Newer Pokemon Cards Worth Money

Worth A Fortune: Holographic Shadowless Venusaur

Venusaur may not get the same love as Charizard and Blastoise, but its holographic shadowless card is worth a fortune. It can end up being worth up to $6,700, which is no smaller value in the slightest. With that being stated, it is a card that many collectors are desperately looking to add to their collections.

Espeon And Umbreon Gold Star Pop Series 5

A pair of Gold Star Pokémon cards from one of the most valuable Pokémon sets of all time

Sold for $22,000 in February 2021

Gold Star Pokémon cards are among the most valuable sets of Pokémon cards in existence and command an incredibly high value as a result. The cards are named after the gold star that appears next to the Pokémons name at the top of the card, which signifies that the card features alternative-colour artwork different from the common version. Only 27 Gold Star cards were released from 2004 to 2007, making them some of the rarest Pokémon cards available.

While all of the Gold Star Pokémon cards are rare, only appearing once in approximately every 88 booster packs for certain Pokémon TCG expansions, the very rarest are the Eeveelutions – the many evolutions into which basic Gen 1 Pokémon Eevee can evolve. And the rarest of the rarest are the original Japanese-language versions of the cards offered to members of the Pokémon Players Club, who could spend points earned by participating in official organised play and tournaments to obtain exclusive cards.

While Eeveelutions Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon could be acquired in the EX Power Keepers set released in 2007 via the Pokémon online store, their psychic and dark elemental siblings Espeon and Umbreon could only be picked up by players who collected enough Pokémon Players Club points. The Espeon 025/PLAY card required 40,000 EXP points earned, while Umbreon 026/PLAY was even most pricey at 70,000 points.

Whether The Card Is A Promotional Item

Some Pokemon cards were not released as regular cards that you can find in Pokemon booster packs in shops. Instead, they were given away as promo cards, for example to Pokemon TCG tournament winners, or to people going to see a Pokemon movie in cinemas.

Some Pokemon promo cards are worth a lot of money, but many arent.

Often, promo cards are completely unique, which makes it easy to find their value. However, some promo Pokemon cards look the exact same to their non-promo version.

To see if you have a promo card, look for a big black star on the card next to the card number. This is why promo cards are often known as black star promos.

This Charizard card has a large black star in the corner, demonstrating that it’s a promo card.

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Black Star Ishihara Signed Gx Promo Card

A card featuring the Pokémon Company’s President himself.

Sold for $247,230 in April 2021

The most recent card to make headlines for pure value, this card sold for nearly a quarter of a million dollars at auction on April 26th 2021. You can find the full details at our story here, but this card depicts Pokémon Company founder and current president Tsunekazu Ishihara, and was given to the company staff as a celebration of the man’s 60th birthday in 2017.

That makes the card rare, but this specific version is even rarer, as Ishihara actually signed this near-mint card to boost its price even further. The “2017 P.M. SM Black Star #TPCi01 Tsunekazu Ishihara Signed Pokémon GX Promo Card”, to use its full title, is a testament to the raw power apparently held by the Pokémon president. The ability “Red Chanchanko” is in reference to the red vest traditionally worn on 60th birthdays in Japan, and prevents the effect of any attack, ability or trainer card against Ishihara. Meanwhile, its GX move “60 Congratulations”, tells you to flip 60 coins, and take a present for each one. A truly legendary card.

Most Expensive Pokemon Cards In 2022

It should be noted that top lists are almost always up for debate. A cards value can be determined by the highest its ever sold at auction, or what it sells for on average.

A Pokemon cards value can also wildly fluctuate with the market and are largely dependent on the items grading and condition. Our list is based on what the collectible has sold for in the latest auctions, and its position will be updated if another card outsells it and makes a new record.

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Gold Star Espeon & Umbreon

The details that make these particular Espeon and Umbreon cards worth so much can be easy to overlook.

In fact, if you dont know to look for the gold star directly to the right of the Pokemon cards name, you may never realize what you have.

Which would be a shame, as Umbreon and Espeon cards graded at mint condition have recently been reported to have been listed for sale at $15,000 and $12,000 each.

/10 Evolving Skies: Rayquaza Vmax

Rayquaza’s back, and this time it’s his VMAX form. Even though the art for this one is a bit less impressive than the V art with Zinnia on it, it’s still got a ridiculously large Rayquaza flying through the mountains in a rain of VMAX energy.

Rayquaza VMAX has the dubious distinction of being the card with the biggest decreased value over the year. It debuted in August at around $390.22, plummeting by over $200 to today’s price. $165.25 for a piece of card is nothing to sniff at, though, and its price has stabilised since its biggest drop in August.

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No Rarity Holographic Venusaur

Another card from the legendary Japanese base set. One particular holo first edition Venusaur had the bonus of being signed by legendary Pokémon artist Mitsuhiro Arita and sold for $55,000 in 2021.

