Pokemon Japanese Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trainer Card
Sold in December, 2020 for $60,000
The Battle Road Summer 2005 tournament spanned across nine different Japanese cities between July 10 and August 14, 2005.
As a prize, the top three competitors from each age division of the regional tournaments received one of these Victory Orb cards that feature Mew and the artwork of Takumi Akabane.
Previous Victory Orb cards from the Battle Road Summer tournaments in 2003 and 2004 did not feature Mew so many hobbyists believe this one to be an aesthetic upgrade.
The Japanese text below the artwork translates to:
“Victory Orb can only be used by official tournament winners. Look at the top 7 cards of your deck, then return them to the top of your deck in any order.”
Pokmon Neo Revelation 1st Edition Holo Houndoom #8
Neo Revelation is a 66-card expansion that was released back in 2001.
Weve mentioned that dark Pokémon were overpowered at the time, but they were also unique enough to stand out from the crowd compared to normal types that had been seen before.
Houndoom is one such example, with the card wrapped in a distinctive black background.
Youll be able to see advancements in terms of the illustration compared to the base 1999 set, as Houndoom howls at the moon in the image. Rather than a full holo background, only the stars glitter in the light.
Another expensive option, its limited to only 28 PSA 10 copies. Thats low enough to allow it to mix with the rarest original Pokémon cards.
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Pokemon Neo Summer Battle Road #3 Trainer Trophy Card
Sold in July, 2020 for $18,600
As an award for finishing in third place in the 2001 Neo Summer Battle Road Tournament, contestants would receive this number 3 trainer card that came in a special case.
Trophy cards like this one are some of the rarest and desirable Pokemon cards in the hobby.
Just under the “No. 3 Trainer” text is a fantastic image of the main protagonist of the Pokemon anime, Ash Ketchum, flanked by Growlithe and Pikachu.
Below the image is a text box that reads: “The Pokemon Card Game Official Tournament “BattleNeo Summer Road” third place winner is recognized here, and this honor is praised.”
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Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer Trophy
- Release Date: 2002
- Grading: BGS 7.5
- Pokemon card value at auction: $34,100
Kicking off in Sapporo Japan, the 2002 Neo Summer Battle Road tournament saw some of the worlds best TCG players competing against each other in a series of contests across the country. Those who managed to place second place in their division received the highly coveted Number 2 Trainer trophy card.
Like all trophy cards, the population of them is incredibly low given that only a handful of participants who ranked at the top of these contests received them. Despite its scarcity, one of the 2002 Summer tournament prizes went up for auction at PWCC in March 2021.
What makes this item special, is the fact that it has the name of second-place winner Fukunishi Tomoki written on it. According to the auction house, the player took the 2nd prize in the Junior Division during the Kanto region tournament. The personalized nature of the reward truly makes it one of a kind.
Unlike other Number 2 Trainer cards, the Neo Summer Battle Road has Ken Sugimoris iconic artwork printed on the E-Series format during the 2002 era of the TCG.
/10 Black Star Ishihara Signed Gx Promo Card
This extremely special TCG card sold for $247,230 in April 2021. What makes it worth a quarter of a million? It actually features artwork of the CEO and President of The Pokemon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, which was given to employees on his 60th birthday bash.
What boosted its value was not only the mint condition, but also the signature of the CEO which was on the card. There is no other card quite like this one.
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First Edition Shadowless Holographic Chansey
Its a good thing Chansey likes to care for the sick and injured because you might pass out when you learn how much this card is worth. Several of the 48 recorded PSA 10 copies of this rare first edition Chansey have sold for over $25,000 at auction, with the highest sale sitting at $36,877.
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The $5 Million Pokmon Card: Inside Logan Pauls Record
On 2 April 2022, at WrestleMania 38, it was confirmed that Logan Paul had broken the record for the most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale with a coveted PSA Grade 10 Pikachu Illustrator card that set him back $5,275,000 .
He was presented with his Guinness World Records certificate backstage by adjudicator Mike Marcotte.
Pauls emotion at receiving this accolade was clear, and as the Pokémon card hung from his neck in a bejewelled case, he accepted his certificate proudly.
But how did Paul manage to get his hands on such a rare card?
His journey started in sunny Italy at Lake Como in June 2021.
There, Paul purchased a PSA Grade 9 Pikachu Illustrator card from Matt Allen. Allen is a prominent sports card collector, ranging from NFL, F1, NBA cards and more, but also dabbles in gaming cards.
The transaction cost Paul $1,275,000.
“I have never spent this much money on a physical asset,” Paul said during the trade.
“This card cost me more than my ranch. My 84-acre ranch.” – Logan Paul
Allen credits “pokemafa”, a fellow collector, for selling him the card in order for him to then sell on to Paul although Pauls identity was kept secret.
