The 20 Rarest, Most Valuable Pokemon Cards In The World

The Pokemon Trading Card Game (PTCG) is a card game that is based on Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. Over the last few decades, it has launched many different cards. While most of the Pokemon cards are readily available to individuals wanting to include them in their collection, only the richest collectors and Pokemon Players Club members can get their hands on the rarest Pokemon cards that exist.

So, which exactly are the rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards in the world, and how much are they worth? Let’s find out!

1. Pokémon Blastoise #009

Sold for $360,000

This card is from the first set of the same name. It was a promotional release for the anime series. In this set, you will find some famous characters like Brock and Misty. You can even see Ash and Pikachu in this set! Pikachu is even dressed in a yellow shirt and cap! The card is also extremely rare because it was only released in Japan. This is because Pokémon was released in different countries at different times.

One of only two Pokémon Blastoise cards in existence, #009/165R. It was one of only two Pokémon Blastoise cards that were officially licensed by Wizards of the Coast. They sold it for $360,000. There is a grade of 8.5 from CGC NMM/Mint+, and the fact that the other person does not even exist at the auction house is questioned. The only two of these blank-backed cards that were made were used to present the concept of a release for the English market to Nintendo executives all those years ago.

2. 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. What’s more, he actually autographed this Pokemon card to increase its price further.

The card’s 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 (haori) worn by people celebrating their 60th birthday in Japan. And the card’s 60 Congratulations! GX move allows you to toss 60 coins and take a gift for each head.

3. Illustrator CoroCoro Comics Promo (Pikachu illustrator card)

Sold for $233,000

The card is from the Illustrator series. This is a very rare item because it was only released in Japan and awarded during an illustration contest. In this set, you will find other characters like Brock and Misty. There are also many cards from Pokemon Crystal as well as some old Pokemon like Bulbasaur and Charmander.

4. Shadowless Holographic Charizard

Sold for $220,574

When you combine a holographic card, one of the most famous Pokemon in the world, and an array of mistakes, you get one of the most valuable Pokemon cards to hit the market. The value of this Pokemon card comes from being a holographic first edition and also from its mistake. The card is missing a shadow that should be below the Pokemon. It is not known how many of these Pokemon cards are in existence today. However, discovering a misprint Pokemon card in good condition can net you a decent amount of money.

5. Pikachu Illustrator

Sold for $195,000

This Pokemon card was initially handed out to winners of promotional competitions conducted in 1997 and 1998 by a Japanese monthly manga magazine CoroCoro Comic. About 39 copies were given to the winners. However, according to reports, two copies of Pikachu Illustrator were later found by one of the developers of the card game. As well as being insanely rare, the Pikachu Illustrator is special in many ways. It is the only card to feature the word “Illustrator” instead of “Trainer” at the top of the card. This Pokemon card features artwork from Japanese graphic artist Atsuko Nishida.

6. 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur-EX #92

Sold for $183,000

This card is a part of the 1996 Pokémon Base Set. It was released in 1996 and it is also from the Kanto-exclusive series. The reason why this card is so rare is that it was released only in Japan. There are many other cards from this set that were only released in Japan as well. But this card is a rare one because it has a Venusaur-EX hologram on the bottom of the card. The Venusaur-EX is one of the most popular Pokemon in the Pokémon series. It was first released in Pokémon Red and Blue versions.

7. Family Event Trophy Card

Sold for $150,100

Just 3 copies of this Pokemon card have ever been sold in the two-plus decades, making it one of the rarest cards ever produced. This valuable card was handed out to individuals who took part in the 1998 parent and child Pokemon tournament conducted in Japan. Those who racked up the most wins during the Mega Battle tournament were given this special trophy card.

8. 1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Lugia-EX #97

Sold for $147,000

1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind is a very rare promo card. It was released in 1999 and it is from the Pokémon Base Set. This set features cards from other characters like Brock and Misty. This promotional card also features a Lugia-EX hologram on the bottom of the card. The Lugia-EX is one of the most popular Pokemon in the Pokémon series. Similar to Mewtwo, Lugia became an icon legend for many children who grew up with the series in the 2000s. It was first released in Pokémon Red and Blue versions.

