Most Expensive Pokemon Cards Of All Time
Initially released in Japan in the 1990s to accompany the Pokémon video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has transformed into one of the most popular trading card games of all-time.
Because of the red-hot popularity of the franchise, some of the most expensive Pokemon cards can sell into the six-figure range…
That may sound shocking, at first, but given that Pokémon is a worldwide phenom, there is a vast, passionate collector base around the globe just waiting to get their hands on these prized cards.
From trophy cards, to First Edition Pokemon cards, to lesser-known rarities, the value of these cards is quite impressive.
And in this guide, we take a look at the 50 most valuable of them all.
Let’s jump right in!
Tamamushi University Magikarp Trophy Promo
- Release Date: 1998
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $66,100
In 1998, Shogakukans Magazines in Japan offered a contest for school students. Fans that took the various tests offered in the publication could send them back to the company to have them graded.
Those studious enough to pass with high scores were then invited to a special conference held in Osaka of that year. Once there, the children got to participate in a unique Pokemon card battle tournament. Winners of the rare contest ultimately received the Magikarp Trophy Pokemon card Promo.
Due to the insane obscurity of how the TCG item was given out, its easily one of the rarest Pokemon cards on our list. It was not very surprising then when the Trophy collectible went up for auction in February 2021 and sold for $66k at PWCC.
The Best Place To Sell Your Pokemon Cards Online: Ebay
The main marketplace is for sure going to be eBay, Pratte says. Even if youre someone who just stumbled upon your childhood collection, its really easy to take a couple of pictures make a decent listing.
Why eBay? Its home to several high-profile deals, and it also caters to the $20 and $30 transactions. In short, eBay is the perfect meeting ground for nostalgic buyers and sellers and those whove been wheeling and dealing Pokemon cards since the 90s.
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What Makes Pokemon Cards Valuable
Over the past year, online personalities such as Logan Paul have propelled Pokemon card collecting back into popularity. With some cards being valued at over $100,000, its understandable why theres so much excitement around the hobby.
But what makes Pokemon cards valuable? It all comes down to the rarity of the card and what condition the item is in. These two factors determine how much collectors are willing to pay and why some cards go for mind-boggling amounts of money.
Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard
- Pokemon cards value: $420,000
Almost half a million dollars! Imagine finding that in your loft. Featuring iconic art from Mitsuhiro Arita, this is the most widely coveted Pokemon card ever made. But just having the card isnt enough. Over 3,000 of these have been passed along to graders, but only 121 of them have been granted PSA 10 Gem Mint designation.
GLHF.
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How Much Is Your Pokemon Card Worth
Pokemon card price values range from $0.05 to over $200,000 and the final price depends on factors such as rarity, condition, shape centring, proxies, type, set, year, print, edition, errors, language, and grading. In the end, a card is worth how much someone is willing to pay for it.
We just had a look at a number of factors that can come into play to know the value of a Pokemon card, but here are some places where you can find how how much a card similar to yours is selling for today!
Pokemon German First Edition Glurak
Sold in January, 2021 for $37,000
If you come across a First Edition Charizard from the German release, you’ll notice that Charizard’s name is instead “Glurak.”
Also, unlike the English version, you’ll notice the First Edition German version is not shadowless.
That’s true of the other non-English first editions as well.
Of the 900 German first edition Gluraks that PSA has graded at the time of this writing, 50 have received the lofty PSA 10 distinction.
That’s about a 5.5% success rate compared to around 3.7% for the English first edition Charizards, making it relatively easier to find in that condition.
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Poliwrath No Rarity Symbol Base Set
- Release Date: 1996
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $25,015
Rounding out the top 21 of the most expensive Pokemon cards list is Poliwrath from the Japanese version of the Base Set. While the Water-type mon has traditionally been one of the weaker valued cards from the 1996 and 1999 releases, this item is actually special.
Similar to the English version having a 1st Edition run, the very first print of the Japanese set featured no markings at all. Due to there being extremely limited amounts even printed, barely any of them survived three decades later.
Consider this THE earliest version of the iconic card, and you can see why its value has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2020, one appeared in a PWCC auction selling for $25,015. If you think that is a lot, we are only getting started!
Mew Victory Orb Trophy
The Victory Orb trophy card was handed out to the top 3 players of each age group during the Japanese Battle Road Summer 2003 and 2004 tournaments. Although the card was reprinted with different artwork for subsequent events, the original unnumbered promo card is incredibly rare and highly sought after.
It’s for this reason that one collector was willing to part with $60,000 to get their hands on one in late 2020. Only 14 copies of the card have been graded by the PSA, 12 of which were given the highest possible rating. There are certainly rarer cards out there, but not too many of them sell for quite this much.
