Shopping Guide
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By onemall 
TL;DR
Cynthia’s Ambition SAR (239/172) from VSTAR Universe costs ¥19,578 to ¥24,000 in a PSA 10 slab today, the one PSA 9 in stock is ¥7,777, and raw copies run ¥3,199–¥5,480. The cheapest slab is 6.1× the cheapest raw. Only nine PSA 10 slabs were in stock against forty-seven raws — the reverse of most cards here.
- Cheapest PSA 10: ¥19,578 (US$135.09) on Mercari; ¥19,999 with authentication next; Yahoo! Flea Market at ¥22,000–¥24,000.
- PSA 9 at ¥7,777 is 40% of the cheapest 10.
- Raw copies: ¥3,199 and ¥3,200 with slight wear, ¥5,480 clean shop stock from Suruga-ya.
- Nine PSA 10s in stock — this trainer card grades hard, and the slab price shows it.
As of September 2026, Cynthia’s Ambition is the VSTAR Universe trainer card where the supply picture is upside down — forty-seven raws in stock, nine PSA 10s — and the gem-mint premium is priced accordingly.
This page reads today’s in-stock Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 listings across PSA 10, PSA 9 and raw, what a scarce-10 market means for buyers, and the steps to buy from Japan.
What a Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 PSA 10 costs in Japan right now — 9 slabs in stock
Nine PSA 10 slabs, one PSA 9 and forty-seven raw copies were in stock this morning. The five cheapest slabs, the 9 and three raws are in the table.
| Grade | Price today | Platform · seller condition note | Mercari authentication |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | ¥19,578 (US$135.09) | Mercari · Nearly unused | — |
| PSA 10 | ¥19,999 (US$137.99) | Mercari · No obvious damage or stains | +¥1,700 available |
| PSA 10 | ¥22,000 (US$151.80) | Yahoo! Flea Market · No Obvious Damage or Stains | — |
| PSA 10 | ¥22,000 (US$151.80) | Yahoo! Flea Market · No Obvious Damage or Stains | — |
| PSA 10 | ¥24,000 (US$165.60) | Yahoo! Flea Market · Unused | — |
| PSA 9 | ¥7,777 (US$53.66) | Mercari · Unused | +¥1,700 available |
| Raw (ungraded) | ¥3,199 (US$22.07) | Mercari · Slight damage or stains | — |
| Raw (ungraded) | ¥3,200 (US$22.08) | Mercari · Slight damage or stain | +¥1,700 available |
| Raw (ungraded) | ¥5,480 (US$37.81) | Suruga-ya · Shop stock | — |
A note on sourcing: the Cynthia’s Ambition 239/172 prices above are the asking prices on each item page as of 2026-09-20, and USD is the conversion the page displayed at checkout. All copies are the Japanese print of the Pokémon TCG[5]. Condition notes come from the seller’s own Mercari / Yahoo! Flea Market condition field (translated); Suruga-ya rows are shop stock and carry none. Listing titles are in Japanese — the tiles below link to each copy. Mercari supports overseas buyers via partner proxy services[3].
Mercari has the two cheapest slabs, ¥19,578 and ¥19,999 with authentication; Yahoo! Flea Market follows at ¥22,000 twice and ¥24,000. Nine slabs in total means the five in the table are most of the market. The single PSA 9 at ¥7,777 is a Mercari listing with authentication, described as unused. Raw copies are plentiful: ¥3,199 and ¥3,200 with slight-wear notes, and Suruga-ya’s clean shop copy at ¥5,480. Trainer SARs from VSTAR Universe are known for grading poorly on centering, and forty-seven raws against nine 10s is what that looks like in the market.
| Item | Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 |
|---|---|
| Set | VSTAR Universe high-class pack (s12a, VSTARユニバース)[4] |
| Collector number / rarity | 239/172 · Special Art Rare (SAR) |
| Cheapest PSA 10 (gem mint) in stock today | ¥19,578 (US$135.09) on Mercari |
| Cheapest raw copy in stock today | ¥3,199 (US$22.07) on Mercari |
| PSA 10 value vs raw (cheapest slab ÷ cheapest raw) | 6.12× — what the gem mint grade is worth over an ungraded copy today |
| In-stock listings found in today’s sweep | 9 PSA 10 · 1 PSA 9 · 47 raw |
| Data read | 2026-09-20 12:02 UTC, live item pages |
Everything on this page refers to the Japanese-language Cynthia’s Ambition, collector number 239/172 in VSTAR Universe high-class pack. An English print of the same artwork is a different card with its own number, set name and market[5], as are promo versions and full-art variants from other sets. Match the number on the slab label before you compare any price.
Is Cynthia’s Ambition PSA 10 worth 6.12× the raw card?
