Are Pokmon Cards Actually A Good Investment
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has seen an explosion in popularity and value in 2022, but is the Pokémon TCG actually a good investment?
With the Pokémon Trading Card Game‘s explosion in value in 2022, collectors may be wondering if Pokémon cards are actually a good investment that will pay off. Despite launching decades ago, the Pokémon TCG has had a major revival in popularity after a handful of Pokémon cards sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In March, Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Pokemon card achieved a Guinness World Record after the YouTuber paid $5.2 million dollars for the rare promotional card. These record-breaking prices created a frenzy among collectors and scalpers trying to buy up any TCG product they can get their hands on.
While the TCG’s most valuable collectibles are 1st Edition cards from the 1999 Base Set, the modern Pokémon card game has also been impacted by the booming market. New Sword and Shield TCG expansions such as Shining Fates sold out instantly, with Pokémon fans unable to find products for months. The demand became so overwhelming, that U.S. retailer Target had to temporarily stop selling cards in 2021 due to the rampant problem of Pokémon card scalpers fighting over TCG products in stores.
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Pokemon First Edition Mewtwo
Sold in November, 2020 for $22,655
A member of the exclusive and powerful Legendary Pokémon group, the psychic-type Mewtwo is considered one of the top Pokémon of all time.
The vicious and savage Mewtwo originated when a scientist altered its original DNA via gene-splicing techniques.
Its signature move, Psystrike, can deal out massive punishment to opposing Pokemon and has long been a favorite of many Pokemon fans.
Do not be fooled by Ken Sugimori’s tame depiction of Mewtwo on this card, as this creature packs devastating ferocity and power.
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.
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Classic Pokmon Tcg Cards Will Still Be Valuable
Unfortunately, players looking to rebuild their childhood Pokémon TCG collection may continue to struggle, as classic Pokémon cards will likely remain fairly expensive. Unlike modern sets, the expansions from the 90s are out of print. Scalpers and investors trying to make money were able to take advantage of the market boom and bought up a large number of the remaining vintage sets. Rare Pokémon TCG Collector’s Edition items and retro sets like and Team Rocket will likely continue to climb in value as time goes on.
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However, vintage TCG card prices may begin to cool, with prices steadily coming down over the last year. For example, the rare Base Set Charizard card has seen a flux in value as of 2022. According to grading company PSA, a grade 10 version of the collectible sold for $17,000 in June. The drop is substantial, considering the same Charizard Pokémon card sold for an astonishing $75,000 in 2021. While classic TCG items are still incredibly expensive, their downward trend could make some of the cards more attainable for players looking to purchase them.
Pokemon First Edition Raichu
Sold in March, 2021 for $17,100
As Pokemon skyrocketed in popularity over the years, one character became almost synonymous with the franchise as its de facto mascot.
Much of Pikachu’s popularity originates from the first episode of the Pokemon anime series entitled “Pokemon – I Choose You!” when the main protagonist of the series, Ash Ketchum, a trainer, receives Pikachu as his Pokemon from Professor Oak.
However, when exposed to a Thunderstone, the lovable, yellow, furry, rodent-like creature evolves into the final form of Raichu.
Raichu looks quite similar to Pikachu, but with a few distinct characteristics, namely its tail, ears, and dark coloration of the tip of its paws.
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Origin Forme Palkia Vstar $4999
Dialgas VSTAR power giving you an extra turn is powerful in Expanded, its mostly Standard that shifts packs one of the cards to most be excited for in Astral Radiance is actually its space-bending counterpart, Palkia VSTAR.
At first glance, the abilities seem a bit underwhelming until you realise Subspace Swell also adds damage based on your opponents benched Pokemon. Two full benches is a hefty 260 damage give it some buffs like a Choice Belt and itll be able to take out almost any Pokemon in a single hit.
This is a card thats already seen a lot of play in the Japanese card game, and so its value being so high here makes complete sense.
Black Star Ishihara Gx Promo Card
Sold in April, 2021 for $247,230
As a gift to top-level employees, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Company, gave out an estimated thirty copies of this card during his 60th birthday party at the 2018 Pokémon World Championship.
As of this writing, only eight copies have ever been submitted to PSA for grading, making this one of the rarest Pokemon cards in existence.
Making this particular example even rarer is the fact that Ishihara personally signed it as well.
The artwork on the card is fantastic and the “60 Congratulations!” and GX attack of 1060 damage are nice touches to help commemorate his 60th birthday.
Ishihara has been instrumental, to say the least, in building the Pokémon brand by contributing to the development of multiple video games and even initiating the creation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game itself.
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Pokemon Portuguese First Edition Charizard
Sold in April, 2021 for $44,850
Only two Portuguese first edition Charizards have ever been graded PSA 10 out of the 34 submitted to PSA as of this writing.
Just two…
Given how the market for Pokemon cards has soared recently and the scarcity of this card in PSA 10 condition, I’m surprised this didn’t sell for an even higher price.
Still, $44,850 is impressive and speaks to the strength of the Pokemon brand and the Charizard character, in particular.
