Quick answer
CardSpicy reads a card’s rarity from the code printed on it rather than from how a listing describes it, and AR and SAR sit at the top of the same Chinese-set rarity ladder while behaving very differently in a price list.
AR and SAR are the two letter codes that decide which card in a Chinese set becomes its chase. They sit at the top of the same rarity ladder, they look similar from a metre away, and they behave very differently in a price list. This article explains what each code means, how to tell them apart in hand, where Simplified Chinese prints them, and what the codes do and do not tell you about value.
The short answer
AR stands for Art Rare. It is a full-art printing: the photograph is dropped and the illustration runs across the entire card in a scenic composition, with the attack box compressed into the lower part of the card. SAR stands for Special Art Rare. It applies the same full-art idea to the set’s premium cards, adds a textured finish under the foil, and sits higher in the secret numbering. If you collect the English line, the nearest matches are the Illustration Rare and the Special Illustration Rare: same two concepts, different letters.
How to tell them apart in hand
Three tells, in order of reliability. First the printed code: every Simplified Chinese main set card carries its rarity code in the bottom corner next to the card number, and the codes read literally, AR or SAR. Second the finish: a SAR carries a textured, patterned foil that catches light in bands as the card tilts, while an AR has a flat, even sheen. Third the numbering: the AR run starts the secret section of a set and the SAR run follows it, which the three sets below make visible.
| Set | Art Rare slots | Secret numbers | Special Art Rare slots | Secret numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collect 151 (2025, four waves) | 4 | #170 to #173 | 3 | #189 to #191 |
| Fearless Terastal (2025) | 8 | #131 to #138 | 8 | #154 to #161 |
| 30th Celebration (2026) | 20 | #104 to #123 | 10 | #124 to #133 |
The pattern in the middle row is the cleanest: Fearless Terastal runs its eight Art Rares at #131 to #138, then spaces its eight Special Art Rares at #154 to #161, with the set’s ultra tier above them. In 30th Celebration the two runs sit back to back, twenty Art Rares at #104 to #123 and ten Special Art Rares at #124 to #133, with the two ex cards above them at #134 and #135 in a separate tier of their own.
Where Simplified Chinese prints these codes
The letter system arrived with the Scarlet and Violet era of the Chinese line. Collect 151 spread its secrets across four 2025 releases: four Art Rares, the Pikachu #170 to #173 quartet, and three Special Art Rares, Alakazam ex #189, Zapdos ex #190 and Mew ex #191. The four Pikachu illustrations are Simplified Chinese exclusive artwork, which is part of why the set’s chase structure differs from its Japanese cousin. For the set-by-set breakdown of that release, see our Gem Pack volume guide for the parallel series and the four Pikachu Art Rares article for the cards themselves.
The Gem Pack exception
The Gem Pack series, the Simplified Chinese exclusive line of all-foil packs, does not use these letter codes at all. Its cards carry a five-symbol system of a filled circle, a filled diamond and one to three stars, and its premium illustrated cards are marked with two or three stars rather than any letters. The illustrated Gem Pack cards fill the same role in the pack that AR and SAR cards fill in a main set, which is exactly why the two systems get confused. The code on the card, not the look of the art, is what names the rarity.
Does SAR always cost more?
Not always, and Collect 151 is the standing counter-example. Its four Art Rare Pikachus carried real two-tier markets when we counted on 4 October 2026, with ungraded listings from $511.18 to $2,125.74 and PSA 10 listings from $1,019.19 to $2,794.99, each backed by thirty or more recorded sales in both graded tabs. Its Special Art Rares trade far thinner: the Zapdos ex #190 showed tier prices with zero recorded graded sales, and only the Mew ex #191 matched the Pikachus for depth, with a PSA 10 listing at $375.00 against thirty recorded sales.
30th Celebration puts the codes back in the usual order, but only as estimates: across the 20 Art Rares the aggregator’s median ungraded figure is $4.75 and median PSA 10 figure is $56.11, against $25.54 and $138.51 across the 10 Special Art Rares. We counted zero recorded graded sales on every 30th card we sampled, so read that ladder as the model’s opinion, not the market’s. Fearless Terastal adds one more wrinkle: its most expensive listing is the Special Art Rare Arcanine ex #155 at $347.05 ungraded, while its Art Rares list near bulk, so within one set the gap can run in either direction once a single card catches collectors.
What the codes are for
Use AR and SAR for what they reliably describe: the printing tier, the finish, and the position in the secret numbering. Do not use them as a value ranking. The price of a card comes from the specific illustration, the character on it, and how many collectors are chasing that exact picture, and the four Pikachu Art Rares prove the point better than any rule could.
Frequently asked questions
What does AR mean on a Simplified Chinese card?
AR stands for Art Rare, printed on the card as the letter code AR. It marks a full-art printing where the illustration covers the whole card in a scenic composition. It is the same concept the English line calls an Illustration Rare.
Is a Special Art Rare always worth more than an Art Rare?
No. In 30th Celebration the SAR tier does list above the AR tier, but in Collect 151 the four Art Rare Pikachus are the most valuable cards in the set while its Special Art Rares trade far below them. The code describes the printing tier, not the price.
Do Gem Pack cards use AR and SAR codes?
No. The Gem Pack series is a Simplified Chinese exclusive line with its own symbol system of dots, diamonds and one to three stars, and its premium illustrated cards are marked with that star system instead of letter codes. Do not label a Gem Pack card AR or SAR from its look alone.
Which Chinese set has the most Art Rares?
Among the sets we track, 30th Celebration carries the most, with 20 Art Rare slots against 10 Special Art Rare slots. Fearless Terastal splits evenly at 8 and 8, and Collect 151 holds 4 Art Rares and 3 Special Art Rares across its four 2025 waves.
Sources
List of sources used
- CardSpicy tracking records for Simplified Chinese cards, read on 4 October 2026.
- PriceCharting set directory pages and product pages for Collect 151, Fearless Terastal and 30th Celebration, Simplified Chinese, read on 4 October 2026.
- Simplified Chinese card lists with printed rarity codes for Collect 151, Fearless Terastal and 30th Celebration, cross-checked against our own set checklists, read on 4 October 2026.
- The printed rarity symbols described follow the Japanese-style letter system that Simplified Chinese main sets adopted from the Scarlet and Violet era onward.
Where to go next
- The CardSpicy card index — every card we track, with its PSA 10 population and market history (195 cards).
- The illustrator index — every artist behind those cards, card by card (110 artists).