St Edition Charizard Holographic Sgc Gold Label Pristine 10
This particular Charizard is a shadowless holographic first edition card. Super early cards didnt have drop shadows behind art or text, and this tiny difference catapulted them in rarity and price. Plus its Charizard, a cool dragon everyone loves. Charizard cards have become extremely popular in recent years, with folks like retired rapper Logic and famous-for-some-reason-influencer Logan Paul both getting in on the beloved dragon action. Paul even wore a super-rare Charizard around his neck into his fight with Floyd Mayweather.
Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Chansey #3
Another Pokémon who featured heavily in the cartoon, Chansey is a basic holo with a difference. It has a massive 120 HP, while its Double-edge attack hits for 80.
However, the stats arent the reason why gem mint shadowless first edition versions have sold for over $36,000.
As a normal-type Pokémon, the card is wrapped in a white background which contrasts heavily with the yellow border. Chansey is essentially a pink blob, while the holo that surrounds it will flake away instantly.
Its exceedingly condition-sensitive, and there are only 48 copies that have earned gem mint status.
Most Valuable Pokmon Cards
Rayquaza Gold Star
Sold for $27,000
Were starting our list with the sky god, Rayquaza. This Raqyzua Gold Star card was initially released in 2005 as a part of the EX Deoxys set. It didnt take much time for this dragon to start flying high ever since its arrival, it has been one of the most coveted Pokemon cards due to the sheer popularity of Rayquaza.
Recently a PSA 10 Rayquaza Gold Star was sold for a whopping $27,000, that too in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. The booster packs from which this card comes from, are sold for over $300!
Latios/ Latias Gold Star
Sold for $40,000
Like the Rayquaza Gold Star, the Latios/Latias Gold Star is also a great pull from the Gold Star line of cards. The cards feature the iconic flying Pokemon, which got famous during the Hoenn Region games.
In a PSA 10, the cards are valued at around $40,000 each!
1st Edition Venusaur
Sold for $50,000
The first edition Venusaur is a rare card and a must-have for any serious collector out there as it is one of the three main starters that made the game famous. The greatness of Venusaur knows no bounds and carries around a hefty price tag of $20-30,000.
Last year, a Venusaur PSA 10 card was sold for $50,000 on eBay. Though the base price of the card is just over 20 grand, the price keeps going up with time.
Master Key Prize card
Sold for $30,000
1st Edition Blastoise
Sold for $35,000
#1 Trainer card
Sold for $90,000
Kangaskhan Event Trophy Card
Sold for $150,000
Trophy Pikachu
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Pokmon Japanese Topsun Holofoil Charizard #6
Its so shiny! The 1995 Japanese Topsun Holofoil Charizard has an all-over holofoil coating that looks spectacular. The downside of this effect is that its fragile and scratches easily, which means finding a mint condition card is even more challenging. Consequently, this PSA 10 Gem Mint example is one of the most rare and expensive Pokémon cards available. It boasts no scuffs, bright colors, and a clear print. Out of a total population of 202, only 18 have such a high grade.
Grade: PSA 10 Gem Mint
Rarest And Most Expensive Pokmon Cards
Many of the most expensive Pokémon cards are tournament prizes that were produced in very limited numbers and arent actually playable in the game. Well get to them later, but lets first take a look at the rarest and most expensive Pokémon cards that you have a chance of actually owning already.
Bet you werent expecting our list to start off with this guy!
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Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Nidoking #11
A dual-type poison and ground Pokémon that is the evolved form of Nidoran, Nidoking is classed as a grass-type for the purposes of this card.
This means that it comes wrapped in the green background you would expect, although the foil is more reminiscent of a burning flame thanks to the orange and yellow that sparkles.
It might not have been the most popular Pokémon when it was originally released, but its one of the more valuable in the present day.
Just 90 have earned the elusive gem mint grade from PSA.
The Legendaries & mythics Of The Pokmon Tcg Booster Pack
Mewtwo is unsurprisingly one of the more valuable cards in the Trick or Trade BOOster pack. The Holo-Rare promo card features the Pikachu Pumpkin stamp, making it a unique card despite the artwork being a reprint. The card goes for anywhere between $2 and $4, but this is of course likely to increase in the future as supply decreases.
The mythical Gen 4 Pokémon Darkrai is very similar to Mewtwo. Darkrai is a Holo-Rare with the Pikachu Pumpkin stamp and goes for around $3 to $4 on eBay. This makes Darkrai slightly more than Mewtwo on average but not more than the most valuable cards in the pack.
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Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Blastoise #2
The second of the trio of evolved starters from the 1999 set, Blastoise was also the cover star for Pokémon Blue.
