Best Pokmon Tcg Cards
It’s not easy, though. With thousands upon thousands of Pokémon cards and would-be trainers each having their own preferences for types, Pokémon and abilities, it’s hard to pin down what makes the best Pokémon cards. Do you measure the success of a Pokémon card by how well-known it is, whether it’s one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made or how far it carries a competitive pro player in the Pokémon TCG World Championships?
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Everyone has their own list of favourites, but one thing is certain: the most important thing about a Pokémon card is the ability for players to have fun with it. That could be by collecting it, playing casual matches with friends or even securing a place in the next round of a major tournament. Every card you choose to include in your deck makes it unique, and if its important to you – for any reason – thats as good a reason as any to include it.
With all that in mind, here are ten of the best Pokémon cards from throughout the trading card games long history and many expansions. They include the powerful and the beautiful, the common and the hard-to-find, the familiar and the more obscure. The one thing they have in common, though, is youve gotcha catch em all.
Southern Islands Reverse Holo Mew: $200
When the second Pokemon movie was released in Japan, the makers of the Trading Card Game decided to release a special edition set of cards to mark this occasion. The Southern Islands card series was born, featuring just two sets of nine cards apiece that were unique to any other set in the game.
Full sets of these cards can sell for a lot, but the absolute highest value is undoubtedly the Southern Islands Mew, which has a rare reverse foil treatment where the frame around the art is the only part thats shiny. Troll and Toad is currently selling copies for just over $200 right now, making it even more valuable than the elusive and stylish Ancient Mew mentioned earlier.
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Most Expensive Pokemon Cards In 2021
It should be noted that top lists are almost always up for debate. A cards value can be determined by the highest its ever sold at auction, or what it sells for on average.
A Pokemon cards value can also wildly fluctuate with the market and are largely dependent on the items grading and condition. Our list is based on what the collectible has sold for in the latest auctions, and its position will be updated if it sells for less or more.
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Tamamushi University Magikarp Trophy Promo
- Release Date: 1998
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $66,100
In 1998, Shogakukans Magazines in Japan offered a contest for school students. Fans that took the various tests offered in the publication could send them back to the company to have them graded.
Those studious enough to pass with high scores were then invited to a special conference held in Osaka of that year. Once there, the children got to participate in a unique Pokemon card battle tournament. Winners of the rare contest ultimately received the Magikarp Trophy Pokemon card Promo.
Due to the insane obscurity of how the TCG item was given out, its easily one of the rarest Pokemon cards on our list. It was not very surprising then when the Trophy collectible went up for auction in February 2021 and sold for $66k at PWCC.
Pokemon Card Set Symbols
Use this handy guide to look up Pokemon card set symbols, set names, and set years.
The most common way to organize Pokemon cards is by set. To identify the set, look for a little symbol at the bottom of the card, next to the card number. There are a bunch of these set symbols 5-6 sets are released every year, each with a different set symbol, and theyve been printing cards since 1999!
The following table is a complete list of Pokemon card sets, sorted by date the newest sets are at the top the oldest are at the bottom. If I missed something, let me know if the comments! I want this to be THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR POKEMON CARD SETS!
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Pokemon Ex Deoxys Gold Star Holo Latias
Sold in December, 2020 for $20,100
The eighth expansion of the EX Series, the EX Deoxys checklist contained 108 cards in total, with cards #105 , #106 , and #107 receiving the desirable gold star distinction.
Designed by Masakuza Fukuda, the artwork on the Latias card features eye-catching imagery of the dual-type Dragon/Psychic creature that belongs to a group of incredibly rare Pokemon known as Legendary Pokemon.
Top 5 Sun And Moon Tcg Sets
With Pokemon Scarlet and Violet right around the corner, fans are looking at the past sets and wondering what to buy while they still can. Most people are looking at Sword and Shield sets but its better to look at Sun and Moon. Most, if not all, Sun & Moon TCG sets will likely stop being reprinted once Gen 9 starts. For this reason all Sun and Moon sets are expected to raise in price over the years and right now might be the best time to get them if you havent already. Here are the best Sun and Moon sets to buy!
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Sun & Moon Promo Set List
Checklist for all 236 cards in the Sun & Moon Promo expansion set.
Pokemon » All Sets » Sun & Moon » Sun & Moon Promos
The Sun & Moon Promos expansion set was released in November 2016 and contains at least 244 cards. I say at least because there are multiple version cards that were made for staff, were prize cards for placing in tournaments, or even card versions promoting Build-A-Bear. The card numbers in this set will have a number like SM45 SM stands for Sun & Moon. These promo cards do not have a rarity symbol like other Sun and Moon cards buy they do have a star promo symbol.
The following table is a list of cards in the set. Click on the links or card images to look up how much the Promo card is worth. Some of these cards are extremely rare, and therefor extremely valuable to collectors.
Prices For Pokemon Sun & Moon Pokemon Cards
Pokemon Sun & Moon card list & price guide. Ungraded & graded values for all Pokemon TCG Sun & MoonPokemon Cards., historic prices, and past sales.