9. Pokemon Neo Genesis Holo Lugia (1st Edition)

Sold for $144,300

Lugia is one of the most famous Pokemon in the whole series, having featured on the front of the video games Pokemon Silver and SoulSilver. Lugia, a legendary Pokemon from the second generation, is one of the most difficult to find Pokemon that gamers can catch in the games.

10. Kangaskhan-Holo #115 Family Event Trophy Card

Sold for $100,000

Kangaskhan-Holo is the 115th Holo in the Kanto-exclusive card series. The card was released in 1999 and it depicts a red and white colored Kangaskhan. The bottom part of the card is filled with yellow dots which means that it was a promotional item. In this set, you will also find cards from other characters like Misty and Brock.

11. 1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer Cards

Sold for $90,000

This card may be the rarest Pokemon card ever produced, with just 7 copies estimated to be in existence. It is a promo card that was given to finalists in the 1999 Secret Super Battle contest conducted in Tokyo. First, players had to win a regional tournament to secure a place in the finals of the competition. The No. 1 Trainer Pokemon card was their award, which allowed them entry into the finals. Since only 7 regional tournaments were conducted, it is thought that only 7 copies of this Pokemon card were created.

These cards are very cool! It was given to regional champions in 1999. With their win, they were given tickets to enter the Super Secret Battle Finals. The Finals were held in an undisclosed location in Tokyo on August 22, 1999.

There are only seven copies of these cards that are currently in existence, and all of them have been graded by the Psa. The buyer of the card is expecting to get at least $90,000 for it, and he is already asking for it to be bid on, with the starting price of $198,000.

12. Pokemon Tropical Mega Battle

Sold for $65,100

Between the years 1999 and 2001, a tournament called the Pokemon Tropical Mega Battle was conducted every year in Hawaii. Just 50 people took part in any given year. This Pokemon card is very rare, with just a dozen handed out to the best gamers at the Tropical Mega Battle tournament in the year 1999. The tournament witnessed 50 players from all over the world participate in it for the trading card game in Hawaii. The only way to take part was to win a battle in your area and receive an invite.

13. The 1996 Japanese “No Rarity” First Edition Charizard card

Sold for $60,000

This card is from the 1996 Pokémon Base Set. It was released in 1996 and it is also from the Kanto-exclusive series. The reason why this card is so rare is that it was released only in Japan. There are many other cards from this set that were only released in Japan as well. But this card is truly the holy grail because it has a Charizard shadowless holo on the bottom of the card. The shadowless Charizard is one of the most popular Pokemon in the Pokémon series. It was first released in Pokémon Red and Blue versions.

14. Rayquaza Gold Star Holo Ex Deoxys #192

Sold for $45,000

This card is from the Gold Star series. It was released in 2005 and it is from the Legendary Collection. This set features cards from other characters like Ash and Misty. The card also features Rayquaza as well as Deoxys which are some of the most popular Pokemon in the Pokémon series. This card is very rare because it was only released in Japan.

15. Umbreon and Espeon Gold Star

Sold for $22,000

These cards are one of the most valuable sets of Pokemon cards in existence and command an extremely high value as a result. The Umbreon and Espeon cards are named after the small gold star that appears next to their names. This is intended to denote that the card’s artworks are colored in a different way than the regular version. Umbreon and Espeon Gold Star cards are rare because just 27 were released between the years 2004 and 2007. There are Japanese and English Umbreon and Espeon cards. The Japanese version is the most valuable because of its restricted availability. However, the English version will also fetch an exorbitant price.

16. Master’s Key

Sold for $21,000

Master’s Key is a rare Pokemon card that was handed to people who took part in a Pokemon Trading Card Game tournament. Individuals participating in the trading card game tournament and video game tournament got a copy of the card. Just 36 copies of this Pokemon card are believed to exist.

17. Magikarp Trophy Card

Sold for $17,500

The Tamamushi University Hyper Test was an event conducted in Japan in 1998. To be invited, primary-school kids were required to clear a series of questions that were to be finished by a particular deadline. The winners of the event got a copy of this Pokemon card as their award.

18. Pokemon Snap Cards

Sold for $15,989

Pokemon characters have been featured in many video games, including the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Pokemon Snap. The Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic began a photo competition in May 1999. Participants were told to click pictures from Pokemon Snap and submit them to the magazine. The best 5 entries had their pictures featured on reprints from Expansion Pack. While it is not known just how many of these cards are still out there, but they usually sell for thousands of dollars, depending on the condition.

