There's a huge amount of Pokémon out there and even more Pokémon Trading Cards, raging from common pidgeys to rare and valuable legendary cards, or even better. And valuable really is the word, with nearly eight tons of counterfeit cards being recently seized in China - in Short, Pokémon cards are big business. That's why we've put together this list of the rarest and most expensive Pokémon cards, so you know for certain what's hiding in your attic.
Rare and valuable Pokémon cards
- Gold Pikachu
- Prerelease Raichu
- Master’s Key
- Gold Star Espeon and Umbreon
- 2002 No. 1 Trainer
- No Rarity Venusaur
- Tropical Wind
- 1999 No. 1 Trainer
- 2006 No. 2 Trainer
- 1st Edition Holo Lugia
- Kangaskhan-Holo
- Ishihara GX
- Blastoise Presentation Card
- Shadowless Charizard
- Pikachu Illustrator
Interest in Pokémon and the Pokémon card game has only continued to grow in recent years, with multiple card sales at auction setting new records in 2019 and 2020 alone, so there’s never been a better time to rifle through your collection and see if you own one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time. Aren’t you at least a little curious? There might be a retirement fund waiting in your attic.
15. 20th Anniversary 24-karat Gold Pikachu
A rare card made of solid gold
Sold for 216,000 yen ($2,081) in October 2016
While many of the rarest Pokémon cards are cards released during the first years of the game, this card is an exception in that it appeared for the first time only a few years ago in 2016 to celebrate the Pokémon TCG’s 20th anniversary.
What makes the 20th Anniversary Pikachu card extra special is the fact it’s made out of solid gold. 11 grammes of 24-karat gold, in fact. Japanese jewellery maker Ginza Tanaka produced a limited number of solid gold cards based on the original Japanese Pikachu card - affectionately nicknamed ‘Fat Pikachu’ due to the electric mouse’s distinctive chubby cheeks in its original design.
The only way to get a copy of the golden Pikachu was to enter a lottery held in 2016. If you won, you were given the chance to buy a copy of the limited-edition card for 216,000 yen - or around $2,081/£1,700. It came in a special frame and box marking the anniversary, which you’d hope might keep it safe given the price tag and rarity.
Although the card recreates the original Pikachu card - including the Pocket Monsters Card Game logo on the back and its Japanese text on the front - it’s actually not legal for use in tournaments. You know, because it’s made of gold. We probably wouldn’t recommend trading it in the schoolyard either, unless your friend has a Rolls-Royce to give you in return.
14. Prerelease Raichu
A card so rare it may just be rumour
Reportedly sold for $10,500 in April 2009
Perhaps the most controversial Pokémon card of all time, Prerelease Raichu may also be the rarest Pokémon card ever made - in fact, it’s so rare that finding out exact details is tricky.
Prerelease Raichu was long rumoured to be a card printed by error in the run-up to the English-language release of the Pokémon TCG’s second expansion, Jungle, in 1999. So the story goes, a very small number - said to approximately 100 - of Raichu cards from the game’s Base Set were accidentally reprinted with the word “Prerelease” stamped in the bottom-right of the card artwork. The game’s English manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast, reportedly destroyed all but a fraction of the copies, leaving 10 or fewer in the wild. The few remaining copies are believed to have been given to Wizards of the Coast staff.
For years, Prerelease Raichu was only rumoured to exist, until a copy believed to be genuine surfaced from a former Wizards of the Coast employee in 2006. In 2009, the first and seemingly only recorded sale of a Prerelease Raichu was reported by fan site PokeGym, apparently changing hands for $10,500. However, given the completion date of April 1st, whether the sale was real or an elaborate April Fool’s prank remains dubious.
Whether Prerelease Raichu actually exists remains in contention - no copies of the card have even been professionally certified or sold at auction, despite a number of apparent fakes popping up over the years. If a legitimate copy of the card were to surface, it may well set a new record for the most valuable and rarest Pokémon card of all time. Until then, it will remain a true Holy Grail.
13. Master’s Key
A more recent card - but no less rare
Sold for $21,000 in November 2019
Master’s Key is another rare Pokémon card awarded to participants in a Pokémon TCG tournament. However, unlike No. 1 Trainer and its ilk, this card is a little more recent, being given to competitors in the 2010 Pokémon World Championships held in Hawaii.
Both those participating in the trading card game tournament and its video game counterpart received a copy of Master’s Key - the cards were identical, but came presented in a different trophy case frame depending on the category.
