Poliwrath No Rarity Symbol Base Set
- Release Date: 1996
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $25,015
Rounding out the top 21 of the most expensive Pokemon cards list is Poliwrath from the Japanese version of the Base Set. While the Water-type mon has traditionally been one of the weaker valued cards from the 1996 and 1999 releases, this item is actually special.
Similar to the English version having a 1st Edition run, the very first print of the Japanese set featured no markings at all. Due to there being extremely limited amounts even printed, barely any of them survived three decades later.
Consider this THE earliest version of the iconic card, and you can see why its value has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2020, one appeared in a PWCC auction selling for $25,015. If you think that is a lot, we are only getting started!
Charizard ~ Battle Road Spring
While the commonly found version of this card in English is also quite valuable at an average of $386, it’s the version that released exclusively in Japan that truly brings in the big bucks. These were only available at events that took place back in 2006 and players had to get past the preliminary rounds of tournaments to even get one at all. With how hard these were to come across, they’re particularly valued by collectors today.
Are Misprints Worth More
One of the most common misconceptions about books is that misprints make them rare or valuable. Unfortunately, while certain types of errors can contribute to a books collectability, these alone arent enough to skyrocket the value of an otherwise inexpensive book certainly not to Bonhams-worthy prices anyway.
Also Check: Pokemon Crystal Ruins Of Alph
Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Chansey #3
Another Pokémon who featured heavily in the cartoon, Chansey is a basic holo with a difference. It has a massive 120 HP, while its Double-edge attack hits for 80.
However, the stats arent the reason why gem mint shadowless first edition versions have sold for over $36,000.
As a normal-type Pokémon, the card is wrapped in a white background which contrasts heavily with the yellow border. Chansey is essentially a pink blob, while the holo that surrounds it will flake away instantly.
Its exceedingly condition-sensitive, and there are only 48 copies that have earned gem mint status.
Pokemon Neo Destiny 1st Edition Shining Charizard
Sold in January, 2021 for $20,250
The fourth main expansion of the Neo Series, Neo Destiny, is notable for featuring both “light” and “dark” Pokémon whose characteristics and “destiny” are reflective of how a Trainer trains them.
Light Pokémon are caring and bright-spirited, while dark Pokémon are the exact opposite.
Dark Pokémon have appeared in several different series, but the Neo Destiny set is the only one in which you will find the light Pokémon.
Charizard appears as neither light nor dark in Neo Destiny but instead as a special Shining Charizard that gets its name from the unique foil design that glimmers and shines in the light.
The Shining Pokémon in this series also feature a unique rarity symbol in the lower right in the form of three stars.
Recommended Reading: Best Place To Spoof Pokemon Go
World Championships Sprint Battle Road 2002 No 1 Trainer Promo: $31000
No. 1 Trainer promo cards are almost always valuable, thanks to them only being printed in limited quantities and being awarded to finalists in World Championships. What makes the Battle Road Spring 2002 promo special, though, is that every card is unique.
Each one has the name of its owner, and the region they were the champion of, printed in the card’s text. As there were seven regions for the tournament, it can be assumed that there were at least seven produced.
It’s so rare that PSA doesn’t have an appraised value for it, however it has sold at auction in the past for $31,000.
Pokmon Card Professionally Graded: Cardboard Investment
Once you have performed all of your checks and you are confident that the card you are holding is worth a decent amount of money, it may make sense to think about getting your cards graded by a company such as Professional Sports Authenticator .
One final check that I would recommend before sending your Pokémon cards off to be graded is to do an eBay search for the card you are thinking of selling.
Even if have heard about the card you have going for wild amounts of money, its best to check what the average sale price for your card is currently by searching for it on eBay.
Pro Tip: eBay has a handy feature that lets you see auction listings that have already sold for items that you are searching for. The sold auctions will give you a much better idea of what you can expect your card to realistically sell for.
The PSA grade assigns trading cards to a condition standard from Gem Mint to Poor and makes notes of qualifiers like an off-center print or staining.
PSA grade scale also contains half points. For example, a card may come back graded as a 6.5.
Also Check: How To Get Greninja In Pokemon Go
Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Venusaur #15
Now were getting somewhere. The final evolution of the starter Pokémon Bulbasaur, Venusaur had a massive part to play in both the games and the anime as one of the mainstays in Ashs party.
