Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer Trophy
- Release Date: 2002
- Grading: BGS 7.5
- Pokemon card value at auction: $34,100
Kicking off in Sapporo Japan, the 2002 Neo Summer Battle Road tournament saw some of the worlds best TCG players competing against each other in a series of contests across the country. Those who managed to place second place in their division received the highly coveted Number 2 Trainer trophy card.
Like all trophy cards, the population of them is incredibly low given that only a handful of participants who ranked at the top of these contests received them. Despite its scarcity, one of the 2002 Summer tournament prizes went up for auction at PWCC in March 2021.
What makes this item special, is the fact that it has the name of second-place winner Fukunishi Tomoki written on it. According to the auction house, the player took the 2nd prize in the Junior Division during the Kanto region tournament. The personalized nature of the reward truly makes it one of a kind.
Unlike other Number 2 Trainer cards, the Neo Summer Battle Road has Ken Sugimoris iconic artwork printed on the E-Series format during the 2002 era of the TCG.
Pokemon World Championships No 1 Trainer
Due to their limited nature and the fact that they’re often pretty beat up even before they make their way into the hands of players, well-rated World Championship cards are always going to command a decent price. This was certainly the case with a PSA 9 copy of the 2012 No. 1 Trainer card, anyway, which was sold at auction for $72,000 in late 2021.
The reason for the card’s high value is that it is the only PSA 9 copy of the card in existence. In fact, it’s the only copy of the card to have ever been sent in for grading. In the event that more do someday turn up, its value will likely diminish a little, particularly if one or more of them turns out to be in mint condition. Until that day comes though , the card is only going to increase in value.
Pokemon First Edition Venusaur
Sold in December, 2020 for $22,615
Venusaur, notorious for the large flower that protrudes from its back, is the final evolved form of one of the original starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur.
That flower serves more than just a decorative purpose, though, as Venusaur uses it to absorb energy from the sun’s rays.
Like Charizard and Blastoise, who derive extra notoriety for appearing on video game box art, Venusaur was the mascot of the Pokémon Green video game released for the Nintendo Game Boy in Japan in 1996.
As one of the most recognizable Pokémon, collectors are willing to pay hefty price tags for 1st edition examples of this card in high grade.
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Sending It To A Card Grading Service
Suppose you want to get a professional opinion on the value of your card. In that case, you can send it to a third-party grading service. Take a look at the list of the most valuable Pokémon cards above. Youll see that they received excellent grades from agencies like PSA and SGC . An exceptional rate from a grading service can increase the value dramatically.
However, these services are expensive. Depending on the value of the card and the grading service you choose, the prices can range from fifty to five-hundred dollars. So when selecting the cards you want to send for authentication, tread carefully.
Pokemon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holographic Lugia
Lugia is widely regarded as the most coveted second generation Pokemon.
This legendary bird is incredibly powerful, extremely difficult to catch and the poster boy of vintage classic Pokemon Silver on GameBoy.
Backstory
Lugia made its introduction into the TCG in the 2000 Neo Genesis set. However, early print runs are known to contain errors and imperfections.
Youd think Wizards of the Coast would have got the hang of things by now!
Anyway, because of this, its extremely difficult for 1st Edition Holo Lugia to gain a high grade.
The popularity of this Pokemon, combined with low population of Gem Mint cards make it extremely valuable and expensive Pokémon card to buy.
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Pokmon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur
A very rare Pokémon card made ever more valuable by its artists autograph
Sold for $55,000 in November 2021
Image: PWCC
Many of the rarest Pokémon cards date from the trading card games early days, with first edition cards released in the 1990s ranking as among the most valuable Pokémon cards today.
While the first edition stamp on cards is highly sought-after in the English edition of the Pokémon card game, the rarest Japanese Pokémon cards are instead identified by their lack of a stamp. Specifically, a missing black star in the bottom-right of a Japanese-language card is whats known as No Rarity – meaning that the card is missing the common symbol used to signify a Pokémon cards rarity.
No Rarity Pokémon cards are among the rarest Pokémon cards in existence, and few come rarer than the Venusaur Pokémon card from the games first print run in 1996. Just five copies of the Bulbasaur evolution – famous for appearing on the original video game Pokémon Green – have been graded at a perfect Gem-Mint 10 by PSA, making a flawless copy of the card extremely rare.
While a No Rarity Venusaur card commands a high price by itself, a copy sold in November 2021 set a new record for the rare Pokémon card by fetching $55,000 at auction. Helping the record sum was the signature of the cards illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita – the legendary artist behind many Pokémon cards from the last 20-plus years – on the cards case, making the already rare Pokémon card truly one-of-a-kind.
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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Selling Your Pokmon Cards
Now for the fun part: selling the cards and making money. Many of the strategies for selling Pokémon cards parallel the tricks for buying.
Search Engine Optimization
Suppose you learn the basics of each online marketplaces SEO guidelines. Use the right keywords, post a great thumbnail, and promote your listings in other ways. This way, your cards will get in front of more potential buyers.
High-quality Photos
As we already noted, high-quality photos encourage people to purchase a particular card. So its a no-brainer that youd take a wide variety of great images of each card.
Posting high-quality photos on your listing can increase the cards value because it ensures that your buyers trust you.
Sell Cards on Multiple Platforms
To sell more cards in a shorter period, it helps if you at least try posting your listings on a few different platforms. Find the right balance for you adding too many can be overwhelming.
You can even cross-post the same card on multiple sites and keep track of which help you bring in the highest profit.
Be Wary of Buyer Scams
Buyers scam sellers just as much as sellers can scam buyers. On top of that, platforms like Mercari take the buyers side in a dispute more often than not.
