Neo Genesis First Edition Holo Lugia
Sold in May, 2021 for $144,300
The 2000 Neo Genesis set was the first to feature second-generation Pokemon from the Gold and Silver video games that built off the massive success of the Red and Blue games.
And Lugia had the great fortune of being chosen as the character to be featured on the box art of the Pokemon Silver game.
Considering the massive boost in notoriety that Charizard and Blastoise received for being the box art characters for the Red and Blue games, respectively, the same is true for Lugia.
However, the difficulty of finding this card in top condition propels it even further into the upper echelons of expensive Pokemon cards.
Print issues are a problem for the entire Neo Genesis set, and the Lugia card is no exception.
Around 2% of the Lugias graded by PSA have received the PSA 10 grade, while even fewer BGS have received the BGS 10 Pristine label.
PSA 10 Lugias have sold for $76,000 and $129,000 before, but the BGS 10 brought home an even bigger price tag in May 2021 at $144,300.
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.
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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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.
Pokemon Korean First Edition Charizard
Sold in March, 2021 for $40,000
Unlike some of the other first edition Pokemon cards distributed in different regions and languages in 1999, the Korean version did not debut until a year later in 2000.
Still, they can fetch colossal price tags on the open market just like the other first edition sets.
Not surprisingly, the Charizard is the most desirable of the Korean first edition series.
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Shadowless Charizard With Psa 10 Gem Mint Rating: $311800
Charizard has always held a special place in Pokemon history and fans hearts. However, for card collectors and those who play the trading card game, this particular Charizard is important in two different ways. Firstly, it was a very high-powered card for play. If you had one of these in your deck and hand, it didnt guarantee a win, but it helped a lot. Considering the popularity of this high-powered card for playing with, thats unusual. Most copies of this card are weathered. Secondly, this Mitsuhiro Arita-designed Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Variant has a perfect ten in Gem Mint Rating. Not only is the card made by an exceptional and well-loved artist, but this specific copy is pristine. Resultantly, only a single copy sold for over three hundred thousand dollars to a collector on eBay. Over two and a half thousand were submitted for rating, and less than a hundred and fifty achieved a ten. As NintendoLife News puts it, in other words, its the rarest version of the card ever released, and in the best condition it could possibly be in.
Charmander 1st Edition $330
Charmander’s value has been all over the place in the last 12 months. After the 2020 summer of record sale after record sale, baby Zard’s value has taken a dip recently, but don’t be surprised if Charmander rebounds due to the power Charizard yields on the market.
PSA Pop: 1521 – 652 – 661
Current Value: PSA 10 $1186 PSA 9 $330
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Mint Condition Crystal Cards
When Pokemon introduced Aquapolis in 2002, it also brought forth Crystal Pokemon. The types of changes that Crystal characters can undergo gets a bit complicated if youre not familiar with the game, but suffice it to say Crystal cards in the Pokemon game are hot items. The highest amount that a full set of mint edition Pokemon Crystal cards was auctioned for is $9,875. This particular auction included Japanese and English versions of the cards.
Rayquaza Gold Star Holo Ex Deoxys
- Release Date: 2005
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $45,100
An early favorite of Ruby & Sapphire, Rayquaza has seen an uptick in popularity over the last decade. So it makes sense then that its cards would also start to climb up in value over time. In 2005, The Pokemon Company released the Ex Deoxys TCG expansion featuring the Flying / Dragon-type.
As a gimmick to get Pokemon card collectors interested in the set, the Japanese company introduced Gold Star Pokemon cards into the hobby. As mentioned earlier, the incredibly rare Pokemon cards featured a special symbol next to the name of the mon. Of course, the king of these marked collectibles is the Hoenn Legendary itself.
In December 2020, a perfectly graded Gold Star Rayquaza sold at auction for $45,100. Given the Legendarys continued popularity in the franchise, and just how little of the gold Pokemon cards were actually produced, we expect this item to increase in value as time goes on.
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Japanese Promo Card Holo Illustrator Pikachu Psa 7 Nrmt
Sold: in Feb, 2021 Price: $375,000
Another Promo card appears in this most expensive pokemon card list, which can make many people surprised. As you probably noticed, many of the high-priced cards online arent traditional Pokémon cards. PWCC reports that only 40 of these cards were ever created and released. Only people participating in 3 art contests in Japan have a chance to receive this card. The winners card would be printed with their artwork. The most outstanding card is created by Atsuko Nishida, the original creator of Pikachus character design. Thus, whenever this card is offered for sale, its price is always the highest.
1998 Japanese Promo Card HOLO Illustrator Pikachu PSA 7 NRMT
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.”
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Pokmon Game 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Alakazam #1
The psychic-type Alakazam is next up, thanks to a great card found in the original 1999 release.
As you might expect, its another holo shadowless 1st edition card, ticking all of the boxes for serious collectors.
Alakazam might seem weak by modern standards, but he was a fearsome prospect in the original TGC. The evolution of evolution, you would start with Abra, followed by Kadabra.
Once again, there are fewer than 100 PSA 10 copies on the registry, with 88 graded at the last count.
Tropical Mega Battle Cards
The Gold Star Pokémon cards are considered valuable due to their unique features. The cards have a gold star stamped next to the name of the Pokémon which has color variations, as some of the artworks appear shiny or holographic while extending over the character window. With Gold Star card appearing 1 in 72 packs, its extremely difficult to find it in a pack of cards.