It featured on-the-box art for the original Japanese version of the game, although the Green edition was never released worldwide.
With over 137 PSA 10 copies in existence, the original holo Venusaur is clearly a coveted card.
It may pale in comparison to the likes of Blastoise and Charizard, but its still a member of the original trio that players got to choose from.
Most Valuable Pokemon Card In The World
Opinions may differ but the most expensive Pokemon card in the world as of June 2021 in our opinion is the 1999 Base First Edition Chaziard Holo #4 Logan Paul Pokemon Card with a BGS 10 Pristine grade.
Please note although this card may be worth more than a million dollars, the most expensive SOLD to date is the Pikachu Illustrator Extremely sold for $900,000 in February 2022.
The card was purchase by Paul in December of 2020 and was recently worn in his fight with Floyd Money Mayweather. He claims the card is worth 1 million dollars and we think he is actually pretty close.
We value the 1999 First Edition Chaziard Holo #4 Logon Paul Pokemon Card between $1.2 million if HE sold it. It would be dubbed the Logan Paul Charizard card right? Insert mic drop.
You May Like: Pokemon Stadium 2 Nintendo 64
How Much Are Old Japanese Pokemon Cards Worth
The Japanese Base Set was released in 1996, a solid three years before the English version.
Commended in the Pokemon community for their quality, old Japanese Pokemon cards are sought after items for any collector.
However, their value is affected by a couple of factors.
Unlike the English version where booster boxes contained 36 packs and roughly 12 holographic cards. Japanese Base set booster boxes contained 60 packs and the pull rates on holos are known to be as high as 50%.
As youd expect, this drives the value down compared to their English counterparts.
However, there is also a well-known printing error with Japanese base set, where they missed off the rarity symbol from the bottom right corner of the cards.
If youre lucky enough to own these cards, then they are extremely valuable and command a premium.
Pokemon then decided to print future vintage Japanese sets like Jungle, Fossil and Team Rocket with a holographic card in every pack.
Although these were fun to open, it also took away some of the excitement, rarity and value.
The main thing that combats this though, as mentioned above is the quality of the cards.
Card centering, print lines, and edge-wear is less common, therefore its easier to obtain a high score when getting Japanese cards graded. The higher the grade, the higher its value of course.
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.
You May Like: Charizard 11 108 Holo Price
Top 15 Most Rare And Expensive Pokmon Cards
Strategic depth: Medium
Publisher:Wizards of the Coast
With so many cards being produced in the past year and the recent Pokémon Go drop, Pokémon cards are still massive, and are still selling for insane numbers. But what are the most expensive Pokémon cards out there?
The value and rarity of a Pokémon card is mainly determined by one factor, how many of them were officially released. The rarer the card is, the more expensive it will be, with some of the most valuable ones coming in at well over $1,000,000. Weve even recently tested if a PSA Charizard can survive extreme conditions, such as being set on fire, shot, and drowned, so that you know how safe your cards are. From the Gold Star Umbreon to the Pikachu Illustrator, here are the top 15 most expensive Pokémon cards in the world right now.
How Much Are My Pokmon Cards Worth
How much you can sell your Pokémon cards for is mostly dependent on three variables: the cards rarity, which print edition the card came from, and the cards physical quality.
Its important to note that your average Pokémon collection wont make you rich. Most common and uncommon cards are worth less than $1, and even rare cards are usually worth less than $5. However, holographic rare Pokémon cards often go for $15 and upespecially for older cards that have been sitting in your self storage unit for years.
Recommended Reading: Pokemon Go Jessie And James Counters
Do Pawn Shops Buy Pokemon Cards
Pawn shops do buy Pokemon cards in some cases, but we dont recommend selling them there. Unless the pawn shop is known to specialize in trading card games, chances are high the clerk wont know the ins and outs of Pokemon card trading. So you can expect a lowball offer.
If you want to sell them locally and in-person, try comic book shops or hobby shops instead.
Pokemon World Championship Masters Key
- Release Date: 2010
- Grading: BGS 9
- Pokemon card value at auction: $26,900
In 2010, the best pokemon cards players around the world were flown into Waikoloa Village, Hawaii for the World Championships. Upon arrival, contestants were given a Master Keys Pokemon card.
