The Parallel Report
Insights, news, and deep-dives from the forefront of the collecting world.
Explore by topic
- Australia Focus — Australian trading card market and events
- Beginner Guides — Essential guides for new collectors and traders
- Card Spotlight — Deep dives into iconic and valuable cards
- Grading Hub — Card grading standards and preparation guides
- Investing & Value — Investment strategies and card valuation insights
- News & Releases — Latest TCG releases and industry news
- Event Reviews — On-the-ground reviews of Australian card shows and events
Latest articles (21)
- Umbreon VMAX alt art price against Sylveon, Glaceon and Leafeon — Across the 121 days to 1 November 2026, the Umbreon VMAX alt art fell 31.7% raw while Sylveon and Glaceon slid about 10%. The raw-to-graded gap on the cheaper… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-11-05)
- Five modern Charizard chase cards ranked by cost, and where the Charizard VMAX Champion's Path price sits — On 3 November 2026 the five modern Charizard chase cards ranged from AUD $24 to AUD $349 raw. The shiny Hidden Fates GX was the only one to rise across the 123… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-11-05)
- Prismatic Evolutions Umbreon ex price now tops the other three SIRs combined — Across the 122 days to 2 November 2026, raw Umbreon ex SIR rose 68.3% while Espeon, Sylveon and Eevee ex each fell 21 to 22%. The gaps between them widened. He… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-11-05)
- Base Set Charizard price in Australia, and what Blastoise and Venusaur cost beside it — Across 120 days of CardPop eBay snapshots to 31 October 2026, raw Base Set Charizard averaged AUD $1,082.78, Blastoise $404.50 and Venusaur $129.37. Here is wh… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-11-05)
- Vault –The Great Chase (Edition 1) Melbourne Card & Collectible Show: CardPop Australia Review — For their first event, this brought the hype, the vendors and variety, that confirmed future events cannot be missed. (CardPop's angle on one of Melbourne's Newest CardShows., 2026-11-04)
- Where One Piece TCG prices settled after the rush — Five tracked alt arts and secret rares, 33 days of eBay snapshots to 5 August 2026. The averages move by up to 440% in a month, and almost none of that is real… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-08-06)
- The PSA 10 price gap on NBA Prizm rookies, with the sums done — Across CardPop's snapshots to 4 August 2026, the graded premium on five tracked Prizm rookies ran from 1.6x to a meaningless 56x. Once an Australian submission… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-08-06)
- Thirty-one days tracking NRL rookie cards produced no priced sales — CardPop ran daily eBay snapshots on five NRL rookie cards from 4 July to 3 August 2026. Thirty observations each, zero priced listings captured. Here is what t… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-08-06)
- Pricing AFL rookie cards honestly when there are 42 listings to go on — On 2 August 2026, five tracked AFL rookies showed 42 live listings between them. Dustin Martin carried nearly two-thirds of the depth, Harley Reid's raw averag… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-08-06)
- Pokemon alt art prices have split five ways in 29 days — Across the 29 days to 1 August 2026, the Umbreon VMAX alt art ask fell 25.1% while the Brilliant Stars Charizard V didn't move at all. Here's what the snapshot… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-08-06)
- The Charizard price in Australia, card by card — Five tracked Charizards, 26 days of daily eBay AU/US snapshots, and a hard look at the gap between raw and graded asking prices. Two of these move regularly. O… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-07-31)
- Why Philadelphia Is the Dark Horse to Land LeBron James — And Why It Might Be the Best Basketball Fit — Could LeBron James finish his career with the Philadelphia 76ers? The CardPop Research Team breaks down why the Sixers are the dark-horse fit no one is talking… (CardPop Research Team, 2026-07-19)
- Best LeBron James Cards to Buy in 2026: CardPop Investment Report — Six LeBron James cards, scored against CardPop's Investment Index — from the 2004 Topps Chrome PSA 9 to the 2023 Recon insert worth passing on. Here's what's a… (Reece Conway, 2026-07-07)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat: What It Means for His Trading Cards in 2026 — Giannis Antetokounmpo is heading to the Miami Heat in one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history. Here is what the move means for his trading cards, wheth… (Reece Conway, 2026-07-02)
- Understanding Card Parallels: The Complete Visual Guide — Silver, refractor, prizm, cracked ice, gold /10, superfractor 1/1 — parallels are where card values are really made. This visual guide shows you exactly what e… (Reece Conway, 2026-06-24)
- The CardPop Investor's Guide to NBA Rookie Cards 2026-27 — How to identify future hobby stars before everyone else. The collectors who backed Wembanyama, Luka and Curry early were rewarded — here's how to read the 2026… (Reece Conway, 2026-06-23)
- Is Importing PSA Cards Worth It in Australia? The Full 2026 Cost Breakdown — Real numbers from real purchases — a PSA 9 Wembanyama landed for AUD $161.88, a 2003 Topps Chrome LeBron priced local vs imported, and what 2026's four-year-hi… (Reece Conway, 2026-06-19)
- The Basketball Card Collecting Bible (2026 Edition) — Everything Australian Collectors Need To Know Before Buying Their First Card (Reece Conway, 2026-06-18)
- What not joining a 3% collector marketplace is costing you after eBay's 2026 fee restructure — eBay Pro sellers still pay 13.4% in final value fees. On a $3,200 Charizard, that's $429 gone. Here's what Australian collectors are losing — and what they cou… (Reece Conway, 2026-06-16)
- Wembanyama vs Brunson: Who Owns the Next Decade of the Hobby? — Victor Wembanyama reached his first NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson is a champion. Both are at the centre of Australian collectors' most-watched market right now. We… (Reece Conway, 2026-06-15)
- PSA Grading Guide for Australian Collectors 2026 — Everything you need to know about PSA grading in Australia — the 1–10 scale explained, how to submit, real Australian costs, turnaround times, PSA vs BGS, and… (Reece Conway, 2026-05-11)