A 6.1× multiple, or a ¥16,379 gap, is a scarcity premium on gem-mint copies of a card that mostly does not grade 10. The PSA 9 at ¥7,777 — 40% of the 10 and ¥2,297 above the clean raw — confirms it: the market values the certificate modestly and the gem-mint label enormously. Submitting a raw yourself is a real gamble here; PSA’s GEM MT 10 standard[6] is strict on centering and this card is notorious for it. If you want the 10, the ¥19,578 slab is the answer and there are only nine of them.
| Route | Cost today (JPY, before shipping) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Buy the cheapest PSA 10 slab | ¥19,578 | Grade already locked in; you pay the full premium, nothing to wait for. |
| Buy the cheapest raw copy as-is | ¥3,199 | Cheapest way to own the artwork; condition is whatever the photos show. |
| Buy a raw copy that offers Mercari authentication | raw price + ¥1,700 | Authentication[1] is seller-enabled; the cheapest raw listing today does not offer it, so compare the next ones in the table above. |
Buy the ¥19,578 slab, or the ¥19,999 copy for the authentication option. The ¥7,777 PSA 9 is a fair sealed alternative. For the binder, Suruga-ya’s clean ¥5,480 copy beats the ¥3,200 raw with wear even after Mercari authentication[1] (¥4,900).
Buying a Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 from Japan: step by step
With nine slabs in stock, order the one you want rather than waiting for a better price. The steps:
- Step 1 — Search by collector number. On OneMall, searching “239/172 PSA10” in the Mercari tab surfaces slabs the English name never would — most Japanese sellers title the card in katakana.
- Step 2 — Compare against today’s floor. Today’s floor is ¥19,578 for a PSA 10 and ¥3,199 raw; treat those as your anchors when a new listing appears.
- Step 3 — Buy it. One click adds the item; the order is placed on Mercari on your behalf and received at the Japan warehouse.
- Step 4 — Authentication or inspection. Mercari authentication (+¥1,700) is available on listings that show it[1][2]; the proxy’s own inspection and photo service covers the rest.
- Step 5 — Ship when you are ready. Free storage runs 90 days, so several cards from different sellers can leave as one consolidated parcel.
Live Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 listings: slabs and raw copies
Live listings, cheapest first: two raw copies, the ¥7,777 PSA 9, and the three cheapest PSA 10 slabs. The button on each tile goes to the OneMall item page for that specific listing.
Conclusion: Cynthia’s Ambition PSA 10 in one line
Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172 is a scarce ¥19,578 gem-mint slab, a ¥7,777 PSA 9, and a raw market that starts at ¥3,199 with wear. Buy the 10 if you want it; the supply is nine deep. See every Cynthia’s Ambition 239/172 PSA 10 listing.
See also: PSA 10 Pokémon card prices in Japan: all 80 cards ranked · Charizard VSTAR SAR 212/172 PSA 10 price · Kai SAR 236/172 PSA 10 price · Pokémon card prices in Japan vs eBay · Card grading guide: PSA vs BGS vs CGC from Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a PSA 10 Cynthia’s Ambition SAR 239/172?
In-stock Japanese listings on 2026-09-20 price it at ¥19,578 to ¥24,000 (about US$135–166 before shipping); only nine PSA 10 slabs were available.
Why are there so few PSA 10 slabs?
Trainer SARs from VSTAR Universe grade hard on centering. Forty-seven raw copies were in stock against nine PSA 10s — most submissions come back 9 or lower.
Is a PSA 9 Cynthia’s Ambition worth buying instead of the 10?
At ¥7,777 it is 40% of the cheapest PSA 10 and sealed with a cert number — reasonable for a card whose 10s are scarce.
Which set is Cynthia’s Ambition SAR from?
VSTAR Universe (s12a, VSTARユニバース), the high-class pack that closed the Sword & Shield era in Japan; 239/172 is its special-art-rare number.
How many PSA 10 Cynthia’s Ambition 239/172 exist?
The authoritative count is PSA’s own Population Report[6], which updates as submissions clear; this page deliberately does not copy a number that will drift. The live-supply proxy on 2026-09-20: 9 PSA 10 slabs in stock across Mercari, Yahoo! Flea Market and Suruga-ya, against 1 PSA 9 and 47 raw copies. A card with far more slabs than raws in stock has been graded heavily.
Last updated: 2026-09-21.
References
- Mercari Help Center — あんしん鑑定サービスの概要 (Mercari authentication service overview, fee ¥1,700 per card) — https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1499/
- Mercari Help Center — あんしん鑑定サービスの利用方法（購入者） (how buyers use the authentication service) — https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1501/
- Mercari Help Center — 海外取引サポート (overseas purchase support via partner cross-border services) — https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1447/
- Pokémon Card Game official site (Japan), The Pokémon Company — https://www.pokemon-card.com/
- Pokémon Trading Card Game, The Pokémon Company International — https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg
- PSA — Professional Sports Authenticator, official grading company site — https://www.psacard.com/