Because the item was only printed for participants at the tournament, only 36 of these in total were ever created, making it technically one of the most rare Pokemon cards to ever exist in the hobbys nearly 25-year history.
Despite only being intended for those at the event, one of these made there way out to the public and was sold for an astonishing $26,900 in August 2020. A pretty sweet reward to receive 11 years later.
Read Also: How Many Eevee Evolutions Are There
Most Valuable First Edition Pokemon Cards
Originally released in Japan as a video game, Pokémon later transformed into a trading card game that began hitting store shelves in the U.S. in 1999.
Today, these trading cards are some of the hottest non-sports cards in the hobby.
And with a catchphrase like Gotta Catch Em All., it’s easy to understand why.
On top of common and rare cards in the base set, there are variations such as Shadowless and First Edition Pokémon cards needed to complete an entire run.
Those First Edition cards are especially some of the rarest and some are even considered to be among the most expensive Pokémon cards in general.
And in this guide, we take a look at the 25 most valuable.
Let’s jump right in!
More…
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.
You May Like: What Are Bug Type Pokemon Weak Against
Pokemon Japanese Play Promo 50000 Points Espeon Gold Star
Sold in June, 2021 for $25,700
Earlier, we had a look at the 2005 Pokemon Japanese Play Jolteon gold star card that required 20,000 EXP Points to redeem and explained how difficult it was to achieve.
As Pokemon Players Club members completed specific actions, such as attending an event, winning a battle, or placing in a tournament, they could accumulate experience points.
As if accumulating 20,000 EXP points for the Jolteon wasn’t hard enough, those who had the endurance and capability to press on even farther could unlock the Espeon after earning 50,000 EXP points.
The holographic element mixed with the gold star designation and incredible design from Masakazu Fukuda resulted in a breathtaking card that few ever have the chance at holding.
First Edition Item Finder
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750
The intent of the Item Finder is exactly as it sounds: it aids players in locating items.
While its name and how it helps players find items greatly changed in later Pokémon games, the first edition card merely instructs the player to discard two cards from his or her hand and replace them with a trainer card.
Recommended Reading: All Shiny Evolutions Of Eevee
Not Worth Much: Pikachu Latios Trainer Kit
There is nothing visually compelling about this card. It doesnt even have descriptions for either of the moves. It just exists, and thats really all we can say about it.
The lowest you can obtain this card is $2. Unlike other cards, there are really no price inconsistencies. What you see is what you get.
Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Mewtwo #10
One of the best hits from the original set, and the main antagonist from the first Pokémon movie, Mewtwo is a man-made Pokémon that was created from the DNA of Mew.
Psychic cards were also fairly rare at the time, while Mewtwo is considered to be a legendary Pokémon-type. The holofoil looks like rays of power emanating from the genetic anomaly.
This time, the number of gem mint copies that appear on the PSA registry is 81. Its a tiny bit rarer and more expensive than any of the cards discussed above. That makes sense due to the sheer popularity.
Don’t Miss: Best Pokemon To Beat Lapras
Pokmon 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
Image: PWCC
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 Trainers rarity and value put it close to the legendarily expensive No. 1 Trainer in terms of rare Pokémon cards – making it one of Pokémons most sought-after cards.
Psa 10 Base Set Holo Shadowless Charizard: $420000
There are a lot of factors that make this card worth so much compared to any other Charizard card. Specifically, the lack of a shadow means it isn’t just a first edition, it’s the first print run of the first edition. While most base set cards have a shadow on the right side of the art frame, the very first cards Wizards of the Coast printed lacked it, giving them an extra level of value.
Second, though shadowless Base Set Charizards are fairly common and number in the thousands, a PSA 10-graded one are incredibly rare. Only 56 have ever been identified by PSA.
RELATED: Pokemon: The Most Valuable Blastoise Cards
These Charizard cards have become one of the prime reasons for the Pokemon Card trend of the past two years, with YouTuber Logan Paul opening one as recently as February 2021 that was estimated by auction site owner Ken Goldin to sell for upwards of $500,000. In auction it tends to sell for significantly less, though: last year one sold for $264,000 through Heritage Auctions. In March 2022, Charizard broke its own record, and sold in a PWCC auction for a new high of $420,000.
Also Check: Can Slugma Be Shiny In Pokemon Go