The PokéViews Era Index tracks the average price of the top 50 most valuable ungraded cards from each era of the Pokémon TCG. It groups individual series (like Base Set, Jungle, Neo Genesis, etc.) into 5 broader eras to show how different generations of cards perform over time. Each era is measured by calculating the equal-weighted average price of its 50 most valuable cards, with monthly rebalancing and daily interpolation. The index reports actual dollar amounts, not normalized returns, enabling direct comparison of value levels across different generational periods.

The methodology for the PokéViews Era Index is outlined as follows:

Card Selection: Top 50 ungraded cards per era ranked by market price. Only includes mainline sets (excludes promotional and special releases). Requires minimum 3 annual sales to ensure liquidity.

Era Classification: 5 eras tracked:
  • Vintage: Original, Legendary Collection, Neo series 
  • Classic: E-Card, EX series 
  • Mid Era: Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, Black & White 
  • Modern: XY, Sun & Moon series 
  • Contemporary: Sword & Shield, Scarlet & Violet, Mega Evolution 

Price Calculation: Equal-weighted average price of top 50 cards per era. The index represents actual dollar amounts, not normalized values.

Rebalancing: Conducted monthly on the first day of each month to update the top 50 cards per era.

Daily Values: PCHIP (Piecewise Cubic Hermite) interpolation applied to generate smooth daily values between monthly rebalancing points.

Data Source: PriceCharting ungraded card prices.

Start Date: January 1, 2022.

The Era Index enables investors and collectors to compare performance and value levels across different generations of Pokémon cards. By aggregating individual series into broader historical periods, it simplifies portfolio construction and diversification strategies. This metric helps identify which generational periods command the highest premiums, track long-term appreciation trends across eras, and allocate capital across different time periods in the hobby's history. The era-level view provides a higher-level perspective than individual series tracking while remaining more specific than single market-wide indexes.

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