Pokmon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9
A legendary Pokémon on a legendarily rare Pokémon card
Sold for $144,300 in May 2021
Lugia is one of the most iconic and popular Pokémon in the entire series, having starred on the front of early Game Boy game Pokémon Silver and its Nintendo DS remake SoulSilver. A legendary bird Pokémon from Gen II, Lugia is one of the most powerful and hard-to-find Pokémon that players can catch in the video games – so its only fitting that its Pokémon card is also extremely rare.
The Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 Pokémon card is described by auction house PWCC as one of the most difficult Pokémon cards to grade, as the result of a number of errors and misprints that were included in the early runs of the Neo Genesis set for the Pokémon TCG. Later print runs were corrected, but many of the cards from the expansion remain more common in their earlier uncorrected forms.
As of May 2021, PWCC claims that only 41 Gem Mint 10 condition Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 cards have ever been graded by PSA, with just three earning the maximum BGS 10 Pristine rating from grading company Beckett Grading Services. The Lugias rarity means that it ranks almost as highly as the legendary first-edition Charizard when it comes to the most valuable Pokémon cards.
Backless Pokmon Blastoise: Galaxy Star Hologram
$360,000
Toy Tales
This Blastoise Pokémon is considered particularly valuable due to the lack of any printing on the side opposite to the art, leading to the name “Backless Blastoise.”
The card is all the rarer as it was never intended to be publicly available, as it was part of a test run made by Wizards of the Coast.
Pokemon Japanese Promo Daisuki Club 7200 Points Holo Umbreon
Sold in June, 2021 for $18,100
The Pokemon Daisuki Club started in 2004 and provided many benefits to its members, such as mini-games, contests, and special offers.
One of those cards was this holographic Umbreon card, and to earn it, the player needed to acquire 7,200 action points, which was no easy task.
Umbreon is one of eight different characters into which Eevee, a normal-type Pokemon, can evolve when leveled up with high friendship during the night in certain areas.
Its red eyes and the yellow markings on its slender black body give the dark-type Umbreon an unmistakable appearance giving this card tremendous eye appeal.
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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.
Rare Presentation Blastoise Becomes The Most Expensive Pokmon Card Ever Sold
An incredibly rare Blastoise has sold at auction for $360,000 , making it the most expensive Pokémon card ever. The card easily beats the previous record, which was set in November 2020 when a Shadowless Base Set Charizard sold for $295,000.
It may seem strange that Blastoise would beat such an iconic card. After all, the Base Charizard is the original shiny Charizard that so many of us coveted on playgrounds when we were growing up. If only wed known that a mint condition shiny would be able to buy us a house 25 years down the line.
But this isnt any ordinary Blastoise. This Blastoise is one of just two cards that Wizards of the Coast printed to pitch the trading card game to Nintendo: the Adam or Eve of Pokémon TCG. Arceus may have created all Pokémon, but this very Blastoise created the card game, making it one of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.
The card was sold via Heritage Auctions, and graded by CGC at 8.5/10: Mint+ condition. CGC used advanced forensics and chemical analysis to verify the card is legitimate a first for Pokémon cards. It also features a unique Galaxy Star holographic print and a typo on the move Hydropump which should read Hydro Pump.
You can watch the first nine minutes of the online auction here:
Although, with prices rising all the time, its only a matter of time before the record is surpassed again.
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What Makes A Pokemon Card 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.
St Edition Shadowless Blastoise
It might not be quite as popular as Charizard, but Blastoise comfortably beats out the likes of Venasaur and Chansey for second spot when it comes to valuable base set cards. A mint condition copy of the card was sold for a little over $45,000 just last November, once again through a PWCC eBay auction.
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It’s one of 100 copies of the card to have been given the GEM-MT 10 rating by the PSA making it one of the more common base set holographic cards in perfect condition. As with Charizard though, the relatively high population doesn’t seem to have impacted its value all too much most probably because so many of them are already in the hands of collectors.