Pokemon Japanese Base Set Holo No Rarity Symbol Holo Charizard
Sold in November, 2020 for $57,877
The 1996 Japanese “No Rarity” Charizard card is a true piece of hobby history as it marked one of the first appearances of the iconic character.
Most Japanese base set cards will contain a “rarity symbol” in the lower-right corner of the card that varies based on the card type.
Holographic cards in the set feature a star symbol, so if you find one without the rarity symbol, then you know you’re looking at the more rare, first-print “no rarity” Charizards.
The “no rarity” Charizards are much more difficult to find as PSA has graded 3,634 regular base set Charizards compared with only 273 “no rarity” Charizards.
Furthermore, roughly 14% of the regular base Charizards have achieved a PSA 10 grade compared to less than 2% of the “no rarity” Charizards.
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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.
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.
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Bulbasaur 1st Edition $450
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: 783 – 237 – 416
Current Value: PSA 10 $3200 PSA 9 $450
Tamamushi University Magikarp: $66100
Produced as a promotion for magazine publisher Shogakukan’s Celadon University campaign, this Magikarp card was awarded to those who successfully became “Pokemon Professors”. By mailing in the Entrance Test, Professor Test, Super Professor Test, and Hyper Professor Test , 1000 Magikarps were up for grabs.
Though so many were printed, only 91 have been identified by the PSA so far. PSA 10-graded cards fetch a much higher price than any other condition, getting $66,100 at auction.
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Umbreon Gold Star Holo
- Release Date: 2005
- Grading: BGS 9.5
- Pokemon card value at auction: $70,000
Eevee and its evolutions are some of the most popular characters in the Pokemon franchise. It makes sense then that a Gold Star Umbreon would quickly become one of the most coveted Pokemon cards in the TCG.
The story behind this Pokemon card also makes it unique as players had to accumulate over 70,000 XP points by the end of the Pokemon Players Clubs fourth season to obtain it. Trainers not only had to physically go to events, but they had to win a lot of matches.
Due to its low population, not a lot of these Pokemon cards have actually gone up for sale. All of that changed in June 2021 when the Gold Star Umbreon sold for $70,000 at auction. Its BGS grade of 9.5 makes it all the rarer, as only two in the whole world have received a grade this high.
First Edition Holographic Machamp
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,000
The final form of Machop that evolves from Machoke, Machop is an intimidating fighting-type Pokémon who looks like the last thing you’d want to fight.
Known for its brute force and strength, Machamp is nothing but solid muscle and its four arms allow it to strike opponents from multiple angles at once.
And not only is Machamp overpowering, it also possesses incredible speed making it capable of throwing as many as 500 punches in one second.
Wearing a championship belt around its waste, the aptly named Machamp is frequently on the victorious side of the fight.
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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 album’s 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.
How Do I Find The Most Valuable Pokemon Cards In My Collection
As we just mentioned, even if youre selling your Pokemon cards in bulk, its important to identify the most valuable cards so you can get the most money when you sell them.
Heres how to do this.
First, look for old holographic Pokemon cards, especially from the Base Set. They have a slightly darker yellow border than newer Pokemon cards do. Base Set cards will have the number #/102 on the bottom right, but other old sets such as Jungle and Fossil also have some valuable cards, so pull these out as well if you find any that are holographic.
This is the style of the first gen Pokemon cards from the 90s.
If you have new Pokemon cards in your collection, you will want to look for ultra rare cards as theyre often quite popular. Look for cards with a holographic border , with EX, GX, Lv. X, V or a gold star symbol after the Pokemons name at the top of the card.
This is an example of a Pokemon GX card.
You should also look for promo cards, especially old ones, as these can be worth decent money. Look for a big black star symbol on the right side of the card. This symbol is a lot bigger than the typical black star used to signify that a card is rare.
If you find any unusual-looking cards that are not common or uncommon rarity, its best to pull them out and check their value online, just in case.
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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.
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.
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Daisuki Club Holo Masters Scroll Promo
- Release Date: 2010
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $35,200
In Japan, fans were able to sign up for the Pokemon Daisuki Club. The organization would offer players unique promotions to score limited-edition merchandise. One of those campaigns was for the Pokemon Trading Card Game in 2010.
Fans signed up to the club were able to complete various activities to earn points which could then be exchanged for a special reward. At the very top of the prize pool was the extremely limited Masters Scroll Pokemon card promo which required a whopping 8,600 points to unlock.
Due to the difficulty of obtaining the collectible and its overall scarcity, the gorgeous gold spreckled holographic has become one of the rarest promotional items in the TCGs 25-year history. So its not often that one of these goes up for sale.
Its not surprising that collectors went wild when a Master Scroll promo appeared at a November 2021 PWCC auction. The Daisuki Club promo ended up fetching $35,200 from bidders. The rare collectible will no doubt have great potential to grow in price in the future given how little of them actually exist.
Pokemon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Trophy Card
- Pokemon cards value: $43,200
Available only as a participation award in a 1999 tournament at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, where only 50 of the top players around the world were invited, this is one of the rarest and most coveted cards in the world. Its also unlikely you have one shoved in a drawer somewhere unless youre a retired pro.
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