Only 36 copies of the card are estimated to exist - equal to the number of participants in all age divisions of the world championships.
A copy of the Master’s Key card sold at auction in November 2019 for more than $21,000, highlighting how valuable the rare prize card is.
12. Espeon and Umbreon Gold Star POP Series 5
A pair of Gold Star Pokémon cards from one of the most valuable Pokémon sets of all time
Sold for $22,000 in February 2021
Gold Star Pokémon cards are among the most valuable sets of Pokémon cards in existence and command an incredibly high value as a result. The cards are named after the gold star that appears next to the Pokémon’s name at the top of the card, which signifies that the card features alternative-colour artwork different from the common version. Only 27 Gold Star cards were released from 2004 to 2007, making them some of the rarest Pokémon cards available.
While all of the Gold Star Pokémon cards are rare, only appearing once in approximately every 88 booster packs (or two booster boxes) for certain Pokémon TCG expansions, the very rarest are the ‘Eeveelutions’ - the many evolutions into which basic Gen 1 Pokémon Eevee can evolve. And the rarest of the rarest are the original Japanese-language versions of the cards offered to members of the Pokémon Players Club, who could spend points earned by participating in official organised play and tournaments to obtain exclusive cards.
While Eeveelutions Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon could be acquired in the EX Power Keepers set released in 2007 via the Pokémon online store, their psychic and dark elemental siblings Espeon and Umbreon could only be picked up by players who collected enough Pokémon Players Club points. The Espeon 025/PLAY card required 40,000 EXP points earned, while Umbreon 026/PLAY was even most pricey at 70,000 points.
While the Japanese versions of the cards are the most valuable due to their limited availability, even the English-language versions of the Espeon and Umbreon Gold Star cards fetch a high price. A Gold Star Espeon rated at PSA 10 Gem Mint condition was sold in February 2021 for over $22,000, while an Umbreon graded at an equally perfect condition fetched just over $20,000 at auction in December 2020. PSA values the two cards at $194,209 and $187,277 respectively, easily making them two of the most valuable Pokémon cards around.
11. 2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer
Every copy of this rare and valuable promo card is one-of-a-kind
Sold for $31,200 in April 2021
The first of two rare and valuable Pokémon cards called No. 1 Trainer on this list, this particular card was awarded to winners of the regional Battle Road Spring tournaments held in Japan during early 2002. (Battle Road Summer versions were given out during competitions held later that year.)
The regional tournaments were held as qualifiers for the Pokémon World Championships, with the small number of No. 1 Trainer cards produced for the few winners making them some of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.
Adding to the card's rarity is the fact that each No. 1 Trainer card was customised with the name of the tournament winner printed onto the card, making each card one-of-a-kind. According to auction house Heritage Auctions, the personalised aspect of the cards also mean that they rarely appear at auction, making them an even rarer sight in the world of Pokémon cards.
The 2002 No. 1 Trainer card was illustrated by Ken Sugimori, best known as being one of the original artists and designers for Pokémon's first generation of 151 Pokémon. The text on it reads: "The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament Battle Road Spring 2002 champion is recognised here, and his honour is praised." Sugimori's No. 1 Trainer artwork - featuring fan-favourite Pokémon such as Pikachu, Chansey and Marrill - is exclusive to the card, making it especially unique.
A copy of the 2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer card, complete with its original display folder and even the envelope it was delivered in, sold at auction in April 2021 for just over $31,000. While it's not the absolute rarest of the No. 1 Trainer cards, the card still ranks as one of the most valuable Pokémon cards.
10. 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur
A very rare Pokémon card made ever more valuable by its artist’s autograph
Sold for $55,000 in November 2021
Many of the rarest Pokémon cards date from the trading card game’s 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 what’s known as ‘No Rarity’ - meaning that the card is missing the common symbol used to signify a Pokémon card’s rarity.
No Rarity Pokémon cards are among the rarest Pokémon cards in existence, and few come rarer than the Venusaur Pokémon card from the game’s 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 card’s illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita - the legendary artist behind many Pokémon cards from the last 20-plus years - on the card’s case, making the already rare Pokémon card truly one-of-a-kind.
9. 1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
An ultra-rare promo card - one of only a dozen ever made
Sold for $65,100 in October 2020
Only 12 Tropical Wind cards were produced as promo cards for the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle, a precursor to the Pokémon World Championships, making it one of the most valuable Pokémon sets around.