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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.
Pokemon Play Third Season Jolteon Gold Star 20000 Pts
Sold in June, 2021 for $20,000
Beginning in 2003, the Pokemon Players Club replaced the Pokemon Fan Club and with that change came the release of several exclusive Pokemon PLAY cards.
As players completed certain actions, such as attending an event, hosting an event, winning a battle, or placing in a tournament, they could accumulate experience points.
Once a player had acquired a certain number of points, he or she could receive a prize promotional card
Between January 2003 and January 2006, there were just four seasons in which players could participate, so time was of the essence in working to obtain these special cards.
If a player accumulated 20,000 points, he or she could earn this exclusive Pokemon PLAY Jolteon Gold Star.
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Battle Road Summer 2002
It’s not too often that a card graded below a 9 sells for more than a few thousand dollars, but that’s exactly what happened with one copy of the No.2 Trainer Battle Road Summer promo in March of 2021. The card in question, which had actually been mislabeled by Beckett, received just a 7.5 rating, though still sold for an impressive $34,100.
The card was given out to winners of the Kanto Summer Battle Road tournament in 2002 and came in male and female variants. Not many of them have made their way west in the two decades since then, with only two of them ever being graded by the PSA. One did receive the elusive GEM-MT 10 rating, however, so may well end up selling for considerably more if it ever goes to auction.
In early 2021, a GEM-MT 10 copy of the Japanese Master’s Scroll card was sold on eBay for more than $35,000. It’s a card that was never available in packs nor was it ever made available outside of Japan. The only way to obtain it was through the Pokemon Daisuki Club in 2010.
The Pokemon Daisuki Club is the official Japanese Pokemon fan club and regularly offers limited edition cards. Members are able to accrue Action Points by completing certain tasks and can then trade them in for such cards. It’s unknown exactly how many members were able to accrue the 8,600 points needed to obtain the Master’s Scroll card, but there are only 26 GEM-MT 10 copies in existence, making it incredibly rare.
Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon: $2000
If you ever wanted proof about how much a Pokemon cards price can change just because of the Pokemon on it, you need to look further than the Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon. This card is almost identical in story to the Umbreon card you saw just a moment ago, but required only 40,000 experience points instead of 70,000.
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Despite being more available, Troll and Toad has this card for a slightly higher price of just under $2000. This is likely because Espeons shiny form is more noticeable than Umbreons, since the bright neon-green fur is a lot more distinctive and Espeon has its own unique degree of popularity.
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Pokmon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
An ultra-rare promo card – one of only a dozen ever made
Sold for $65,100 in October 2020
Only 12 Tropical Wind cards were produced as promo cards for the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle, a precursor to the Pokémon World Championships, making it one of the most valuable Pokémon sets around.
The Tropical Mega Battle saw 50 players from around the globe take part in a tournament for the trading card game in Honolulu, Hawaii. The only way to participate was to win a battle in your local region and earn an invite, making it an exclusive event for the best Pokémon trainers in the world – and the cards offered as prizes some of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.
This particular Tropical Mega Battle promo card, the 1999 Japanese-language copy of Tropical Wind, has sold at auction for as much as $65,100 in PSA Gem Mint 10 condition, with the most recent record-breaking sale taking place in October 2020. PSA estimates its value to be as high as $148,482, making the ultra-rare card a contender for one of the most expensive Pokémon cards ever made.
Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Promo Card
Card sale date: October 2020
Card selling price: $65,100
What makes it special: This was a trophy card during the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle in Hawaii. The tournament was an invite-only event where players from around the world competed.
Specifics of the particular sale: The PSA rated this card in a GEM MINT 10 condition.
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The Most Valuable Pokmon Cards
As a teenager, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri was so fond of collecting insects that classmates called him Mr. Bug. While it might not have been an affectionate label, Tajiri had the last laugh: His Pokémon video game, originally released for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996, has become an enduring multimedia success, selling billions in games, merchandise, and phone apps.