First off, lets get the price tag out of the way. A PSA 10 copy sold for $45,000 in 2020, with another selling for $44,000 this year.
Its all the more astounding considering there are around 100 when looking at graded pristine copies.
However, Blastoise is indisputably one of the most popular Pokémon ever, and the same goes for Squirtle and Wartortle, which is the evolution path it follows.
In fact, its the second-most valuable card from the original 1999 set.
Where To Value Your Pokemon Cards
The easiest way to get an estimate of the value of Pokemon cards is to see how much they are currently going for on the Pokemon TCG marketplace. Reliable websites include TCGPlayer.com and TrollandToad.com, which are also where collectors can put their cards up for sale should they choose to part ways with them. CardCavernTradingCards.com is a good place to sell both cards and the Pokemon TCG Live codes that come with booster packs and boxes. Collectors who discover they have a very valuable card should consider having it authenticated and graded by professionals. Most Pokemon card collectors turn to Professional Sports Authenticator , which authenticates cards and grades them before sealing them in a protective casing.
There will be plenty more opportunities for collectors to find more valuable Pokemon TCG cards. The Silver Tempestset launches this month, and it will be the last mainline set for Sword and Shield. In January, collectors can look forward to the Paldea Collection as well as Crown Zenith.
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Pokemon First Edition Blastoise
Sold in November, 2020 for $45,100
One of the coolest-looking of all Pokémon with its twin water cannons that retract from the shell on its back, Blastoise received a massive boost in popularity after serving as the cover mascot of the Pokémon Blue video game.
1st Edition Blastoise cards feature a first edition stamp to the lower left of the holographic image and no shadowing effect behind its right and bottom borders.
Out of the 2,070 first edition Blatoise cards submitted to PSA as of this writing, 100 of them have been given the PSA 10 distinction or roughly 4.8% of them.
Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Japanese Promo Trainer Card
An ultra-rare Pokémon card created exclusively for participants of a 1999 tournament in Hawaii. A mint condition copy of 1999s Tropical Mega Battle, Tropical Wind Trainer Card sold for $65,100 in October 2020. Part of a set of only a dozen cards, its now estimated that the value of this collectible has gone up to nearly $150,000.
With simple artwork featuring Psyduck chilling with Jigglypuff on the beach, this card hints at the kind of holiday wed all take if we were lucky enough to sell one. Of course, if youre a passionate Pokémon card collector, owning this piece of history would be better than any vacation!
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Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trophy
- Release Date: 1999
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $60,000
The second tournament Trophy Pokemon card on the list, the Mew Victory Orb Trophy was given out during the 1998 Summer Battle Road competition. Spanning nine regions across Japan, only the top three Trainers in each bracket scored the rare Pokemon card.
According to PSA, only 16 of them have been given the coveted Gem Mint 10 score. One of these pristine collectibles popped up at a PWCC auction in December 2020 and ended with 51 bids for a final price of $60,000. It even came with the original plaque handed out at the finals.
As we dive deeper into this list, prepare to see more of these trophy Pokemon cards dominating the top spot. Since they were awarded at tournaments, they are intricately more scarce population-wise, and thus more valuable.
First Edition Holographic Charizard
Sold for: PSA Price for GEM MT10: Release Year:
photo source: psacard.com
Holographic Charizard is the most expensive first edition Pokémon card ever sold. This holy grail of Pokémon cards was sold for an astonishing $420,000 at a PWCC auction held in March 2022.
However, it was not the first time that the price of this card reached a six-figure number. The card set a record when, in November 2020, one example of Grade 10 First Edition Charizard was sold for $295,300. The record was broken only a few days later when a bidder dropped $350,100 for this card.
Again, in March 2021, another example of the card was sold for $399,750 at the Winter Auction held by the auction house Goldin Auctions.
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Kangaskhan Family Event Trophy: $150100
The Kangaskhan Family Event Trophy card sold for over $150,000 at an auction in October 2020. This card is so limited in quantity that its value is off the charts. The company gave this exclusive Pokémon card to a select few who competed and won events at the 1998 live parent and child team Mega Battle in Japan.
System For Ranking Pokmon Trading Cards
The Pokémon trading cards quickly became coveted collectors items, especially for diehard fans. The cards are marked with one of three symbols in the bottom-right corner:
- Common cards have a black circle
- Uncommon cards have a black diamond
- Rare cards have a black star
But the ranking system doesnt stop there. There are also unique card designs.