Tropical Mega Battle Legendary Bird Card $7500
These legendary bird cards are extremely rare within the tropical mega battle set, which can fetch a very high price anywhere between $7,500 and $10,000. These cards fetch a high price because not many have been distributed, being from an event that only a select few attended.
While your old cards might not have the same worth, you never know how far down the line these cards have gone. Keep looking for those diamonds in the rough.
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Pokemon Tcg Collector Reveals Insane Charizard Pull In $50 Garage Sale Binder
A video game and Pokemon card collector found an incredibly rare and valuable Charizard card in a binder at a local garage sale.
In a lot of cases, Pokemon TCG collecting is similar to gambling where customers purchase goods in the hopes that they pull valuable cards amidst the filler.
While oftentimes collectors will come out of transactions losing money in the hopes of finding rare cards, sometimes theyre met with some unbelievable surprises.
Such was the case for YouTuber and Pokemon TCG collector Kreesky, who paid $50 for a binder full of Pokemon cards and walked away with an incredibly rare Charizard card.
Numerous Cards Have Sold For Millions Of Dollars
Over the past few years, the value of Pokemon trading cards has increased dramatically. Numerous cards have sold for millions of dollars. Here are the top 24 most expensive and uncommon Pokemon cards available in 2022.
Our ranking is based on the most recent auction prices for the collectable. To rekindle interest in the hobby, TPC introduced Gold Star Pokemon cards in 2004. The criminally underrated Team Rocket Returns expansion was released alongside the new line of collectibles, which had a small print run.
In a February 2021 auction, one of these rare artifacts was put up for bid and sold for $25,405. Some of the top TCG players in the world competed against one another in a series of events across Japan as part of the Neo Summer Battle Road tournament in 2002. The coveted Number 2 Trainer trophy card was awarded to those who finished second in their division.
In August 2020, one of these found its way to the general public and was astonishingly sold for $26,900. Over the past ten years, the value of Pokemon cards featuring blastoise has increased the greatest. In a November 2020 auction, the 1999 Shadowless Pokemon card from the first edition sold for $36,877.
The Pokemon Company produced the Ex Deoxys TCG expansion in 2005, which included Rayquaza, a Flying/Dragon-type Pokemon. In December 2020, a flawlessly graded edition fetched $45,100 at auction. The first Pokemon card in the top 20 that is so bad that it didnt even get a grade is this one.
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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.
The Presentation Cards Were Only Ever Produced In Two
Japanese Pokémon TCG players had the opportunity to attend a unique university contest in 1998. The best athletes were invited to an exclusive, two-day event in Osaka. A special promo was given to the participants who placed first.
In 2021, a perfect PSA Gem Mint 10 copy of the card went for $78,000. Some of the least common promotional cards in the TCG are the Pokémon World Championships trophy cards. They are only presented to the top two players in the entire world.
During a PWCC auction, one of the No. 2 Trainer Pikachu trophy cards sold for $110,100. During an auction in 2019, a Beckett graded 10 first edition Lugia card brought more than $144,300. To celebrate Tsunekazu Ishiharas 60th birthday in 2017, the Ishihara GX Pokémon card was produced.
It was a Red and Blue Kanto beginning evolution Pokémons first English-language card. The presentation cards were only ever produced in two. In 2021, Heritage Auctions offered the rare item for auction, and it brought in $360,000.
The most expensive Pokémon card ever was a 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard that sold for $420,000 in 2022. That dominance was short-lived, however, as another card quickly deposed the Base Set collectible. The one and only PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator known to exist in the entire world was purchased by Logan Paul in April for $5.2 million.
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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.
Pokemon Japanese Promo Family Event Holo Kangaskhan Trophy Card
Sold in October, 2020 for $150,100
Another holy-grail trophy card, the 1998 Japanese Promo Kangaskhan Family Event card, continues to be one of the rarest and most desirable of all Pokemon cards.
This card is especially interesting compared to other trophy cards because teams consisting of a parent and child battled each other to obtain it, which was an admirable effort to build family bonding.
Fittingly, the tournament organizers chose none other than Kangaskhan, a kangaroo-like Pokemon with a baby Kangaskhan in her pouch, as the trophy card mascot.
Just 47 examples have made their way across PSA’s grading table, with eleven assessed in PSA 10 condition.
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A Brief History Of The Pokmon Trading Card Game
Launched in October 1996, the Pokémon Trading Card Game became one of the most successful spin-off products of the entire Pokémon franchise. Just like the games, players assume the role of a Pokémon trainer, but TCG had kids fulfilling their fantasy of battling each other long before the games had any multiplayer features.
To date, TCG has sold over 30 billion cards worldwide and has been constantly expanded with new cards since its release. Besides the game itself, collecting has become a popular hobby, with certain cards becoming insanely valuable.
With several high-profile sales making headlines, more and more people are digging up their old binders, desperate to find buried treasure. The TCG collecting community is now more active than ever, with no signs of slowing down.
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 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.
Psa 10 Southern Islands Reverse Holo Mew: $5950
When the second Pokemon movie was released in Japan, the makers of the Trading Card Game decided to release a special edition set of cards to mark this occasion. The Southern Islands card series was born, featuring just two sets of nine cards apiece that were unique to any other set in the game.
Full sets of these cards can sell for a lot , but the absolute highest value is undoubtedly the Southern Islands Mew, which has a rare reverse foil treatment where the frame around the art is the only part thatâs shiny. In 2020, PWCC Auctions sold a copy of it for $4,155, and more recent auctions push it up as high as almost $6000. There have only ever been 19 copies given the PSA 10 grade, though other conditions are slightly more common.
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