Another card from the legendary Japanese base set. One particular holo first edition Venusaur had the bonus of being signed by legendary Pokémon artist Mitsuhiro Arita and sold for $55,000 in 2021.

Since the recent boom in Pokémon card collecting, gem mint versions of this card are being auctioned at incredibly high prices to rival shiny Charizard himself. As of writing, theres an eBay listing starting at $325,000.00 AUD for a card graded PSA 10, with another listing for a BGS 9.5 for $82,500 AUD .

It looks like those Aussies have been hiding some seriously rare Pokémon cards!

A legendarily rare Pokémon card with a legendary price tag.

What Makes A Pokmon Card Valuable

Pokémon cards are a lot more complex than they appear. Plenty of small details that might seem insignificant could be the difference between a card being worth a few bucks or the down payment on a new house.

While there are a lot of factors that go into how collectors value a Pokémon card, you dont need to be as clever as Professor Oak to understand them.

Heres a basic breakdown for newbies.

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The History Of Pokmon Illustrator

In 1997, the Japanese comic magazine CoroCoro Comic announced a contest allowing Pokémon fans to send in illustrations of their favorite Pokémon.

The magazine then gave the top three winners a copy of the Pokémon Illustrator card and 20 copies of their illustration featured on an unofficial Pokémon card.

The 20 other participants then had their illustrations featured in the next CoroCoro Comic magazine as Special Award winners, receiving copies of Pokémon Illustrator.

This happened two more times – once in April 1998 and the other in June of the same year.

Each contest gave out a specific amount of Pokémon Illustrator cards eventually totaling 41.

Because there are so few of them, The Pokémon Illustrator only increases in value.

One copy of the card sold for $900,000 while another was bought by social media influencer Logan Paul for over $5million – the highest recorded private sale for a single Pokémon card in history.

This is why many seem to think that because Blake’s card has such a high CGC rating, his card could be just as valuable.

Base 1st Edition Holo Stamp Shadowless Charizard

If you know Pokemon cards, you knew this card was coming.

Possibly the most iconic chase Pokemon card there is, the base set 1st Edition, Holo, Stamped, Shadowless Charizard.

While another card on this list has now sold for more money, for some Pokemon card collectors, there will only ever be one true Holy Grail when it comes to Pokemon cards, and this is it.

Its not just the fact that this card is first edition, but the huge popularity of the Charizard Pokemon character has put this card head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

The popularity of a Pokemon can play a huge role in its market value its not a coincidence that Charizard appears on this list more than any other Pokemon.

Update!: This card has now sold for over $500,000!

With its flashy holographic shine, this card has been highly prized ever since it first hit playgrounds and continues to be a pillar of the Pokemon trading card game.

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Nintendo Pokemon Game 1st Edition Venusaur

Im sure no one is surprised to see at least one Venusaur card on this list with a high price tag attached to it.

Its value can be attributed to the enduring popularity of the original Pokemon trading card set that helped kick-start the collecting craze in the United States.

Of the Pokemon featured in the set, Venusaur should continue to be a hot commodity thanks to the powerful nostalgia it holds as one of the final evolutions of the three starter Pokemon from the original video games.

Update!: This card has now sold for $60,000!

We have already seen Blastoise on this list and so it shouldnt be too long again until we see

Find The Set Number Of The Pokemon Card

Look at the bottom right or bottom left corner of the card for a number, typically in the format ###/###.

In this case, the set number is RC21/RC25. Note that the set number does not normally contain letters, but it can sometimes. As long as theres a / symbol, or a number on its own, then thats the set symbol.

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First Edition No Rarity Poliwrath

You might be surprised to know that some of the rarest Pokémon cards arent rare at all . The first printed sets of Japanese base set cards dont feature any rarity symbol like their English-language counterparts and are some of the most expensive Pokémon cards on the market.

This no rarity Poliwrath is extremely rare, with only three known to exist with a perfect PSA 10 rating, one of which sold for over $25,000 in late 2020. Even near-mint PSA 9 copies will sell for around $2000 on average.

Get used to seeing this mug! Rare Charizard cards are the ultimate flex for collectors.

Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Holographic Charizard

Despite being released in 2006, this shiny black Charizard has become an incredibly valuable Pokémon card. According to PSA, only 59 of these cards have been graded a perfect 10, and these mint condition copies have regularly sold for between $20,000 and $30,000 at auction.

This cards highest recorded sale to date took place on eBay for upwards of $60,000 in 2020. Impressively, this Delta Species Charizard competes in value for some of the rarest first edition Pokémon cards.

This chonky boy is worth some serious green.

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Tournament And Promo Cards

Not all Pokemon cards come from booster packs. Some of the rarest Pokemon cards were only given out as tournament prizes or promotional giveaways. These cards usually bear a stamp on the art to identify where they came from or have a special promo star in the bottom corner, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for these sorts of markings on your cards.