The Tropical Mega Battle saw 50 players from around the globe take part in a tournament for the trading card game in Honolulu, Hawaii. The only way to participate was to win a battle in your local region and earn an invite, making it an exclusive event for the best Pokémon trainers in the world - and the cards offered as prizes some of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.
This particular Tropical Mega Battle promo card, the 1999 Japanese-language copy of Tropical Wind, has sold at auction for as much as $65,100 in PSA Gem Mint 10 condition, with the most recent record-breaking sale taking place in October 2020. PSA estimates its value to be as high as $148,482, making the ultra-rare card a contender for one of the most expensive Pokémon cards ever made.
8. 1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer
The answer to "What's the rarest Pokémon card of all time?"
Sold for $90,000 in July 2020
It’s unlikely you’ve heard of Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer, and extremely unlikely you’ve ever seen a copy in person. When it comes to rare Pokémon cards, there are very few cards rarer than this.
No. 1 Trainer is a holographic promotional card awarded to finalists in the Secret Super Battle tournament held in Tokyo, Japan in 1999. (Making it a different card to the 2002 World Championships No. 1 Trainer listed above, despite the similar name.) To earn a place in the competition’s finals, which were held in a secret location, players had to first win a regional tournament. Their prize was the No. 1 Trainer card, which granted them access to the finals.
The card’s text translates to: “The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament's champion is recognised here, and this honour is praised. By presenting this card, you may gain preferential entry into the Secret Super Battle.” The card features the Japanese logo for the “Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game”, along with artwork of original generation Pokémon Mewtwo by illustrator Hideki Kazama.
As only seven regional tournaments were held, it’s believed that just seven copies of this card were made - making it one of rarest Pokémon cards in existence. Six of the ultra-rare cards have since been certified as being in perfect Gem Mint 10 condition by PSA - the prestigious organisation that grades the quality, condition and value of trading cards, up to the highest level of Gem Mint 10 - with a flawless copy selling at auction in July 2020 for $90,000.
This is a card so rare and valuable that Indiana Jones probably had to escape a crumbling temple with it at some point. Its 1999 counterpart cards No. 2 Trainer and No. 3 Trainer, similarly awarded to winners in Japanese Pokémon tournaments during the late 1990s, are almost as rare and valuable.
7. 2006 Pokémon World Championships Promo No. 2 Trainer
One of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time, with only 3 known to exist
Sold for $110,100 in February 2021
Like its equally rare and expensive Trainer trophy cards, the 2006 No. 2 Trainer is one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time, with only a small handful of cards ever made.
Given as a trophy card to finalists of the Pokémon World Championships held in Anaheim, California during August 2006, in order to claim the card, players had to gain entry to the tournament by collecting enough points to qualify and then make it into the finals of their divisions.
Just three copies of the 2006 No. 2 Trainer are believed to exist, easily making it one of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence. Its rarity also means it commands a high price, with a copy graded at Mint 9 condition by PSA selling for just over $110,000 in February 2021.
The card itself features fan-favourite Pokémon Pikachu holding aloft a silver trophy, finished with a holographic pattern. The card reads: “If you won this card at the 2006 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships, you may return to battle the best in 2007.”
No. 2 Trainer’s rarity and value put it close to the legendarily expensive No. 1 Trainer in terms of rare Pokémon cards - making it one of Pokémon’s most sought-after cards.
6. 2000 Pokémon 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 it’s 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 Lugia’s rarity means that it ranks almost as highly as the legendary first-edition Charizard when it comes to the most valuable Pokémon cards.
Thanks to its popularity and rarity, the Pokémon card also fetches a very high price at auction. A first-edition Neo Genesis Lugia graded at PSA 10 reportedly sold in October 2020 for $50,000, with a BGS 10 Pristine copy selling in May 2021 for over $144,000. A legendary price for what is definitely a legendary card, in every sense of the word.
5. Kangaskhan-Holo #115 Family Event Trophy Card
The third-rarest Pokémon card of all time
Sold for $150,100 in October 2020
This valuable Pokémon card dates from the trading card game’s earliest years, having been given to participants in the 1998 Parent/Child Mega Battle tournament held in Japan. As the name implies, teams were made up of parents and children. Those who achieved a set number of victories during the tournament were awarded this special trophy card - the only time it was ever up for grabs, having never been mass produced - making it one of the rarest promo cards available.
What sets the trophy card apart from its commonplace counterparts is the inclusion of the Pocket Monsters Card Game logo - the original Japanese name for the Pokémon TCG - on the card back in addition to the front, marking it out as an extremely rare variant of the original holographic Kangaskhan.
