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What’s The Best Pokemon Card In The World

Pokmon 1998 Japanese Promo Card

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE POKEMON CARDS IN THE WORLD [2020]

$66,100

This magisterial Magikarp promo card, described as “not a very common design” was distributed only to competitors at an exclusive tournament event in Osaka, Japan.

To take part in this event, they were required to complete the “Tamamushi University Hyper Test,” briefly published in a select number of magazines.

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.

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.

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Buying Guide For Best Pokmon Cards

You’ve played all the games on Game Boy and Nintendo DS and can name every Pokémon from Abra to Zubat. What’s left for you to do? We have two words for you: Pokémon cards.

Whether you’re a huge Pokémon fan who needs something new to feed your addiction or a parent who’s trying to pick out a gift for a Pokémon-loving child, entering the world of Pokémon cards can be confusing.

You’ve got different “generations” of Pokémon cards, as well as your standard Pokémon cards, energy cards, and trainer cards. Add all that to trying to decipher the rules of the game, and it’s enough to make you want to walk away and never utter the words “Pokémon card” again.


BestReviews is here to help you figure out what you need. Read our full Pokémon card shopping guide and prepare to catch ’em all.

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Shonen Jump Championship Series Cyber

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A monstrously rare Yu-Gi-Oh! card

Sold for $30,100 in October 2020

Image: PWCC


Cyber-Stein was the first ever SJC prize card, handed out at the first batch of championships between December 2004 and July 2005. There were nine tournaments in total in this batch, the first being at GenCon SoCal , a short-lived regional version of the huge North American tabletop game convention Gen Con.

There were 18 copies released in total, with only two being given away per tournament however an extra two copies were given out at the 2008 Costa Mesa SJC, as it was the 50th edition of the SJCs. One was embedded in a material called lucite and approximately 126 copies were released at a February 2009 promotional event called Upper Deck Day. This means that there are only around 147 copies of this Cyber-Stein ever to be made, making it one of the rarest Yu-Gi-Oh! cards of all time.

Clearly inspired by Frankensteins monster, Cyber-Stein is a level 2 effect monster that allows you to special summon any fusion monster from your extra deck, providing you pay the hefty price of 5000 life points. Cyber-Steins ability is extremely valuable, as it gives easy access to strong fusion monsters with numerous powerful effects. Its for this reason that it is currently Limited like Monster Reborn, so you can only carry one copy in your deck.

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Tropical Mega Battle No 2 Trainer

  • Release Date: 1999
  • Grading: PSA Authentic
  • Pokemon card value at auction: $50,300

Interestingly, this is the first Pokemon card in the top 20 that is so poor quality-wise, it didnt even receive a grade. In situations like this, PSA will still give it an official Authentication. Dont let the grading fool you, though, as the Tropical No. 2 Trainer card is pristine except the back which has color loss and fading due to the sun.


Given out originally at the 1999 Mega Battle tournament in Japan, only the top players received this Pokemon card. In total, PSA has only seen five of these, making it one of the rarest Pokemon cards in existence. Its so scarce that its still worth a jaw-dropping amount despite its quality setbacks think about that.

According to PWCC, one of these green Exeggutor prizes was sold at an auction in October 2020 for $50,300. Its fascinating to think that even a damaged card can sell for as much as a sports car. And this Pokemon cards value will only continue to climb given that they just dont exist.

The Masked Royal Prize Promo: $18000

This is undoubtedly one of the most recent rare cards, featuring the Masked Royal character from Pokemon Sun & Moon and released as recently as 2017. This is essentially a promotional card that was given out to players in an invitation-only prerelease in Tokyo for the new Shining Legends set, where only 100 copies were made.

Even though this is a relatively normal card by most standards, this short print run means its incredibly hard to get, especially since it was handed out in such a restrictive event. As a result, there are actually preserved tweets of players first opening it in places like Pokeboon, while Japanese trading sites like Miyabi Hobby have past listings of the card at ¥2,000,000, which currently is equal to around $18,000 USD.

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First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4

A very valuable version of a classic fan-favourite

Sold for $369,000 in December 2020

Shiny Charizard has been one of the Pokémon card games most popular cards since it first released in 1999, so theres no surprise that 20-plus years later, it remains one of the most sought-after cards for collectors and fans alike.

While a number of first-edition cards from the Pokémon TCGs early days are worth some money – assuming theyre still in good nick – due to their limited availability and age, this specific version of the holographic Charizard absolutely stands out as one of the rarest and most valuable Pokémon cards ever released.

A PSA 10 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard just sold at auction with an ending bid of $183,812.00 via . Including the 20% buyer’s premium, the total transaction value exceeds $220k. As of now, this is the highest known sale of the card.

Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon: $2000

*THE $500,000 POKÉMON CARD!* Rarest Cards In The World

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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United We Stand #en001

A recent rare Yu-Gi-Oh! card that’s strong, but few, in numbers


Sold for $6,500 in December 2020

Image: wherebare27/eBay

The first card on this list is the one released most recently, which is unusual as rare and valuable Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are often older releases. In an effort to raise spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic, Konami launched the Remote Duel at Home promo, a promotional sweepstake in North America where 300 Secret Rare copies of the spell card United We Stand were handed to fortunate housebound duelists. In order to be eligible, duelists had to interact with either of the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Twitter or Instagram accounts, providing a photo of their remote duel setup along with the hashtag #YGORemoteDuel.

United We Stand #EN001 is an equip spell that boosts a monsters attack and defence by 800 points for each monster that you control. This means that if you have all five monster zones used, you can potentially boost your monsters attack by 4000, allowing you to bring down your opponents life points in one or two turns . The choice of card is fittingly apt by Konami, as the whole world is united together in an effort to fight the global pandemic.

