Wailord EX (147 Full Art) Canada Buy: Honest Collector Guide
At CA$74.27, Wailord EX (147 Full Art) is a compelling XY-era binder card—but condition, Ontario HST, shipping, and grading costs decide whether it is truly good value.
Wailord EX (147 Full Art) Canada buy: the quick verdict
At CA$74.27, Wailord EX (147 Full Art) is a fair buy for a clean binder copy, but not an automatic investment. The card has genuine collector appeal: it is a full-art EX from the XY era, features an unusually imposing Wailord illustration, and belongs to Primal Clash, a set with a strong nostalgia following among Canadian Pokemon Cards collectors. However, the price only makes sense when condition, centering, and your collecting goal line up.
A Wailord EX (147 Full Art) Canada buy is strongest when the card is raw Near Mint, well-centred, and free from the whitening that frequently appears on older XY-era cards. It is weaker as a speculative purchase if the copy has visible edge wear or if you are paying a premium merely because the listing says “full art.”
What makes this Wailord card desirable?
Wailord EX #147/160 is a secret rare-style full-art treatment from Primal Clash, released in 2015. It is not a mass-market modern chase card with constant new supply; clean copies are increasingly concentrated in established collections, binders, and graded inventories. That scarcity supports long-term interest, but it does not guarantee rapid appreciation. The card is popular because of character appeal and artwork rather than competitive play, so demand is collector-led.
Condition is the key variable. XY-era full arts can show corner whitening, light surface scratches, print lines, and off-centre borders even when sellers describe them as Near Mint. Ask for close photographs under angled light. A strong raw copy should have consistent borders, a clean front surface, no dents, and minimal whitening on the back. A small flaw can move the card from an attractive binder copy to a difficult grading candidate.
Canadian price reality
At the listed CA$74.27, ARCardZ positions the card below several comparable character-driven singles. That is a useful benchmark, but Canadian buyers should calculate the landed price rather than comparing sticker prices alone. Ontario buyers may pay 13% HST, bringing CA$74.27 to about CA$83.93 before shipping. A CA$10 shipping charge pushes the effective cost close to CA$95. For an out-of-province purchase, tax treatment and shipping can differ, so confirm the checkout total.
eBay.ca sold listings can look higher than TCGPlayer converted pricing because Canadian sellers build in postage, exchange-rate risk, and the CAD/USD premium. Facebook Marketplace Canada may offer a lower cash price, but authentication and return protection are weaker. For a Wailord EX (147 Full Art) Canada buy, compare at least five recent sold examples, not active listings that may have been sitting unsold for months.
How it compares with other ARCardZ singles
| Product | Price (CAD) | Best For | Value Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wailord EX (147 Full Art) | CA$74.27 | XY-era full-art collectors | ★★★★☆ | Best balance of artwork and entry price |
| Charizard GX | CA$59.29 | Iconic character demand | ★★★★☆ | More liquid, but less distinctive for some binders |
| Charizard V | CA$78.42 | Modern Charizard collectors | ★★★☆☆ | Strong recognition, higher modern-card supply |
| Empoleon Lv.X | CA$51.59 | Diamond & Pearl-era nostalgia | ★★★★☆ | Excellent lower-cost era piece |
Buy raw or graded?
Buy raw if your priority is a binder, deck display, or affordable artwork. At CA$74.27, a clean raw card leaves room in the budget for a proper sleeve, semi-rigid holder, and insured storage. Do not buy it raw expecting a guaranteed PSA 10. A PSA 10 can command roughly three to five times the price of a raw Near Mint copy in some Canadian markets, but the multiplier depends heavily on centering and population.
Grading only works financially when the card is genuinely exceptional. PSA Value submissions commonly begin around US$25 before shipping, taxes, intermediary fees, and the wait; Canadian turnaround is often measured in months rather than days. Add insured postage each way and the grading bill can easily exceed CA$50. If the card returns a PSA 8 or 9, the resale premium may not cover those costs. For a serious submission, inspect centering, corners, edges, surface, and dents under magnification before spending on grading.
Who should buy it?
- Buy now: if you collect XY-era full arts, want Wailord specifically, and the copy has strong centering with clean edges.
- Wait or negotiate: if the listing has incomplete photographs, visible whitening, or a price above comparable Canadian sold results.
- Choose another card: if resale liquidity matters more than artwork. A character such as Charizard generally has a broader buyer pool; Riolu is another distinctive option at CA$76.34 for collectors who prefer illustration and character appeal.
There is also a practical collecting question: would you still want the card if its value stayed flat for three years? If yes, the purchase is easier to justify. If no, put the money toward a more liquid chase card or a card with clearer scarcity evidence.
Our Pick
Our pick is Wailord EX (147 Full Art) at CA$74.27, provided the copy is genuinely Near Mint and you are buying for personal collection value. It offers a more unusual display piece than another common Charizard purchase and sits at a reasonable entry point for an XY full art. Treat a Wailord EX (147 Full Art) Canada buy as a collector acquisition, not a guaranteed flip: verify photos, calculate Ontario HST and shipping, and skip any copy with dents or heavy whitening.
Check the current condition notes and final landed price at ARCardZ before ordering. If the listing passes those checks, secure the card in a penny sleeve and semi-rigid holder; if it does not, compare the alternatives above instead of forcing the purchase.