Regardless of the fact that it was first released more than two decades ago, the Pokemon Trading Card Game has surged in popularity and value in 2021. Few people could have predicted that Pokemon cards would one day be worth a lot of money in 1999. In this post, we have listed some of the most expensive pokemon cards ever sold.
Rare artefacts from the increasingly popular TCG, on the other hand, have risen in value over the last two decades. The twenty-one rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards on the market today range from special tournament prizes to shadowless 1st Edition monsters from the Base Set.
Table of Contents
Be aware that you are about to examine a large sum of money. The top ten most expensive Pokémon cards in history are listed below-:
1. Topsun Charizard Blue Back
Release Date: 1995
Grading: PSA – Gem Mint 10
Most Expensive Pokemon Card Value sold at auction: $493, 230
The Topsun Charizard Blue Back is technically the most expensive Pokemon card ever sold at auction. Is it even a “Pokemon card?” is the only issue. The solution is a little more complicated. Topsun created a set of cards featuring man as Creature Inc. prepared to debut the Pokemon Trading Card Game as we know it in 1996.
While the objects are not officially part of the TCG, there has been some discussion among collectors over whether they should be grouped together. Because it is unnumbered and has a blue back, the Charizard depicted above is not just rare, but also outrageously rare. Originally, the collectibles were wrapped in gum packets and sold in Japan.
To add to the confusion, reports indicate that the device was actually made in 1995 but was only marketed in stores in 1997. A PSA 10 variant of the object was sold for $493,230 at Goldin Auctions in January 2021! Yes, you read that correctly – it’s bigger than a house. Only time will tell whether this genuinely qualifies as a “Pokemon card,” as fans will decide. For the time being, we’ve left it alone.
2. Illustrator CoroCoro Comics Promo (Pikachu Illustrator Card)
Release Date: 1998
Grading: PSA – 7
Pokemon card value at auction: $375, 000
As you may have observed, many of the most valuable cards on the internet aren’t regular Pokémon cards. Instead, unusual promo cards, such as this Illustrator Pokémon card, command a high price. Only roughly 40 of these cards were ever created and published, according to PWCC.
They were given out as prizes in three Japanese art competitions in which entrants were encouraged to design their own Pokémon cards. Winners got specially printed cards with their original artwork as well as a trophy in the form of this unique Illustrator Pikachu card. This card features an original piece of artwork by Atsuko Nishida, Pikachu’s original character designer. As a result, anytime this rare card is put up for sale, it fetches astronomical prices.
3. Charizard 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set
Release Date: 1999
Grading: PSA – Gem. Mint 10
Pokemon card value at auction: $369,000
This Charizard is a first-edition shadowless holographic Charizard. Drop shadows were not used beneath the picture or text on very early cards, and this small variation boosted their rarity and value. It’s also Charizard, the cool dragon that everyone adores.
In recent years, Charizard cards have grown incredibly popular, with celebrities such as retired rapper Logic and famous-for-some-reason-influencer Logan Paul joining in on the fun. In his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Paul even donned a super-rare Charizard around his neck.
4. Blastoise Wizards of the Coast Presentation Galaxy Star holo
Release Date: 1998
Grading: CGG – 8.5
Pokemon card value at auction: $360,000
When this extraordinarily rare Pokemon card was uncovered by the public for the first time in 2021, the Pokemon Trading Card Game community was startled. The Blastoise Presentation card was commissioned by Wizards of the Coast in 1998 to offer stores an idea of what the TCG line would look like in its final print run.
While there are conflicting accounts of its past, it is currently thought that just two exist, with only one currently accounted for. It’s effectively one of the first known Pokemon cards, at least as far as the North American distribution is concerned. Because it was so early, one copy featured a Magic: The Gathering backside, while the other was blank.
In January 2021, Heritage Auctions put the historical Nintendo artefact up for sale, and it sold for a stunning $360,000, making it the third most expensive collectible — just an inch behind the Base Set Charizard. Given that just two of them exist, it has the potential to become the most valuable Pokemon card ever. If nothing else, it could be the world’s rarest Pokemon card.
5. Ishihara GX Promo (Autographed)
Release Date: 2017
Grading: PSA – 7 / Autograph: 9
Pokemon card value at auction: $247, 230
This unique promo card features the artwork of none other than Tsunekazu Ishihara, the CEO and President of The Pokemon Company. According to interviews, each employee who attended the executive’s birthday party in 2017 received a custom Pokemon card.
