Is Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) Canada Buy Worth It?
Mewtwo EX 163 can justify its CA$209.54 price in Canada—but only with clean centering and minimal whitening. Compare tax, shipping, and grading upside before buying.
Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) is a card I would buy in Canada—but only at the right price and condition. The 2015 XY-era secret rare remains one of the more visually striking Pokemon Cards from the modern vintage period, yet its current asking price can make an ungraded copy a poor impulse purchase.
What makes Mewtwo EX 163 desirable?
Mewtwo EX 163/162 comes from XY—BREAKthrough and combines a popular Gen 1 character with the gold-and-blue secret rare treatment collectors associate with the set. It is not an officially numbered “short print,” and Pokémon has never published a confirmed print run. Its scarcity is instead driven by the card’s position as a secret rare, the age of the set, fewer sealed packs being opened, and strong demand from Mewtwo collectors.
The artwork also gives it crossover appeal. Competitive play is no longer the reason to own it; this is primarily a character, artwork, and condition purchase. Copies with clean holo surfaces, sharp corners, and balanced borders are much easier to sell than heavily played examples.
Is the current Canadian price fair?
ARCardZ lists the Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) at CA$209.54. That is a defensible retail price for a raw copy when the card is genuinely near mint, but it is not automatically a bargain. Ontario buyers should remember that 13% HST takes the checkout total to roughly CA$236.78 before shipping. Canadian shipping for a single card can add another CA$5–15 depending on tracking and insurance.
For a Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) Canada buy, compare the delivered price rather than the sticker price. eBay.ca sold listings may look cheaper until shipping, taxes, and the CAD/USD exchange rate are included. TCGPlayer listings can also appear attractive after conversion, but international postage, brokerage risk, and condition disputes reduce the advantage. A local Facebook Marketplace purchase may save 10–20%, though the trade-off is weaker buyer protection and inconsistent grading language.
At CA$209.54, I would expect a raw card with strong eye appeal and no obvious whitening. A visibly played copy should be priced considerably lower. If a seller describes a card as “near mint” but shows only a stock image, ask for front-and-back photos under direct light before paying.
Condition, centering, and grading economics
XY-era full arts can show off-centering, edge whitening, print lines, and small silvering along the borders. These flaws matter disproportionately because the jump from raw near mint to a high-grade slab is where most of the financial upside sits. In Canada, a PSA 10 can command roughly 3–5 times the price of a comparable raw NM copy, but that multiplier is not guaranteed and depends on recent sales.
Grading is only sensible when the card has a credible chance at a 9 or 10. Canadian collectors should budget for the grading fee, two-way tracked shipping, insurance, and possible tax. Standard submission turnaround can realistically stretch to 8–16 weeks depending on the company and service tier. At this card’s price, a marginal 8 usually does not justify grading costs; a clean 10 candidate may.
- Raw NM: best for collectors who want the artwork and can inspect condition themselves.
- PSA 9 or equivalent: a safer buy when the premium over raw is modest.
- PSA 10: appealing for long-term collectors, but avoid paying a speculative premium without recent Canadian or comparable USD sales.
How it compares with other ARCardZ options
If CA$200-plus is outside your budget, a different character card may deliver stronger enjoyment per dollar. The Charizard GX is listed at CA$59.29, while the Charizard V costs CA$78.42. Neither is a direct substitute for Mewtwo EX 163, but both offer recognisable Pokémon appeal at a much lower entry point. The Empoleon Lv.X at CA$51.59 is another interesting option for collectors who prefer older-era mechanics and a lower acquisition cost.
| Product | Price (CAD) | Best For | Value Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) | CA$209.54 | Mewtwo collectors and premium raw copies | ★★★★☆ | Buy if condition is genuinely NM and photos are available. |
| Charizard GX | CA$59.29 | Budget character collecting | ★★★★☆ | Better entry value, though less scarce and less vintage. |
| Charizard V | CA$78.42 | Modern Charizard collectors | ★★★☆☆ | Fun and accessible, but not as distinctive an investment. |
| Empoleon Lv.X | CA$51.59 | Older-set and era-focused collectors | ★★★★☆ | Strong low-cost alternative for vintage-style collecting. |
Who should buy it—and who should wait?
Buy the Mewtwo EX 163 if Mewtwo is central to your collection, you prefer raw cards you can examine, or you have found a copy with excellent centering and minimal whitening. It is also a sensible single-card purchase for a collector building a focused XY secret rare binder rather than chasing every expensive chase card.
Wait if your goal is a quick flip, if CA$209.54 would consume most of your collecting budget, or if the seller cannot provide clear condition photos. The market can soften when attention shifts to new sets, and an ungraded card bought at the top of the range gives you little margin for error. For an even cheaper character option, Riolu at CA$76.34 may be a better fit for a themed binder than stretching for a questionable Mewtwo copy.
Our Pick
Our pick is Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) at CA$209.54, but only as a verified near-mint raw purchase. It has the strongest collector identity and the best long-term display appeal in this comparison, while the alternatives win on affordability. Before completing a Mewtwo EX (163 Secret Full Art) Canada buy, check centering, whitening, holo scratches, tax, and tracked shipping. Review the ARCardZ listing carefully, then contact ARCardZ for a condition check if you want confidence before adding this XY secret rare to your Canadian collection.