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Pokemon Japanese Promo Wonder Platinum Trophy Card
Sold in November, 2020 for $25,100
Held at the Prince Park Tower Tokyo on May 4, 2009, the final round of the 2009 Japan World Championship pitted finalists against each other in fierce competition.
Each of the twenty finalists across three different age divisions received one of these Wonder Platinum cards, so one can assume that only twenty of these cards made their way into collectors’ hands.
How many still exist today is unknown, but finding one graded in a BGS 9.5 holder is incredibly rare.
What is known is that this trainer card is one of the most highly coveted DPt-P promotional cards, and its imagery makes for an incredibly well-designed card.
Are Your Pokmon Cards Centered
Usually, the artwork of the Pokémon on your card is centered right inside the borders of the card.
Pokémon cards pulled straight from a booster pack will look like they have their artwork perfectly centered, but its actually not that uncommon for the art of a Pokémon card to be slightly misaligned.
Sometimes these cards are classified as Misprints and there are Pokémon card collectors that are willing to pay for cards with printing errors from the factory.
However, if you are looking to get your Pokémon cards professionally graded and valued, then artwork being off-centered will deduct points from the final evaluation score of your cards decreasing its general market value.
Off-centered printings can also occur on the back art of a card as well as the front. The Poke Ball art and logo that are present on the back of the card can also sometimes sit too far left or right of the cards center.
So its best to double-check these factors if you do happen to find a card that you might think is worth some cash!
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Video Of Me Looking Up Pokemon Cards Values:
If you get too many results that include cards NOT like yours, use the checkboxes to pick the ones just like yours. Choosing a few comparable items by using the checkboxes gives you a much more accurate estimate of your Pokemon cards value.
What to do next:
Once youve searched mavin.io and figured out the value of your Pokemon cards, you have several options:
If your Pokemon cards are valuable You could hold onto the cards and collect them, as most collectors do, and hope they appreciate in value over time. It may be a good investment to get them professionally graded by PSA, this will dramatically increase their value.
You could sell your Pokemon cards to a local card shop, knowing full well their value . But remember, dealers purchase collections at wholesale prices. They need to make a profit after all, and selling a large collection takes a considerable amount of time and resources so dont expect to get 100% of what youd get online.
Selling your Pokemon cards online will get you the best price, but it can be time consuming: taking pictures, writing descriptions, responding to customers, packing, shipping, returns its a lot of work. If you have the time and patience, selling them online is a great way to make money. Read our guide to selling on eBay.
Pokemon Ex Team Rocket Returns Torchic Gold Star
Sold in December, 2020 for $25,400
Released in 2004, the EX Team Rocket Returns set marked the seventh expansion from the EX Series and featured 111 cards in its checklist.
Three of the cards, #107 , #108 , and #109 , are special holographic shiny rare cards noted by the gold star next to their name.
First introduced in the third generation of Pokemon games, Torchic is one of the three starter Pokemon that originate in the Hoenn region.
This orange and yellow chick may look cute and cuddly, but make no mistake, this fire-type Pokemon can shoot fireballs at its enemies that will instantly leave them burnt to a crisp.
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Pokemon Ex Deoxys Gold Star Holo Latias
Sold in December, 2020 for $20,100
The eighth expansion of the EX Series, the EX Deoxys checklist contained 108 cards in total, with cards #105 , #106 , and #107 receiving the desirable gold star distinction.
Designed by Masakuza Fukuda, the artwork on the Latias card features eye-catching imagery of the dual-type Dragon/Psychic creature that belongs to a group of incredibly rare Pokemon known as Legendary Pokemon.
Signs Of Wear To Watch For
Collectors are extremely detail-oriented. Cards that exhibit creases, scratches on the holographic image, or any visible whitening on the corners are generally not highly valued.
Cards that display signs of any mishandling or improper storage will not be very valuable. Even minor damage can bring down a cards value to just a fraction of the market values displayed on many websites. And collectors are as concerned with the front of the card as they are with the back, where oftentimes it is easiest to see signs of wear.
Below Ive included an image of a condition I commonly find when appraising childhood collections. If your cards show signs of wear similar to the ones below, they will have to be exceptionally rare to hold significant value.
Note the faint crease on the left side of the card, whitening along the edges, and the slight bend in the card, often caused by long term exposure to improper climates.
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Recently Updated Pokemon Card Values
The following is a list of all Pokémon cards that have recently had their price values updated. Clicking on a specific Pokémon card image will take you to that card’s listing. Selecting the card’s name will bring you to the individual Pokemon listing pages which are further broken down by TCG set.
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How To Check A Pokemon Cards Value
Pokemon trading cards have begun to reach unprecedented heights in terms of overall popularity and value.