Following the sale of a PSA 7 card in June 2020 for $35,000, a copy of Kangaskhan-Holo #115 graded at Gem Mint 10 by PSA was sold on eBay in October for over $150,000, making the already rare card one of the most valuable Pokémon cards sold in recent years.
At the time, auction house PWCC revealed that only 46 copies of the card have ever been graded, with only three ever being publicly sold in the two-plus decades since the card first appeared. The October 2020 auction was the first such sale of a mint condition card. PWCC described the card as the third-rarest Pokémon card in the world, calling it worthy of a museum. Whether it’s in a museum or someone’s collection, it’s undoubtedly one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made.
4. Black Star Ishihara Signed GX Promo Card
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.
3. Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram
A two-of-a-kind card that suddenly became one of the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time
Sold for $360,000 in January 2021
One of only two such Pokémon cards in existence - making it extremely rare - this Blastoise suddenly became one of the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time after it sold at auction in January 2021 for a whopping $360,000 (£266,000).
The ultra-rare Pokémon card was created in 1998 as a presentation piece by Magic: The Gathering maker Wizards of the Coast to convince Nintendo of Japan executives to allow it to handle the TCG’s English-language release. The game would eventually make its international debut one year later in 1999.
While two Blastoise ‘Presentation’ cards were produced, this is the only one that has been seen publicly. Even more impressively, it has been graded at a NM/Mint+ 8.5 level by certification website CGC, meaning that the 20-plus-year-old card is in near-perfect condition. The location and state of the other Presentation card remains unknown - meaning that this may well be the only such card of its type left.
2. 1999 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 game’s most popular cards since it first released in 1999, so there’s 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 TCG’s early days are worth some money - assuming they’re 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.
What sets the card apart is the lack of a shadow underneath the fire-breathing dragon Pokémon. This was a printing error that was corrected for most of the cards printed, which makes the shadowless card all the rarer. According to auction house Iconic Auctions, the rare card is “the Holy Grail of Pokémon cards, the most iconic and important card to both the Pokémon franchise and its die hard fans”.
A mint-condition first-edition shadowless holographic PSA 10 Charizard sold at auction in October 2020 for a whopping $220,574 to retired rapper - and Pokémon fan - Logic, setting a new record for the already valuable card, according to card game outlet Cardhops.
That record was broken in November 2020 after a copy of the Shadowless Charizard sold at auction for $350,100, before reportedly being broken once only a month later with the sale of a copy for $369,000 - auction house Goldin Auctions claimed the figure to be the highest amount of money paid for any Pokémon card to date.
Since that record-breaking sale, Shadowless Charizard in Gem Mint 10 condition has continued to be one of the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time, with another sale in January 2021 fetching $300,000.
Heritage Auctions called the first-edition Charizard "arguably the hottest card in the entire hobby", adding that only 120 copies have been graded as Gem Mint 10 by PSA. According to PSA's SMR Price Guide, the average value of a Gem Mint 10 first-edition Base Set Charizard is $325,000, a significant jump from the $35,000 value of the same card in Mint 9 condition.
1. Pikachu Illustrator
Extremely expensive, extremely rare - the Holy Grail of Pokémon cards
Sold for $375,000 in February 2021
The current record holder for the world’s most valuable Pokémon card is also one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made.
Pikachu Illustrator was originally given to winners of promo contests held in 1997 and 1998 by Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic. 39 copies were officially awarded to the winners, while two copies were reportedly later discovered by one of the card game’s creators, seemingly bringing the total number of Pikachu Illustrator copies in existence to 41.
As well as being ridiculously rare, the card is unique in a number of ways. It is the only Pokémon card to say “Illustrator” instead of “Trainer” at the top of the card, and has a one-off pen icon in its bottom-right corner to acknowledge its creation for the design contest. The card’s artwork of Pikachu is by Atsuko Nishida, the original illustrator of the fan-favourite Pokémon.
Just 23 copies of the card have been certified to date by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) responsible for grading cards’ condition, leaving a number of the extremely rare Pokémon cards potentially yet to be rediscovered.
A near-flawless copy of the card graded at Mint 9 - one grade under perfect condition - sold at auction in 2019 for $195,000, making it the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold at auction at the time according to Guinness World Records.
More recently, a copy of Pikachu Illustrator graded at Near Mint 7 by PSA sold for $375,000 at auction in February 2021. The staggering sum makes Pikachu Illustrator the most valuable Pokémon card of all time, and a true Holy Grail of Pokémon cards.
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