Shiny Vault cards are special Pokémon cards that have a shiny holographic background which features gold coloured stars. The Pokémon featured on the card is always the shiny version of that character.
See also: Shiny Vault Cards List
These special cards can be Full Art or Holo style. The holo-style shiny vault cards are often referred to as Baby Shinies.
Although shiny Pokémon may be randomly featured in any set, shiny vault cards make up a subset of a special expansion set with their own unique numbering system.
These special cards are always numbered with the prefix SV. The Charizard shiny vault card pictured is numbered SV075/SV122. It is shiny vault number 75 out of a total shiny vault of 122 cards. The Wooper card pictured is numbered SV9/SV94. It is shiny vault number 9 out of a total shiny vault of 94 cards.
Where can Shiny Vault Cards be Found?
Shiny Vault cards first appeared in 2019 as a subset of the Sun and Moon Hidden Fates expansion set. There are 163 cards in the Hidden Fates set of which 94 make up the shiny vault subset. These cards are numbered SV?/SV94.
In February 2021 Pokémon released the Shining Fates special expansion set. This set of 195 cards includes a shiny vault subset of 122 cards which are numbered SV?/SV122.
Hidden Fates and Shining Fates are both special expansion sets where booster packs are not sold separately but can only be found in elite trainer boxes, collection boxes and special tins.
The unique appearance of these cards makes them highly collectible. The fact that booster packs are only available in special products adds to their collectability and also increases their value. Both shiny vault sets feature Charizard and these cards are highly sought after.
Is Radiant Collection the same as Shiny Vault?
Radiant Collection cards first appeared as a 25-card subset of the Black and White Legendary Treasures expansion set. They can also be found in the XY Generations set released in 2016 to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Pokémon franchise.
The image above shows Charizard from the Radiant Collection subset of the XY Generations set numbered RC5/RC32 and Wooper from the Shiny Vault subset of the Sun and Moon Hidden Fates expansion numbered SV9/SV94.
Although both cards have shiny features they are clearly very different in style. The radiant collection card does not have the shiny vault distinctive gold stars. Also, radiant collection cards are numbered RC while shiny vault cards bear the prefix SV.