In April 2020, the exceedingly rare Pokemon card was auctioned off for $50,000. According to reports, only 30 to 60 of these TCG collectibles may exist, however it’s impossible to know for sure until more of them become available to the public.
Goldin Auctions sold a PSA 7 variant of the Pokemon card for $247,230 in 2021. Because the item was autographed by Ishihara personally, the value of this Pokemon card skyrocketed, truly making it a one-of-a-kind anomaly in the TCG.
6. Kangaskhan Family Event Trophy
Release Date: 1998
Grading: PSA – Gem Mint 10
Pokemon card value at auction: $150,000
One of the rarest Pokémon cards in the world, this Kangaskhan was only given out to select winners during the Parent/Child Mega Battle tournament held in Japan in 1998. As the name suggests, this was a contest featuring families competing against one another. Only the families that achieved a certain number of wins could get this rare card.
According to PWCC, only 46 of these cards have ever been asses
sed by the PSA. This particular promo card is rated a perfect 10 by the PSA, the first time one of these rare Kangaskhan family event cards has received such a rank. This helps explain the high price tag it earned at auction.
7. Lugia 1st Edition Neo Genesis
Release Date: 2000
Grading: BGS – Pristine 10
Pokemon card value at auction: $144,300
For many youngsters who grew up with the series in the ’00s, Lugia was an iconic Legendary, similar to Mewtwo. It’s no surprise, then, that its debut as a Pokemon card was a huge success.
A first-edition Lugia is a near-perfect example of a very popular card. This is a legendary Gen II Pokémon that was featured on the cover of Pokémon: Silver. People adore Lugia, hence this type of card is owned by a large number of people. However, Beckett Grading Services, another well-known trading card and collectible grading business, hasn’t given most of these Lugia cards a Pristine 10 rating. According to PWCC, this card is anticipated to sell for higher in the future.
8. Pokemon World Championships Promo No. 2 Trainer
Release Date: 2006
Grading: PSA – 9
Pokemon card value at auction: $110, 100
This Pokémon World Championship promo card is another difficult to get tournament card. Only three are thought to have been given out in 2006 during a three-day event in California. A charming 3D-rendered Pikachu holds a giant trophy in the artwork of the card.
This is the only specimen of one of these rare promo cards that has been officially graded, according to the PWCC, with a Mint 9 rating. This card went for over $100k at the PWCC’s auction earlier this year due to its extraordinary rarity and high mint grade (along with the lovely Pikachu on the front).
9. No. 1 Trainer Super Secret Battle
Release Date: 1999
Grading: PSA – Gem Mint 10
Pokemon card value at auction: $90,000
This Super Secret Battle trainer card was only awarded to an estimated seven players during a country-wide competition in Japan in 1999. The tournament’s finals were kept a mystery. The location was only revealed after a player won one of these cards in one of seven regional tournaments.
The PSA has given this edition of the card a GEM MINT 10 rating, which adds to its value. The odd picture, which has not just a galaxy Mewtwo but also the Pokémon Trading Card emblem on the front, contributes to the card’s appeal. This isn’t a typical design!
10. Umbreon Gold Star Holo
Release Date: 2005
Grading: BGS – 9.5
Pokemon card value at auction: $70,000
The Pokemon Eevee and its evolutions are among the most well-known characters in the franchise. It’s only natural that a Gold Star Umbreon would swiftly become one of the TCG’s most sought-after Pokemon cards.
The narrative behind this Pokemon card is also unusual, since it required players to earn over 70,000 XP points by the end of the fourth season of the Pokemon Players Club to receive it. Trainers were required to not only physically attend competitions, but also to win a large number of matches.
Because of the small population, few of these Pokemon cards have been put up for sale. Everything changed in June 2021, when the Gold Star Umbreon was auctioned for $70,000. Its BGS grade of 9.5 adds to its rarity, as it is one of only two in the world to obtain such a high score.
Conclusion
Got surprised by knowing the most expensive pokemon card? After witnessing all of that, you may be wondering what people are hoping to discover in packs. Or perhaps you’d like to know how much that binder full of cards in your attic is worth. That concludes the discussion. The most expensive Pokemon cards are listed above. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Also Checkout: 10 Most Expensive Desserts in the World