19. Prerelease Raichu

Sold for $10,500

Wizards of the Coast, a US publisher of games, gave this Pokemon card to its employees. Fewer than 10 of these cards exist, and they were just a legend until the year 2006 when a photo of one such Pokemon card surfaced online.

20. Shining Charizard Neo Destiny 1st Edition

Sold for $8,900

Neo Destiny is the last and fourth expansion of the Neo Series. And it is well-known for featuring dark as well as light Pokemon. While light Pokemon are bright-spirited and caring, dark Pokemon are usually regarded as a corrupted version of their regular species. Dark Pokemon have appeared in many different series. However, the Neo Destiny set is the only one in which you will find the light Pokemon.

Pokemon Card Mint Condition: What Does It Mean?

There are many people who would like to know what does it mean when a Pokemon card is in mint condition. It is the same as how you buy your new clothes. When you buy new clothes, they must be brand new and the first thing that will attract your attention is the way they look and feel. In the same way, when you want to buy Pokemon card mint condition, it will be all about the packaging that contains them.

You need to make sure that your cards are not just in a good condition but also in mint condition. The term “mint condition” means that there are no tears or cracks on them at all. This makes them look much better than those which have been used or worn before. So if you want to make sure that your cards are in this kind of condition, then what should you do?

Buy the best quality packaging for your cards

When you want to get the best quality packaging for your cards, then you should make sure that they are in good quality plastic cases or boxes. You can use an old box and place them into it so that they will be in mint condition. The main thing that you need to make sure of is that the case is not torn or damaged. You can use an old box and tape it so that it can protect your cards from any damage. You should also make sure that the box is not too big or too small for your cards.

Be careful when you buy your card packaging

The last thing that you need to make sure of is that when you buy the best quality packaging for your cards, then you should be careful about what kind of information about them is on the box. If there is any writing on the box, then make sure that they are not readable by anyone. In this way, nobody will know what your cards look like and how good they are in mint condition. This will give them great value and they will look more valuable than those which have been used before.

Pokemon Card Pristine Condition: What Does It Mean?

What does Pristine Condition mean? What does it really mean to have a card in pristine condition? Well, I will tell you what it means.

The card is in perfect condition. It has never been played with and is in its original factory shrink wrap. This is the best condition that a card can be in before it is sold on eBay or any other type of auction site.

A pristine condition card should be the highest bid on any auction site and usually the highest bid on eBay too. If a seller claims their cards are in this condition then you can assume that they are selling them for the highest price possible and not just because they have a lot of extra cards.

Pokémon TCG’s 20th Anniversary Celebration

Pokemon TCG has been around for 20 years. To celebrate this, we are going to look at some of the most impactful cards from the set and rank them from best to worst.

This set has a great mix of cards that can be considered impactful, with cards like Metal Energy, Crushing Hammer, Professor Oak’s New Theory, and several others. There are also some other cards that were a major step forward in terms of gameplay, such as Secret Force and Poké-Body.

To celebrate Pokémon TCG’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, people have done special promotional promos, theme decks, and even expansions. There are a lot of promos to be released for this set, including the return of Gyarados-EX and Hoopa-EX.

On February 25, 2016, North American versions of the Nintendo badge arcade celebrated the 20th anniversary of Pokémon. To celebrate, they produced ten sets of pokémon badges, including the first badges for mega evolved pokémon. There were Pokémon-themed home menus that were displayed on the Miiverse Gallery for a period of time after March 6.

PSA 10 and PSA Grading System

In the world of Pokemon card trading, PSA is a commonly used grading system. There are many different levels of PSA grades. It usually consists of two grading systems, numerical grade, and qualifiers.

The numerical grade is what a card is graded on and is based on the card’s condition. The higher the numerical grade, the better the condition of the card.

Numerical grades range from 1 to 10. A numerical grade of 10 means a card is in perfect condition. A numeric grade of 1 means a card is not in good condition and can be considered unplayable.

PSA 10 means the card is in PSA 10 condition. This means the card is in great condition. The PSA 10 grading system is usually the highest PSA grade.

