What Is The Rarest Pokemon Card Ever

Pokemon Japanese Bandai Carddass Vending Prism Red Charizard

Sold in January, 2021 for $30,100

Founded in 1950, Bandai is a Japanese toy maker that produced a series of Pokemon cards in September 1996 that pre-dated the official launch of the Pokemon Trading Card Game that followed in October 1996.

To distribute the cards, Bandai utilized a network of vending machines, or carddass, as they called them.

There are hundreds of Bandai carddass Pokemon cards to collect, but the most desirable of them all is the prism Charizard.

In one of the earliest appearances of the iconic character, Charizard roars and breathes fire, creating an image that really pops.

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.

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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Pikachu Yellow Cheeks Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition 58/102 Psa 10

https://www.psacard.com/

While the name of the Pikachu Yellow Cheeks Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition 58/102 suggests that it is the first-ever Pikachu card to be included in an English Pokémon set, in reality, it is not. The first Pikachu card printed by Wizards of the Coast presented Pikachu with red cheeks that were given to the Pokémon by Mitsuhiro Arita. However, Wizards of the Coast changed Pikachus cheeks to yellow because they felt it better complimented the yellow lightning bolts jolting from Pikachus face on the card. Both Pikachu 1st Edition variations are rare Pokémon cards with PSA having graded less than 1,500 total copies of each of them, the Pikachu card that takes the title for most expensive Pokémon card to sell on StockX is the Pikachu Yellow Cheeks Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition 58/102 PSA 10 for $3,500.

Charizard 1999 Pokmon Tcg Base Set Shadowless 4/102 Psa 9

https://www.psacard.com/

It is interesting to see the Charizard Base Set Shadowless 4/102 Pokémon card rank behind the Unlimited print edition as the Shadowless Charizard is a much rarer Pokémon card. There are over 24,100 Unlimited print Base Set Charizard cards compared to only 4,804 Shadowless Base Set Charizards. Much like the Unlimited print Charizard, the Charizard Base Set Shadowless 4/102 looks nearly identical to the 1st Edition Base Set Charizard, as both cards do not have the drop shadow added to the right side of their art panels. The only difference is the Shadowless version of the card is missing the 1st Edition stamp. While this is not the most expensive Pokémon card, or even the most expensive Charizard card on this list, a PSA 9 still sold on StockX for $8,000.

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First Edition Charizard Holo

Card sale date: December 2020

Card selling price: $369,000

What makes it special:Another Charizard card, this one is a first edition of the shadowless holo card. This was an early Pokémon design, which means it was simple, without shading behind art and text to make the graphics pop.

Specifics of the particular sale: This particular card is ranked as a Gold Label Pristine 10 by SGC, another card-rating company.

What Are The Top Ten Rarest Pokemon Cards In The World

• Ex Deoxys GOLD STAR HOLO Rayquaza #107.
• Ex Deoxys GOLD STAR HOLO Rayquaza #107.
• 1999 Japanese Tropical Mega Battle NO.
• 1999 Japanese Tropical Mega Battle NO.
• EX Dragon Frontiers GOLD STAR HOLO Charizard #100.
• EX Dragon Frontiers GOLD STAR HOLO Charizard #100.
• Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind PROMO card.

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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

Gold Star Umbreon Play Promo

Released in Japan in 2005, the Gold Star Umbreon Pokemon Play promo features some truly stunning artwork. This, combined with the card’s rarity, led to a copy being sold for $70,000 in June of 2021. The card in question had been rated by Beckett as a 9.5, suggesting that a perfect 10 could yet push the card’s value higher still.

In order to get their hands on a copy of the card, players would need to be a member of the Pokemon Player’s Club and then accumulate 70,000 EXP points before the end of the fourth season. Considering players only received 100 points for attending official events, not too many of these were ever handed out as evidenced by there being just 24 graded by the PSA to date.

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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.

Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon

Well, this card is arguably identical to the Shiny Umbreon I had mentioned earlier, but trust me, theyre not the same. This Shiny Espeon is more conspicuous in color, and its price varies greatly.

It has its fair share of popularity among game lovers that are keen on Shiny Pokemon cards. Although its rare and quite expensive, its available on Troll and Toad for just $2,000, and this is due to its creativity and beauty.

You can also do well to conduct your little research and buy them on reliable sites but always settle for the utmost quality.

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What Pokemon Set Has 68 Cards

The upcoming Pokémon TCG: Hidden Fates expansion is unlike most Pokémon TCG expansions that you might be used to. In addition to the 68 cards in the main set, this expansion also features a Shiny Vault filled with Shiny Pokémon, full-art Trainer cards, and rare Secret cards that sport a golden hue.

Mewtwo GX #39 Pokemon Shining Legends

Black Star Ishihara Gx Card

Sold for $247,230

As a present to the company staff, Tsunekazu Ishihara, founder of The Pokemon Company, handed out 30 copies of this Pokemon card during his 60th birthday celebration at the 2017 Pokemon World Championship. Whats more, he actually autographed this Pokemon card to increase its price further.

The cards ability Red Chanchanko prevents the effect of any attacks, damage, trainer card, or ability against Ishihara on the card. For your information, Red Chanchanko is a reference to a traditional jacket worn by people celebrating their 60th birthday in Japan. And the cards 60 Congratulations! GX move allows you to toss 60 coins and take a gift for each head.