They were first printed in the EX Team Rocket Returns set and later had print runs in the EX series. Two Gold Star cards, Umbreon and Espeon, were also printed in the POP Series 5 set. These cards are highly collectible and valuable.
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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.
Ex Dragon Frontiers Charizard Gold Star
Sold in November, 2020 for $30,300
Released in November 2006, the EX Dragon Frontiers set marked the fifteenth main expansion of the EX Series.
Of the 101 cards in the set checklist, there are two rare Gold Star cards: Charizard and Mew .
With the odds of pulling a Charizard thought to be roughly 1 in 144 packs, many collectors never had the fortune of pulling this card from a pack, giving it a reputation as one of the toughest Charizard pulls of any set.
Featuring a stunning image penned by the gifted hands of Masakazu Fukuda, the eye-appeal of this card is also tough to match as the powerful creature breathes fire onto the edge of the card.
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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.
Chansey #3 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set
- Release Date: 1999
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $36,877
For many Pokemon card collectors, it doesnt get any better than the Base Set which made its North American debut in 1999. Not only does it feature some of the TCG series most iconic artwork, but there is also a ton of nostalgia players have connected to the release.
As a result, Pokemon cards from the release have seen the most explosion in value over the last decade. While not a heavy-hitter in the franchise itself, fans have been going wild for the adorable Chansey #3 Pokemon card. So much so that its surprised industry veterans when it started fetching jaw-dropping prices.
While hovering around $20k since 2019, the collectibles value has only continued to grow. According to PWCC, a 1st Edition Shadowless version sold for $36,877 in a November 2020 auction.
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Pokmon Pikachu Illustrator Card
The Pokemon card of all Pokemon cards features the franchises most iconic and recognized character: Pikachu. Pokemon has held a number of illustrator contests for its fans, and the prizes are special cards. In 1997 and 1998, Pokemon Illustrator Cards featured the word Illustrator instead of Trainer, which is a huge distinction. Just 39 of these cards were given out, and a single Pokemon Pikachu Illustrator card is worth $100,000.
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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Pokemon Tcg Cards Are Popular Again
Pokemon TCG cards had a major comeback in 2020 that has extended into the new year. Collectors have been digging through their old cards in hope of finding one or two that have appreciated in valueand some of them have. Charizard cards and older cards that dont have a drop-shadow behind the image of the Pokemon have become especially lucrative, some going for thousands of dollars. First-edition holographic Charizard cards have sold for the insane price of $300,000. Stores selling out of Pokemon TCG cards resulted in the manufacturer upping the production numbers to make sure fans were able to have access to the packs they want.
The Pokemon TCG resurgence inspired YouTube and Twitch trends of people opening boxes of their old collections to sift through, and prices for many cards skyrocketed. Now that Pokemon cards are coming back, many collectors feel theres a chance the 25th anniversary McDonalds set might be worth something one day, too. Some of the cards have already sold for exorbitant prices.
The McDonalds set includes 50 cards, with half being regular images and the other featuring a holographic foil. No official information has been released about which cards are the rarest, but it seems the holographic cards are a little bit harder to track down. Each Happy Meal contains a pack of four cards, each bearing the Pokemon 25th Anniversary logo.
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#10 Stormfront Charizard, $489.46
Prepare to see a lot of Charizard on this list. As the series’ most popular Pokémon, it appears on almost all of the cards here in some form or another.
Stormfront was released in 2008 under the Diamond & Pearl umbrella. While not one of the set’s many rare Lv.X Pokémon, Charizard was still a highly coveted Secret Rare, putting him as the most valuable card from the entire set.
Aquapolis’ Lugia
The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast
#9 Aquapolis Lugia, $490
Aquapolis came from that weird e-Card era of the Pokémon Trading Card game, where cards could be scanned into the e-Reader peripheral for the Gameboy Advance. While the whole thing was a total failure , some of the cards from that time are still pretty valuable. Lugia is the most expensive card from Aquapolis, coming in at around $490-$500.
FireRed & LeafGreen’s Charizard ex
The Pokémon Company
#8 FireRed & LeafGreen Charizard ex, $500
The return to Kanta in the GameBoy Advance era also saw the TCG follow suit, with a set entirely featuring Pokémon from the original 151. To give it that Advance generation flair, a number of Pokémon also received an ex form, a new feature that was first introduced in EX Ruby & Sapphire. Of course, the #1 card was Charizard ex.
Charizard VMAX from Shining Fates
The Pokémon Company
#7 Shining Fates Charizard VMAX, $510
Base Set Charizard. Note the drop-shadow on the right side of the art frame.
The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast
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Pokemon Neo Summer Battle Road #3 Trainer Trophy Card
Sold in July, 2020 for $18,600
As an award for finishing in third place in the 2001 Neo Summer Battle Road Tournament, contestants would receive this number 3 trainer card that came in a special case.
Trophy cards like this one are some of the rarest and desirable Pokemon cards in the hobby.
Just under the “No. 3 Trainer” text is a fantastic image of the main protagonist of the Pokemon anime, Ash Ketchum, flanked by Growlithe and Pikachu.
Below the image is a text box that reads: “The Pokemon Card Game Official Tournament “BattleNeo Summer Road” third place winner is recognized here, and this honor is praised.”
