.
Umbreon‘s Desirability and Value Factor
As one of the top Dark-type creatures in every game generation, Umbreon has perennially attracted avid collectors and competitive players:
- Gold/Silver players coveted it for in-game performance
- TCG collectors chase early cards like H32 and Gold Star for rarity
- In Pokemon GO, Umbreon sits firmly among top performers for PvP and raids
- Modern players love the striking Alternate Art VMAX card
I estimate Umbreon‘s average secondary value to exceed most Eeveelutions by 50-100% for equivalent card conditions. Here is a historical price chart of PSA 10 graded Umbreons:
| Card | Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|
| Neo Discovery H32 | $500+ |
| EX Unseen Forces | $350+ |
| Evolving Skies ALT VMAX | $1200+ |
As the above data shows, Umbreon cards consistently break value records among Eeveelution printings due to unmatched desirability.
The Underrated Factor – Umbreon‘s Competitive Legacy
While scarcity and collector demand drive Umbreon‘s valuations, we cannot overlook its competitive legacy cementing its prestige:
- Across 25 years, Umbreon has remained a top-tier Dark Pokemon in meta play
- It has versatile stat distribution allowing defense, offense, or tank builds
- Move pool includes Last Resort, Foul Play, Dark Pulse and great coverage options
- Regarded as one of the best Dark types in games like Colosseum and XD Gale
I theorize that without its sustained competitive viability, Umbreon would never reach such lofty collector values. This duality is a unique edge over Eeveelutions popular mainly among casual fans.
Umbreon Unlikely to Lose Top Eeveelution Status
In conclusion, I anticipate Umbreon maintaining its coveted status due to:
- Ongoing scarcity and difficulty of acquiring
- Level of desirability among increasingly new generations
- Competitive relevance across 25+ years of meta relevance
While we may see fluctuations, listings like the PWCC $7,000 Umbreon Gold Star demonstrate the ceiling for this prized Eeveelution remains astronomically high. I will be tracking and reporting on movements in Umbreon prices and card availability through 2023.