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Pokmon Silver Tempest Secret Rare Rainbow Lugia Vstar Card
Another Secret Rare that fans are going to scramble to collect, is the beautiful Rainbow Lugia VSTAR. The collectible was so anticipated, that pre-orders for the card were selling for $40 back in September. Now that the English version of the Secret Rare is now out in the wild, the Rainbow artwork has been selling on eBay for around $84. Incredibly, the VSTAR has even sold for as high as $110, so there is no telling what it’s prices will look in by December. Even though the Silver Tempest Lugia recently made its debut in October’s Pokémon Paradigm Trigger TCG set, fans are already willing to shell out big money for this Rainbow VSTAR Pokémon card.
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Collecting The Pokmon Cards
You may already have a collection of Pokémon cards on your hands. Still, to sustain your side hustle, youll probably need to invest in some Pokémon cards to sell later at a higher price. Hunting for the best deals can be tricky if you dont know some essential best practices for investing in Pokémon cards.
Set Broad Search Filters
No matter what online platform youre browsing, its a good idea to set broad search filters to snag valuable cards at lower prices.
When most people search online for Pokémon cards, theyll type in precisely what they want. Few people will be interested in these cards because the algorithm cant include them in the buyers search. Sometimes, the person who posted the card on eBay doesnt properly tag the item or misspells something in the title.
If you cast a wider net, youll catch more fish. Youll probably have to sort through a long list to find the good ones, but this technique can help you snag a card that would otherwise be priced much higher.
Shop Around
Dont limit your search to one platform. Sellers often cross-post the same card on online platforms like eBay and Mercari, and sometimes the price is lower on one platform than another.
You can find Pokémon cards in pawn shops, estate sales, specialized Facebook groups, and Craigslist. Widen your search, and youll find a better selection.
The High-Quality Photo Rule
Be Wary of Scammers and Fakes
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Pokemon Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Number 2 Trainer
Sold in October, 2020 for $50,300
Held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village from 1999 to 2001, the Pokemon Tropical Mega Battle gave the best players from the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe the chance to test their skills against each other.
To be invited, players had to first win a local tournament in their respective regions.
During the final match of the Tropical Mega Battle, each player received the same 90 cards that they would use to make their own 40-card deck to battle for the championship.
If a player were fortunate enough to make it far enough through the competition to finish in second place overall, he or she would receive this number two trainer card.
Sticking with the tropical theme for the cover art, an image of Exeggutor, a dual-type grass/psychic Pokemon that resembles a palm tree, sits in the middle of the card with text below it that reads:
“The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament’s runner-up winner is recognized here, and this honor is praised.”
Pokmon Topps Chrome Series 1 Sparkle Charizard #6
Like the Tekno Charizard, the Sparkle Charizard is also part of the Topps Chrome series from 2000. The odds of finding a card like this are more favorable than the Tekno, with a ratio of one to ten in each five-pack. However, they are still exceptionally rare and a real gem to add to any Pokémon Trading Card collection. Because Topps printed sports cards predominately, this design also differed from regular Pokémon cards because it has sharp corners rather than the traditional round ones. This means its harder to find one in pristine condition, as the squared edges are more susceptible to damage.
Grade: PSA 10 Gem Mint
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Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle No 2 Trainer
The No. 2 Trainer is a rare and expensive Pokémon card from the 1999 Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle. Players who qualified from the regional rounds in Japan traveled to Hawaii for the finals, and the top three from each region were awarded trainer cards for their respective places. There are only six known examples of this card, with two PSA 10 and three PSA 9. This one is designated as Authentic, as the quality wasnt sufficient for a grade however, it still achieved more than $50,000 at auction in 2020. It would be fascinating to see what kind of price a PSA 9 or 10 could reach!
Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Finals Prize Tropical Wind
Continuing with trophy cards, we now have an incredibly rare example from the inaugural Championship tournament that took place in Hawaii in 1999.
From only 50 players that were invited to the tournament, this card was only issued to the finals participants. It is widely regarded as one of the most important Pokemon cards ever made, as it represents the beginning of the franchise we know and love today.
This remarkable card sold earlier this year for a well-deserving $20.1k. It is Beckett 9 the highest graded in existence with a population of just 1!
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Pokmon Game 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Alakazam #1
The psychic-type Alakazam is next up, thanks to a great card found in the original 1999 release.
As you might expect, its another holo shadowless 1st edition card, ticking all of the boxes for serious collectors.
Alakazam might seem weak by modern standards, but he was a fearsome prospect in the original TGC. The evolution of evolution, you would start with Abra, followed by Kadabra.
Once again, there are fewer than 100 PSA 10 copies on the registry, with 88 graded at the last count.
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.
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What Makes Pokemon Cards Valuable
Over the past two years, online personalities such as Logan Paul have propelled Pokemon card collecting back into mainstream popularity. With some cards being valued at over $300,000, its understandable why theres been an explosion in 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. Below we will list the 24 most expensive TCG collectibles ever sold at auction.