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The Pokemon Tcg’s Rarest Cards Aren’t Always The Most Popular

The Pikachu Illustrator Card is one of the rarest and most valuable Pokémon cards ever produced. The cards artwork of Pikachu was illustrated by Atsuko Nishida, the original artist that designed the internationally famous electric mouse. The Pikachu Illustrator Card was awarded to winners of promo contests held in 1997 and 1998 by the Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic. Only 41 copies of this card were ever made, with 39 being awarded to the various winners of the promo contest. An additional pair of copies were discovered by the creators of the card but were not distributed to the public. Of these 41 cards, only 10 have ever been certified by the PSA. The most recent copy of the Pikachu Illustrator Card was sold at auction for $195,000 back in 2019, according to Eurogamer, setting a now defeated Guinness World Record.

While it’s unlikely for even the most dedicated collectors to get their hands on these cards, it can be fascinating to understand the lesser-known treasures of the Pokémon TCG. Identifying the rarest cards in existence can be a bittersweet task, as it’s likely these cards will soon be lost to time or succumb to inevitable wear and tear. However, preserving each of these cards in memory and legacy can be a very rewarding experience for dedicated Pokémon Trading Card Game fans and collectors.

Holographic Shadowless Blastoise: $2475

Out of the three final-evolution Kanto starters, it’s Blastoise who has the least valuable Shadowless holographic card, reaching heights of $2475 on Pokemon Prices. We say “least valuable”, but that’s still a lot of money for just the one card, and its hardly far behind its sibling Venusaur.

That’s if Blastoise is still in mint condition, of course, which is a big ask considering these cards are over 20 years old. Carrying the powerful Water-type move Hydro Pump, this version of Blastoise was a pretty impressive card to carry in your deck back in the day, but at this point its still a solid collectible card.

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Japan World Championship Master Key Trophy Card

As one of the L-P Promotional cards, this particular card was given to competitors from every age division, 8 in juniors, 6 in seniors, 6 in masters and 16 in video game category.

The competition was held in the 2010 Japanese World Championships held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel in Hawaii from August 13th to 15th.

Due to the number of competitors known to be at the tournament, it is estimated that there are only 36 of these cards in the wild.

You can see one of the only reminding copies of this card in the video below.

Charmander 1999 Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition 46/102 Psa 10

https://www.psacard.com/

The Charmander Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition is the most expensive Pokémon card on this list that isnt a Charizard, even if it is very closely related to Charizard. This Charmander is found in the same rare Pokémon card Base Set that the Charizard Base Set 1st Edition 4/102 is a part of. The artwork on the card is once again by Mitsuhiro Arita and shows Charmander looking back at a fire he just inadvertently set with his tail. One of the 749 PSA 10 Charmander 1st Edition Base Set cards sold for $4,500 on StockX.

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Torchic Gold Star Holo Team Rocket Returns

• Release Date: 2004
• Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
• Pokemon card value at auction: $25,400

In 2004, TPC introduced Gold Star Pokemon cards to drum up interest in the hobby again. The new line of collectibles had a low print-run, and made their debut alongside the criminally underrated Team Rocket Returns expansion.

Due to its insane popularity, Hoenn Fire-type starter Torchic instantly became one of the most rare Pokemon cards released that year. And whats not to love about it, its easily one of the most adorable artworks to ever grace a TCG release.

The specially marked collectible went up for auction in 2020 and sold for $25,400. That is a mind-blowing amount considering the same item was selling for around $300 in 2016, making the Pokemon cards value an 8,000% increase in just four years!

Holographic Shadowless First Edition Charizard

Image from Etsy.com

This may sound familiar to some of you. I actually had a Charizard just like this in my collection and when I found out how much they were going for on the market today, I shot up and immediately went digging under my bed . And once I found it…I realized that it was not a shadowless first edition. Oh well, maybe one day it wont matter.

The first edition Holographic Shadowless Charizard card is probably one of the most common, yet sought after cards in the Pokémon community. Thats why this card has been estimated to be worth anywhere from $35k – $50K today. Of course, this all depends on the condition, but its fair to say that if you have this card, youre going to see some serious money from it.

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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.”

Neo Destiny Shining Charizard 1st Edition

Of the cards released to the general public, the Shining Charizard remains one of the most valuable.

This is because it was one of the first shiny Pokemon cards in history! Combine that with the fact that it was part of the Neo Destiny set, its print run was lower than average.

We are starting to see this card regularly sell for around $15,000 and reportedly a Gem Mint version of this card has now been sold for just over $25,000. Its arguably a bit premature in this cards life cycle to be selling at such a high price tag, but it does tell us that we can expect this card to continue to rise in value.

You can keep track of this cards rapid increase in value by seeing live listings of Neo Destiny Shining Charizard.

Seen as one of the most beautiful illustrations that feature the ever-popular Charizard with foiling that changes colors with the light , this card is on the hit list for all Charizard fans.

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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.

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.

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Backless Blastoise 1998 Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Holo 009/165r Cgc 85

https://media.techeblog.com/

The Backless Blastoise may appear to look a lot like the Blastoise from the original Base Set, and that is because it is a Wizards of the Coast prototype from when they were tasked with producing the first-ever English language Pokémon set. This card was printed in 1998, one year before the Base Set hit the United States, and was printed without any artwork or logo on the back of the card, hence the name, Backless Blastoise. The card was never meant for the public, but no one could predict in 1998 that Pokémon would take off in the way that it has. In January 2021 this rare Pokémon card sold for $360,000 making it the third most expensive Pokémon card ever.