The goal of collecting and pitting monsters against one another has been particularly appealing for trading card collectors, who have created an entire secondary market for the low-tech version of the game. The all-time sales record as of May 2021 might be this Blastoise card sold at auction for a whopping $360,000, but it’s not a card you ever would have found in a pack. Wizards of the Coast, which manufactures the card game, printed just one to show to Nintendo.
Fortunately, other cards are a little more accessible, though first editions, misprints, and other characteristics all affect value. If youre curious, take a look at 10 of the most valuable Pokémon cards according to Heritage Auctions, eBay, and other sources.
Pokemon First Edition Hitmonchan
Sold in November, 2020 for $23,100
Packing tremendous punching power, the fighting-type Hitmonchan is another collector favorite who can strike with extreme quickness and precision.
Ken Sugimori delivered an excellent design for this card as Hitmonchan’s boxing gloves, shoulder pads, and five protrusions on the top of its head create an aura of a Pokemon that you don’t want to face.
Hitmonchan cards were some of the most commonly used cards in competitive play, making them tough to find in top condition.
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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.”
St Edition Charizard Holo Shadowless
Perhaps the most well-known, “rare” Pokémon card is the 1st Edition Charizard Holo. First released in 1999, the sought after card is still one of the most expensive as well. The initial release of the card featured a printing error, which was quickly corrected and reprinted. As such, the misprinted “shadowless” version is extremely rare.
Only 95 cards in circulation have been rated as Gem Mint 10, further increasing the typical auction price. In October 2020, a “shadowless” 1st Edition Charizard Holo sold for a record-breaking $220,574 to the former rapper-turned-YouTuber Logic.
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Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Promo
- Release Date: 1999
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $65,100
While not the most flashy Pokemon card on the list, the Tropical Mega Battle promo is an absolute holy grail for Psyduck fans. It doesnt get more adorable than seeing the Water-type mon playing the ukulele while chilling in a hammock with Jigglypuff.
Long before The Pokemon Company solidified the TCG competitive scene into the World Championships in 2004, one of Japans earlier iterations of the contest was known as the Tropical Mega Battle. In 1999, the tournament was held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Only 50 players from various countries around the world were invited to compete against one another. Because various Trophy Pokemon cards were given out at the event, the Tropical Wind iteration is incredibly unique. The collectible resurfaced in a PWCC auction in October 2020 and sold for a mouth-watering $65,100.
The 10 Most Valuable Expensive Pokmon Cards
Pokémon cards’ popularity shows no signs of slowing, with collectors prepared to spend thousands on unopened boxes and the rarest of cards.
Interest in Pokémon and the card game, described by Nintendo as “one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world,” has only increased in recent years, with multiple card sales at auction hitting new highs in recent years.
But which are the most expensive Pokémon cards of them all?
We asked PWCC, a major marketplace for card trading, to round up those that have been sold for the most money, all between 2020 and 2021.
Take a look…
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Most Expensive Pokemon Card In The World
Opinions may differ but the most expensive Pokemon card in the world as of June 2021 in our opinion is the 1999 Base First Edition Chaziard Holo #4 Logan Paul Pokemon Card with a BGS 10 Pristine grade.
The card was purchase by Paul in December of 2020 and was recently worn in his fight with Floyd Money Mayweather. He claims the card is worth 1 million dollars and we think he is actually pretty close.
We value the 1999 First Edition Chaziard Holo #4 Logon Paul Pokemon Card between $700,000 to $900,000.
Japanese Parent/child Mega Battle Cards
The Kangaskhan, or Parent/Child Mega Battle, was a Pokemon tournament held in Japan in May 1998. Kids teamed up with their parents to compete in the trading card game with other families, and those who won enough games were rewarded with an exclusive promotional card. The Pokemon Parent/Child Mega Battle card is one of the small handful that has a set symbol featuring the Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game logo. This card has been collectible for well over a decade, and a mint condition one can sell for at least $10,000.
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