Show off how you are playing #YuGiOh at home for the chance to win an exclusive Secret Rare version of United We Stand with blue foil lettering! Use hashtag #YGORemoteDuel with a photo of your Dueling setup at home to enter.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG

Mewtwo & Mew Gx Full Art Tag Team

Thanks to the Pokemon’s fairly regular appearances in the Pokemon movies, very few of the series’ creatures have been explored in quite as much depth as Mewtwo. It’s a Pokemon that despises humans for their role in its creation and also hates the fact that it’s little more than a clone of Mew.


With that in mind, pairing the two psychic-types together for the Unified Minds set was a stroke of genius, as it allowed the GX card‘s artists to capture their relationship in one still image. Mewtwo’s glare makes it perfectly clear how it feels about the situation, while Mew’s carefree nature is clear for all to see. It’s also evident that a lot of time went into the artwork’s creation, though the end result was definitely worth the effort.

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Lugia Legend: The Best Artwork

Theres a lot of pretty Pokémon cards. The husky mystique of Hydriegon-EX, the vivid cuteness of Surfing Pikachu, or the tangible wonderment of Cubone. But for our money, the best looking card is Lugia Legend, of 2010s HeartGold & SoulSilver series. All merging hues, pronounced features, and hand-drawn water effects, few cards have ever looked so appealing. And the artwork is split across two cards for maximium artistic potential .

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Is it the most beautiful card? Well, its certainly not to everyones taste, and it aint redefining any aesthetic tenets of the art world. But if youre in the mood for hanging a vicious flying sea creature on your wall one that firmly captures all the spirit of Pokémon you could do little better than Lugia. Slightly psychedelic in design, with a hint of gaudiness, you certainly wont be forgetting it any time soon.

Types Of Pokmon Cards

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  • Pokémon character cards: Pokémon character cards are the cards that actually feature Pokémon on them. These cards also include stats such as the Pokémon’s type, hit points , size, weight, and special moves. These are generally the only kind of Pokémon cards collectors are interested in, though they are also essential for playing the TCG.

  • Energy cards: When playing the TCG, energy cards are what give your Pokémon power. You’ll find basic energy cards as well as special energy cards that boost Pokémon of particular types.

  • Trainer cards: You can use trainer cards in the TCG to produce a range of effects. For instance, stadium cards affect the field of play, and item cards can perform a wide range of actions, such as healing or evolving your Pokémon.

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Recently Updated Pokemon Card Values

The following is a list of all Pokémon cards that have recently had their price values updated. Clicking on a specific Pokémon card image will take you to that cards listing. Selecting the cards name will bring you to the individual Pokemon listing pages which are further broken down by TCG set.

Card Image

Pokemon Japanese Champion’s League

Sold in April, 2021 for $30,000

Beginning in 2000, Champion’s League and Battle Roads tournaments offered contestants throughout Japan the opportunity to battle it out amongst the best of the best.

In 2000 and 2001, there were two Champion’s League tournaments, one in the Spring and another in the Summer.

From 2002 to 2006, however, there was a reduction to just one Champion’s League tournament per year.

And before the 2005 tournament held in Tokyo, no trainers received any kind of promotional card.

However, the top four ranking players in each age division of the 2005 tournament received this promotional stadium card, making it the first Champion’s League promo stadium card.

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Lob Exodia The Forbidden One #124

Dont tell him hes on the list

Sold for $8,000 in November 2020

Image: Konami

In Yu-Gi-Oh! lore Exodia was an immensely powerful beast that was split up into five distinct parts, each of them chained and sealed with magic, to prevent its power being unleashed upon the world.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, this works by having five distinct Exodia cards: Exodia the Forbidden One, Right Leg of the Forbidden One, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, Right Arm of the Forbidden One and Left Arm of the Forbidden One. If you successfully manage to have all five in your hand at the same time you win the duel automatically, regardless of how you are currently faring, as Yugi did against his arch-rival Seto Kaiba in the animes opening episode.

As with Monster Reborn, all five pieces of Exodia are Limited cards. The five were first released as Ultra Rares in LOB, making them very difficult to find at the time. This has resulted in well-maintained versions being extremely rare and expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! cards all selling for solid four-figure sums.

Nonetheless it is the head of the beast, the only effect monster Exodia the Forbidden One #124, that fetches the most, with a PSA Gem Mint 10 first-edition copy selling for $8,000 in November 2020. Of the other four cards , curiously the left leg sells for the most, a lot more than the other limbs, with one selling in October 2020 for $6,621. Perhaps Exodia is a Messi-esque footballer in his free time, with his left peg significantly better than his right.

Black Star Ishihara Signed Gx Promo Card

BEST Pokemon Cards Collection in the World!?! – Gold, Rainbow Rare, Full Art, GX and more…

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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Southern Islands Reverse Holo Mew: $200

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 thats shiny. Troll and Toad is currently selling copies for just over $200 right now, making it even more valuable than the elusive and stylish Ancient Mew mentioned earlier.

Pokemon Players Club Shiny Umbreon: $1900

If you’ve got a soft spot for the blue and black shiny version of the Dark-type Pokemon Umbreon, then be aware that you’re not the only one. The Japanese version of the Shining Umbreon Pokemon card is pretty highly desired, with its unique coloring and gorgeous frame-piercing artwork making it fittingly beautiful as one of the first shiny Pokemon to appear on a card.

However, its price is so high because of much more than just its looks and popularity. The Shining Umbreon card only saw a very limited release through the Japanese Pokemon Players’ Club for hitting the maximum number of experience points through the club between 2005 and 2006, making it one of the rarest cards out there. For this reason, Troll and Toad has had it listed at just near and impressive $1900.

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