Qualifiers are put on cards that make them better or worse depending on certain factors such as date, if it was reprinted, if it was in another set, etc.

Where to Buy Valuable Pokemon Cards?

Are Rare Pokemon Cards Available on eBay?

I am sure that you have seen a lot of eBay auctions on Pokemon cards. There are many collectors and people who want to buy rare cards. The rare cards are difficult to find. But, if you want to find a rare card, you can use eBay.

You can search for the card that you want to buy on eBay. However, if you are looking for an extremely rare card, then there is a chance that the card will not be available on eBay.

You can try your luck at other places.

Auction House for Rare Pokemon Card

There are a lot of people who want to buy rare Pokemon cards for their collection. But the problem is that these cards are usually not available at a reasonable price. This is where the online auction houses come in.

Some of the best auction houses to get rare Pokemon cards are as follows:

Goldin Auctions:

Goldin Auctions is one of the best online auction houses for rare Pokemon cards. The reason behind this is that they have a lot of customers and their prices are reasonable. The great thing about Goldin Auctions is that they offer both English and Japanese cards in their collection. They also offer rare pokemon cards from both the Base Set and the Jungle Theme Decks. Another great thing about Goldin Auctions is that they will send you your cards within three days of receiving your payment. This means that you will receive your rare Pokemon cards as soon as possible. One thing to note about Goldin Auctions is that their shipping charges are high and sometimes very high, so it would be better if you live in an area where shipping is cheap or if you are willing to do a lot of work yourself before getting your rare Pokemon cards from them.

Heritage Auctions:

Heritage Auctions is another great online auction house to get rare Pokemon cards. This is because they have a lot of customers and their prices are reasonable. The great thing about Heritage Auctions is that they offer both English and Japanese cards in their collection. They also offer rare pokemon cards from both the Base Set and the Jungle Theme Decks. Another great thing about Heritage Auctions is that they will send you your cards within three days of receiving your payment. This means that you will receive your rare Pokemon cards as soon as possible. One thing to note about Heritage Auctions is that their shipping charges are high and sometimes very high, so it would be better if you live in an area where shipping is cheap or if you are willing to do a lot of work yourself before getting your rare Pokemon cards from them.

PWCC:

PWCC is another great online auction house to get rare Pokemon cards. This is because they have a lot of customers and their prices are reasonable. The great thing about PWCC is that they offer both English and Japanese cards in their collection. They also offer rare pokemon cards from both the Base Set and the Jungle Theme Decks. Another great thing about PWCC is that they will send you your cards within three days of receiving your payment. This means that you will receive your rare Pokemon cards as soon as possible. One thing to note about PWCC is that their shipping charges are high and sometimes very high, so it would be better if you live in an area where shipping is cheap or if you are willing to do a lot of work yourself before getting your rare Pokemon cards from them.

Are Rare Pokemon Cards Worth the Investment?

Yes! Rare Pokemon cards are challenging to find and are always in limited supply. When you invest in rare cards, you have more than a collectible; you make a valuable investment that can be worth tons of money.

Even if you don’t sell your cards now, you may want to do so in the future. Investing now may mean that your rare Pokemon cards become even more valuable. They may become a long-term investment that you can sell for cash later, when you need it.

Valuable Pokemon Cards Can Be a Great Investment

What’s more, the cards are easy to store. They should be kept in a safe location to avoid damage over time. Thankfully, you can put the cards in a sleeve and a protective folder. When you’re ready to store them, the cards don’t take up much space.

You can keep the folders in a neat stack on your desk or store them safely in a storage container in the closet (on a shelf).

Do I Need to Be a Pokemon Aficionado to Collect Them?

No, it’s not necessary to be a Pokemon aficionado to collect these valuable cards. However, you may need some basic knowledge about the cards and how to ensure you only buy those that are valuable.

Getting started collecting rare Pokemon cards isn’t hard and can be a fun hobby! In addition, you can create a valuable collection with the idea of creating a long-term investment for the future. So, why not get started today?

How to Become a Pokemon Cards Collector

At the first time, it might be difficult. Pokemon cards are sold at a high price. If you don’t have enough capital to afford it, there is no way you can become a pokemon cards collector.

However, you can begin collecting little by little through trading card events and Pokemon illustrations competitions.