“Special thanks to @pokemafa for moving this piece to me so it could then start its journey to become part of a bigger deal that helped release ‘the PSA 10 Illustrator’ from a strong collection in Dubai”, wrote Allen on Instagram.
Next was the small task of getting together $4,000,000 and booking a flight to Dubai.
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Pokmon Card Value Guide
Like most collectives, such as coins or Beanie Babies, many factors contribute to the value of a Pokémon card. This includes the original number released and the numbers left, condition, special features, card details, as well as misprints or errors. As such, some cards are worth little more than a few dollars, while others will set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Bulbasaur 1st Edition $25880
One of the most popular Pokemon, Bulbasaur delivers long term. Previously third in the pecking order for PSA 9’s, Bulbasaur is currently higher than Squirtle and Charmander. With low populations, be sure to make Bulbasaur a top priority.
PSA Pop: 309 – 814
Current Pokemon Card Value: PSA 10 $1800 PSA 9 $258.80
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The Masked Royal Prize Promo: $18000
This is undoubtedly one of the most recent rare cards, featuring the Masked Royal character from Pokemon Sun & Moon and released as recently as 2017. This is essentially a promotional card that was given out to players in an invitation-only prerelease in Tokyo for the new Shining Legends set, where only 100 copies were made.
Even though this is a relatively normal card by most standards, this short print run means itâs incredibly hard to get, especially since it was handed out in such a restrictive event. As a result, there are actually preserved tweets of players first opening it in places like Pokeboon, while Japanese trading sites like Miyabi Hobby have past listings of the card at Â¥2,000,000, which currently is equal to around $18,000 USD.
Most Expensive Pokmon Cards
Collecting Pokémon can extend far beyond keeping a binder full of cards you played with as a kid. The collectors market is not afraid to spend big to own a rare or valuable card. Examples include unique prize cards, club or competition releases, or even rare first edition cards. Several factors determine the value of each Pokémon card, including rarity, condition, population, grading, and popularity. Of the cards on this list, one is worth a few million, with many more selling for hundreds or tens of thousands of dollars!
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A Brief History Of The Pokmon Trading Card Game
Launched in October 1996, the Pokémon Trading Card Game became one of the most successful spin-off products of the entire Pokémon franchise. Just like the games, players assume the role of a Pokémon trainer, but TCG had kids fulfilling their fantasy of battling each other long before the games had any multiplayer features.
To date, TCG has sold over 30 billion cards worldwide and has been constantly expanded with new cards since its release. Besides the game itself, collecting has become a popular hobby, with certain cards becoming insanely valuable.
With several high-profile sales making headlines, more and more people are digging up their old binders, desperate to find buried treasure. The TCG collecting community is now more active than ever, with no signs of slowing down.
/10 Tamamushi University Magikarp Trophy Promo
This seriously rare card has an interesting story behind it. In 1998, Shogakukans Magazines hosted a contest which, once passed, led the students to a conference in Osaka to a special TCG tournament. The few winners of the contest were awarded this card.
With a PSA Gem Mint 10 grading, this card went up for auction in early 2021 and sold for a whopping $66,100. Magikarp may not be the cutest fish Pokémon, but it sure fetched a lot of money.
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Signed Tsunekazu Ishihara Gx Promo Card
This appropriately overpowered card was created to celebrate Pokémon creator Tsunekazu Ishiharas 60th birthday back in 2017. The cards were given out to Pokémon employees by Ishihara himself, and there are estimated to be only 30-60 in existence.
Because Pokémon employees are forbidden from selling this card, serious collectors are frothing to get their hands on one. In fact, one of these cards signed by Ishihara sold at auction for an astounding $247,230 in 2021 despite only being in near-mint condition .
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Pokemon World Championship Master Key Trophy Card
Sold in August, 2020 for $26,900
The Pokémon World Championships are where the best of the best meet each year to battle it out for money, prizes, and the title of Pokémon World Champion.
Players who earn enough points in qualifiers and smaller tournaments receive a special invitation to compete in the three-day event held in rotating locations.
The first tournament kicked off in 2004 in Orlando, Florida, but in 2010 the competition made its way to the Hilton in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii.
Just thirty-six contestants participated in the 2010 event and each received a copy of this beautiful foil card in a special case.
With so few of them ever produced, they are among the rarest Pokemon cards, and command huge prices if and when they do surface for sale or auction.
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Pokmon Ex Deoxys Gold Star Holo Rayquaza #107 $45100
This Rayquaza is another Gold Star card, similar to the Umbreon we spoke about earlier. With a PSA-certified Gem Mint status, nobody should be surprised by the $45,100 pricepoint.
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Pokemon World Championships Number 2 Trainer
Sold in February, 2021 for $110,000
From Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 20, 2006, the best of the best battled at the World Championships held at the Hilton Anaheim hotel in Anaheim, California.