Recently a rare Blastoise Pokemon card went for $300,000 at auction, and thats not even the most expensive Pokemon card ever sold. While most people arent going to find a 1st edition Shadowless Charizard in their old Pokemon card collection, there are countless other cards worth a decent chunk of change. Heres how to find out how much a Pokemon card is worth.
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Base Set: Unlimited Edition
There were reportedly six separate printings of the Unlimited Edition of the Base Set. The first five print runs had a copyright line that read: © 1995, 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. ©1999 Wizards.. These five print runs are completely identical, with no way to differentiate between them. The final print run, which was only available in the United Kingdom, can be differentiated by a change to the copyright line which reads, ©1995, 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. ©1999-2000 Wizards. Cards from the sixth print run are much rarer due to their limited geographical distribution.
Unlimited Edition made a number of aesthetic changes to the face of the cards. The overall card appears to be a lighter and brighter printing than the previous Limited Editions. The drop shadow was added behind the art box to add some depth to the card. In addition, certain text, such as the Pokémons HP value, was set in a bold typeface.
With five to six printings, these cards are by far the most common Base Set cards in existence, and their prices reflect that. Unlimited Edition was printed to meet the insane demand of a public that became obsessed with Pokémon. A Charizard from these printings could fetch about $500 in Near Mint condition from a collector.
Is Your Pokmon Card A Misprint
It may sound counterintuitive that an error would make something more valuable, but then, it also makes something more unique and therefore rarer.
Keep in mind mention that a misprinting of a card, doesnt automatically make your card worth more money. As mentioned before, a misprint of a card will generally result in a lower score from a professional card grading service.
However, there is a market for misprints, and certain well-known misprints, in particular, can drive up the price of a Pokémon card and sell for a decent amount of money.
One such printing error is the much desired first edition base set Red-cheeked Pikachu, which is currently worth more than $10,000 USD provided that it is in Gem Mint condition.
Even lower graded version of this card can be seen to be sold for several hundreds of dollars.
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Should I Sell My Pokemon Cards Individually Or As A Complete Collection
If you have a lot of Pokemon cards, its probably not worth selling them individually, unless theyre all rare cards.
As a general rule, you will get more if you sell the cards individually, but it will take longer to list and sell them. If you dont have a lot of time on your hands, its fine to list your whole Pokemon card collection as a bulk lot. Alternatively, you can pull out the rarest cards and sell them separately to make a bit of extra money.
If selling your Pokemon collection as a bulk lot of cards, its very important to get good pictures of the rarest cards, so that people can see what you have.
First Edition Holographic Mewtwo
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000
A member of the exclusive and powerful Legendary Pokémon group, Mewtwo is considered to be one of the best Pokémon of all-time.
Instantly recognizable, the psychic-type Mewtwo was created when a scientist altered its original DNA via gene-splicing techniques that transformed the creature into one of the most vicious and savage of all Pokémon.
Harnessing its psychic energy, Mewtwo unleashes physical damage on its enemies via its signature more, Psystrike.
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Ex Deoxys Gold Star Rayquaza
Sold in December, 2020 for $45,100
Among the most powerful of any Pokémon, Rayquaza is a large, serpentine creature that gained a considerable boost in notoriety after serving as the box art mascot for the Pokémon Emerald video game.
EX Deoxys was the 24th set in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and its symbol is that of a shooting star.
The set consisted of 108 cards, three of which come with a gold star variant, including the Rayquaza Holo.
You’ll notice that next to the “Rayquaza” name in the upper-left, there is a foil gold star that sets it apart as the gold star variant.
What Are The Other Expensive Cards
Cards that feature the Starly monster are the most expensive cards, worth a median price of £399.51.
Those that have the character of Bidoof on them are selling for around £285 on average.
Charizard cards are pricing at £150 and Lugia ones at £149.99.
Cards with the character Umbreon on them are going for £142.
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First Edition Holographic Magneton
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,750
Composed of three individual Magnemite held together by a strong magnetic force, Magneton is a dual-type electrical and steel Pokémon.
Often found near industrial areas and power plants, this mechanical creature charges itself by eating electrical currents.
Magneton is certainly one of the more unusual-looking of all Pokémon.
Working With A Local Dealer
I would recommend selling your collection to a dealer in your area. These folks dedicate a significant portion of their time to buying and reselling Pokémon cards on a professional or semi-professional level, and they may be interested in acquiring your collection.
However, its important to understand that the dealers motivation is to resell your cards at a profit, so they will often offer about half the market value of your cards, considering the condition of your collection. But consider this as a convenience fee for selling your cards without having to seek out and render service to dozens or hundreds of buyers.
There are a ton of hidden costs and hours of labor behind the market values you see on popular websites. Even if your cards are in impeccable condition, if you approach a dealer, understand that they need to compensate themselves for the labor of selling the cards despite the costs inherent to selling, and those considerations will impact how much they are able to offer you.
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