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Do you happen to have any rare Pokémon cards in your collection? Or, do you have any idea what your mint condition first-edition is worth? Then you might find our price guide to Pokémon cards helpful. The price of Pokémon cards continues to skyrocket even though their production costs have begun to decrease. This is true even for more recent cards, such as the Pokémon anniversary card, which recently sold at auction for a record sum. You might be able to tell if you’re sitting on a goldmine by looking at our list of the top 10 rarest and most expensive options right below. Here is all that you should buy, look into, or consider selling from the priciest to cheapest options.
Blastoise Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Holographic
This Pokémon card can appear to be a fake or an unauthorized duplicate. But this card is special because it’s not a real playing card. It is actually a presentation card from Wizards of the Coast, the company that developed the 1998 game. Do you remember them, and is that all there’s to this card & its power? Well, did you know that Nintendo permitted them to release the Pokémon TCG in English one year after it was made available elsewhere in the world? In January 2021, only one of the allegedly five cards was sold at auction for $360,000. This particular test card is exclusive, to the best of anyone’s knowledge. Even though new details keep emerging, it is clear that any TCG collector must own this iconic prototype. For $300,000, we can expect quite a lot from it.
Lugia 1st Edition Neo Genesis
What type of money you’re looking at? Well, this beauty was sold for $144,300 in May of 2021. Many children of the 2000s who watched the anime considered Lugia, like Mewtwo, to be an unforgettable Legendary. It’s hardly shocking that it was an instant hit when it was released as a Pokemon trading card. The psychic bird has been gaining favor among collectors for years. Due to its widespread popularity and relative scarcity, the Pokémon card fetches a premium price at auction. In October 2020, a PSA 10 first-edition Neo Genesis Lugia reportedly sold for $50,000, which is quite impressive for a card that wasn’t at its price state. One thing is for certain: you can make a ton of money with this beauty.
1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
The third most expensive card is this one, which was sold for $65,000 in October 2020. The promotional Tropical Mega Battle is the top award for Psyduck fans. Before The Pokemon Company combined the TCG competitive scene into the World Championships in 2004, one of Japan’s early iterations of the competition was known as the Tropical Mega Battle. The event was first held in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1999. What happened back then that should intrigue you? Well, the top 50 of the world’s top players were hand-selected to battle against one another. This kind of Tropical Wind is highly unique due to the event’s generous distribution of Trophy Pokemon cards. The item resurfaced in October 2020 and sold for an astounding $65,100 at a PWCC auction.
2000 Neo Genesis 1st Edition Lugia Holographic
Card cuts, typos, and incorrect symbols are just some of the reasons why many PSA card graders despise Neo Genesis. Mistakes like these can be found all over the web. Even the original Lugia had this quality and this type of ‘damage’. Despite the set’s continuing printing flaws, this card is still extremely rare in mint condition. In late 2020, $50,000 was paid for one of just 41 Gem Mint 10 copies of this card. This card looks best used with a legendary Pokémon like Lugia. If you are a collector with a ton of holographic cards in your kit, what are the odds of having the exact same type?!
Ex Deoxys GOLD STAR HOLO Rayquaza #107
Rayquaza, a legendary monster, has been a Game Boy Advance player favorite ever since he first appeared in Pokémon Emerald. The Ex Deoxys expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which was released in 2005 to coincide with the launch of the video game, contains this Rayquaza card. The excellent quality rating and rarity of this card increase its appeal. The card received the highest possible rating of GEM MINT 10 from the PSA, a reputable card grading service, for its flawless condition. How many things are as flawless?! The term “mint” condition in this context denotes that the card has almost no obvious damage. This one ranges in price from $3,000 to $45,180.
2002 First-Edition Mysterious Mountains Crystal Charizard
What you’re looking at? Value of $40,800. Have you misplaced your eReader for the Game Boy Advance? You could connect this massive piece of electronics to the portable console by scanning special cards, letting you play bonus levels and unlock new games. As a result, Pokémon was able to cash in on this trend by creating a set of cards that could be scanned. This card is the rarest of its kind, with only a little over a hundred PSA 10-graded versions known to exist. Let’s not forget that everyone loves Charizard and that it is a favorite among collectors.
2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer
The first of two rare and valuable Pokémon cards were given to champions of early 2002 Japanese regional Battle Road Spring competitions. Battle Road Summer versions were given out later that year in competitions. Regional tournaments were qualifiers for the Pokémon World Championships, and the few No. 1 Trainer cards issued for the champions are among the rarest Pokémon cards. In June, the Pokémon TCG digital version will launch with Scarlet & Violet – Paldea. Evolved expansion Each No. 1 Trainer card was customized with the tournament winner’s name, making each one-of-a-kind. Heritage Auctions said the cards rarely surface at auction due to their personalization, making them extra unusual in Pokémon card circles. The 2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer card, complete with its display folder and delivery envelope, sold at auction in April 2021 for slightly over $31,000. Though not the rarest No. 1 Trainer card, it’s still a valuable Pokémon card.
First Edition Shadowless Base Set Chansey
We’ve covered the benefits of having a shadowless card, but what sets them apart from the rest of your deck? Many factors come into play, like the card’s age, condition, and the notoriety of the Pokemon depicted on it. One such card is Chansey, found in the First Edition Shadowless Base Set. The white holographic background of the card makes even the tiniest printing errors stand out clearly, which is why a bulletproof and prestige condition card is hard to find. However, some of these cards have been sold for over $30,000, making PSA 8s and 9s incredibly valuable.
1st Edition Shadowless Base Set Venusaur
Time to talk about Venusaur – the last of the original big three. The Big Three from the first edition is included since they are a great representation of the hobby as a whole. The three different variations of the first generation of Pokemon are Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. In terms of nostalgia, they have always been and still are the Big Three of Pokemon recognition. It’s time to check out the Venusaur market for the most expensive Pokémon in the game. A little worn copy is offered for $1,700 on TCGplayer. In January 2021, the cost of PSA 7 was $2,250. This pretty much depends and can vary quite a lot.
20th Anniversary 24K Gold Ginza Tanaka Japanese Pikachu Card
Last but not least, you knew we had to include a Pikachu card into our list. This special 20th anniversary Pikachu card is the result of teamwork between the Pokemon Company and jeweler Ginza Tanaka. Each card is made of 11g of 24k gold and comes in a case meant more for show than play, but if you want to play the game you may choose other cards. Due to their high price and short preorder period (just 20 days! ), there aren’t many of these cards that one can enjoy or collect. Even though the gold on the card is only worth approximately $600, it has been sold for nearly $12,000.