Contestants across three divisions competed feverishly to be one of the top 32 players from each division to advance to the finals on Sunday to crown a champion.
Those who finished in second place received this number 2 trainer card which features a fantastic image of Pikachu holding a silver cup trophy.
The official 2006 Pokemon World Championships logo rests in the bottom-right corner, adding a nice touch to an already impressive-looking card.
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Pokmon World Championships Ken Sugimori Pokmon Cut Auto Dna
Ken Sugimori is an integral part of Pokémon history. He was an art director for the video games, a talented illustrator, and an original Pokémon character designer responsible for fan favorites such as Venusaur, Gengar, Snorlax, and Mewtwo. However, he also had contract restrictions preventing him from giving autographs. Thats why this card is so special. While its not officially a Pokémon, these blank cards were custom-crafted to allow artists to add drawings and autographs at the 2004 Pokémon World Championships. Ken drew Pikachu and signed it in both Kanji and English. Its a unique, one-off piece that wont be repeated, so its place on this list of the most rare and expensive Pokémon cards is very secure!
Get The Cards Condition Graded By The Psa
Lets say you find your old cards and come face-to-face with a 1st Edition Chancey card worth up to $3,500. Sweet!
Now, how do you sell it?
Your first step will be to temper your expectations. Although auction sites will list estimated values of thousands of dollars, the resale value at that moment in time could be 10x more or less than that.
In addition to checking TCGplayers, a good way to rapidly appraise your cards value is to browse recently sold listings on eBay. You can do so by searching for your card, clicking Advanced, and checking the Sold listing box.
Looks like one recently sold for ~$1,875 CAD, or roughly $1,500 USD. Not bad.
This particular Chancey was both encased and graded by a company called the PSA, or the Professional Sports Authenticator. The PSA grades the condition of rare trading cards on a quality scale of 1-10, with 10 being known as Gem Mint. Cards graced by Gem Mint status arent just free of manmade scuffs theyre free of the most microscopic factory defect.
Generally speaking, most cards handled by children before retiring into a shoebox will score a PSA of 7 or lower, selling for about 5% to 10% of Gem Mint price.
Unfortunately, the news gets worse any card worth over $500 will likely need PSA grading, and the PSA is currently so overwhelmed that theyve temporarily suspended most services.
Therefore, youre left with three options:
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Pokemon Japanese Topsun Holofoil Blastoise
Sold in October, 2020 for $20,100
The 1995 Japanese Topsun cards are some of the most interesting early Pokemon cards and were distributed in packs of apple-flavored gum by Top-Seika.
Collectors could find these cards in one of three versions: blue-back, green-back, and prism holofoil.
While 150 different characters appeared on the blue-back and green-back cards, only 16 received a prism holofoil version.
Though these Topsun cards contain a trademark date of 1995, most collectors agree that the company did not distribute them until 1997.
And that makes sense because even the official Pokemon Trading Card Game didn’t debut in Japan until 1996.
The Blastoise prism holo is one of the most desirable Topsun cards and features the same imagery used for the cover art of the Pokemon Blue videogame released on the Nintendo Game Boy in Japan in 1996.
Topsun Charizard Blue Back No Number Error
Sold in January, 2021 for $493,230
As with the other Topsun cards mentioned earlier on this list, Top-Seika didn’t distribute them until 1997, even though their copyright date reads 1995.
And since they weren’t part of the official Pokemon Trading Card Game, they are considered more in the realm of novelty collectible cards.
Still, an early Pokemon card is an early Pokemon card…
And, whether you’re talking about the prism holos, green-backs, or blue-backs, collectors are willing to pay thousands of dollars for several of the Topsun cards when graded in PSA 10 condition.
But a price tag of thousands of dollars turned out to be quite an understatement in January 2021 when Goldin Auctions sold the most desirable of them all, the only “no number error” blue-back Charizard on record in a PSA 10 holder, for a whopping $493,230.
The blue-back checklist contains 150 numbered cards in total, but for some reason, about 50 of the characters were also printed with no number on them by mistake.
So, while the standard blue-back Charizard should contain a “006” on it in the upper-left of the front of the card, the “no number error” will be blank.
If you can find one and are lucky enough to have it graded PSA 10, you could be looking at life-changing money.
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Japanese Promo Master’s Scroll Daisuki Club 8600 Points
Sold in March 2021, for $35,200
This holographic Master’s Scroll card is one of several item cards that were part of the L-P Promotional cards released between September 2009 and August 2010.
Once a player accumulated 8,600 action points, he or she would earn the Master Rank distinction and a prize in the form of this Master’s Scroll card.
Given the difficulty of acquiring such a massive amount of action points, not many members ever received one of these cards, making it one of the rarest promotional Pokemon cards in the hobby.