Some of these special cards were quite commonplace back in the day–such as the promotional Mew card given out in 1999 to those who bought tickets for Pokemon: The First Movie– so theyre not worth more than a few dollars now.

Card image courtesy of PKMNcards.com.

But some, like the 2011 and 2012 Tropical Beach card from the Pokemon World Championships, can easily fetch hundreds of dollars.

Card image courtesy of PKMNcards.com.

Holo Trophy Kangaskhan Card

The most expensive Pokemon card sold on eBay recently is this rare Japanese card, which was released during a tournament held in May 1998.

The trophy card was awarded to the winning parent and child team and is widely considered to be the “Holy Grail” of Pokemon card collecting, according to the eBay ad.

This card has been graded by the official Professional Sports Authenticator, which has certified millions of collectables.

It was given a pretty average grading of 6.5 out of 10 , which could be explained by the fact that it’s a bit greasy, according to the seller.

The card sold for an eye-watering £5,302 earlier this month after attracting 49 bids.

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Charmander 1st Edition $330

Charmanders value has been all over the place in the last 12 months. After the 2020 summer of record sale after record sale, baby Zards value has taken a dip recently, but dont be surprised if Charmander rebounds due to the power Charizard yields on the market.

PSA Pop: 1521 652 661

Current Value: PSA 10 $1186 PSA 9 $330

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Blastoise Cd Promo From The Pokmon Song Best Collection

In 1999, Japanese fans were able to buy the Pokémon Song Best Collection music CD. The album featured a compilation of songs from the Pokémon anime. The songs featured on the albums finalized tracklist were actually decided by Pokémon players who got to vote in a magazine poll. What made the album really collectible though, is that it also came packaged with a handful of rare Pokémon TCG promo cards such as Snorlax, Venusaur, and Charizard.

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Pokémon Blue Box mascot Blastoise was also one of the cards included in the album and featured alternate artwork of his iconic Base Set card. The promos artwork is drawn by renowned Japanese artist Ken Sugimori, who created the designs for all the original 151 Pokémon in the Kanto PokéDex. Incredibly, the Blastoise CD Promo sells for just $50 ungraded on auction sites and only goes for around $350 for a perfect graded version. Considering this rare promo is from 1999, and features an alternate artwork from legendary illustrator Ken Sugimori, this is another card that should definitely be worth more in 2022.

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/10 Chilling Reign: Blaziken Vmax

Shigenori Negishi’s art for Blaziken VMAX is divisive, but its bold colours and thick lines certainly make it the most eye-catching card of the year. Blaziken is up there with Charizard as being one of the most popular start Pokemon, so it makes sense it’s doing so well in Chilling Reign. Its value has held out pretty well since Chilling Reign’s launch too, having only lost about $30 since June.

Reasons Not To Invest In Pokemon Cards

Theres a potential upside to investing in Pokemon cards, but as with all unique investments, the cons deserve to be heard:

• Pokemania may end soon. As with any investment, hype, and influencer marketing drive up the price of investments. So, prices may quickly deflate.
• Appraisal is difficult and expensive.If you plan to invest in a card worth $5,000+ one day in the future, youll have to pay PSA $300 just to reappraise it and if the markets hot enough to sell it, theres a chance the company will become overwhelmed again and suspend services, jeopardizing your timing.
• Cards could get lost, stolen, or damaged.Pokemon cards only hold their value if they remain in 100% pristine condition. If a PSA 10 Charizard drops to PSA 9 while its in your possession, it loses 80% of its value.
• Demand for rare collectibles is extremely fickle. Sure, demand for rare Pokemon cards may be high right now, but it could easily disappear overnight as young investors and collectors turn to something else. The same thing happened with Beanie Babies, some of which sold for $10,000 in the late 90s and are worth less than $10 now.

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What Are My Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set Cards Worth

If you own any of the cards listed below, condition is the biggest factor in figuring out your Pokemon card value. The prices below illustrate what these cards are worth after grading in mint condition as PSA 9’s & 10’s.

Important to note: It is very unlikely that your cards will grade this high if they have been played with. If you have these cards laying around in less than mint condition, it still may be worth getting them graded as long as they are in pretty good shape.

Blastoise 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set

• Release Date: 1999
• Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
• Pokemon card value at auction: $45,100

Not only is Blastoise one of the most beloved characters in the Game Freak RPG, but the Water-type starter has also become one of the most valuable Pokemon cards currently on the market.

Those who grew up with the 1999 Base Set easily equated the turtle on the same level as the highly sought-after Charizard, so it makes sense that decades later, many are willing to bust out their wallets for the iconic mon.

While its 1st Edition Shadowless Pokemon card from 1999 has always brought in good money, the popular item has seen a massive jump in value recently. In a PWCC auction held in November 2020, the rare Base Set Blastoise sold for $45,100.

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