Find out how to identify your pokemon card using card numbers, sets, foil, and editions.
Prices are updated daily based upon Pokemon Sun & Moon listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Read our methodology.
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Tamamushi University Magikarp: $50000
The Tamamushi University Magikarp card is so rare that despite the fact that it depicts a frankly awful Pokemon, its worth ridiculous sums of money. Why the high price? Well, the University Magikarp was a promotional card that saw very limited distribution at a Japanese tournament in the late 1990s.
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In total, 1000 of the cards were produced but far fewer were actually awarded and many were just stowed away forever. Barely any of these rare Magikarp cards are still in circulation today, and its incredibly rare to see new ones show up. At the moment, PSA Cards Price Guide chart lists perfectly-preserved cards to have sold for around $50,000, while copies with NM-MT 8 ratings still sell for amazing heights of $12,000.
Are Japanese Pokemon Cards Worth Anything
Over the past year, rare Pokemon collectables have become a trend thanks to famous internet personalities and streamers who have been showing off their packs. Some collect them as a long-term investment, while others do so on a short term basis and resell them when their value shoots.
This craze has caused the price of the oldest Pokemon collectables to fluctuate. Ever since the list was initially published, a few rare Pokemon cards have been introduced through the games most recent sets.
A Japanese Pokemon card is unique because it is the source card for all the other translated versions. Therefore, non-Japanese collectors have an obsession with obtaining collectables that will never be released in their countries.
While English cards have many deviations, collectors claim that Japanese collectables are more superior. An example is promotional cards, which are released in Japan and priced highly. Examples of such collectables include the older CoroCoro Shining Mew, the 15th Anniversary Full Art Pikachu and the newer Battle Festa Pikachu.
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Charizard Gold Star Holo Dragon Frontiers
- Release Date: 2006
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $25,405
Prepare to see more Gold Stars in the list, as the specially marked Pokemon cards will continue to make their appearance throughout the top 20. Next up is Charizard from 2004s Dragon Frontiers.
It should come as no surprise that the marked item would be a massive hit with fans, considering it features artwork depicting a Shiny Charizard. The rare variant of the Kanto mon looks stunning with its artwork depicting it scorching fire all around it.
According to PWCC, one of these scarce collectibles went up for bidding in a February 2021 auction. When all was said and done, the unique item fetched an eye-popping $25,405 which is makes it one of the rarest Pokemon cards of that generation.
Japanese Pokmon Heartgold And Soulsilver Sets
When the Heartgold and Soulsilver Pokémon trading card lineup was released in Japan, it was done differently from in America. It also had an abnormally long waiting period in between the first and second sets.
Heartgold and Soulsilver Collection
Heartgold and Soulsilver Collection is the first Japanese set based on the Heartgold and Soulsilver games. It has 140 cards in total, including the following special cards: Alph Lithograph, Ursaring Prime, Crobat Prime, Typhlosion Prime, Meganium Prime, Blissey Prime, Donphan Prime, Ampharos Prime, Feraligatr Prime, Lugia LEGEND, and Ho-Oh LEGEND. Starting from this set, the Trainer cards in Japan have been renamed Goods cards. It has been renamed in America as HeartGold SoulSilver, or HS.
Heartgold and Soulsilver special decks
The Heartgold and Soulsilver special decks were released in between the releases of the first and second Heartgold and Soulsilver sets. Expert Deck: Leafeon vs. Metagross is a set of two 60-card decks with a CD for online play. In addition to being more powerful than most theme decks, the Leafeon and Metagross decks have special cards that weren’t released in any other Japanese sets. There are also Battle Starter decks, which were released with special cards only available to their specific deck. The decks are named Offense , Defense , Speed , and Skill .
Heartgold and Soulsilver Revived Legends
Lost Link Mini-Series
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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 wasnt 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.
Holographic Shadowless Blastoise: $2475
Out of the three final-evolution Kanto starters, its Blastoise who has the least valuable Shadowless holographic card, reaching heights of $2475 on Pokemon Prices. We say least valuable, but thats still a lot of money for just the one card, and its hardly far behind its sibling Venusaur.
Thats if Blastoise is still in mint condition, of course, which is a big ask considering these cards are over 20 years old. Carrying the powerful Water-type move Hydro Pump, this version of Blastoise was a pretty impressive card to carry in your deck back in the day, but at this point its still a solid collectible card.
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Arceus And Dialga And Palkia Gx
Arceus and Dialga and Palkia GX is the granddaddy of all Tag Team Pokémon despite requiring two types of Energy cards to attack. Its basic attack, Ultimate Ray, deals a load of damage while charging your Pokémon with Energy. However, Altered Creation GX is the main selling point, as it powers up your Pokémons attacks while making it so you take one more Prize Card for each knockout.
Combine this with a powerhouse like the new Zacian V or Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff GX, and you have an easy win on your hands, especially with how common Tag Team GX cards still are in the metagame.
Sun And Moon Base Set
This was the first Sun and Moon TCG set to release. The set list may be small but there are great cards to pull! The colors on the variety of GX cards in this set make them stand out. While theyre not super rare or expensive, if youre looking for a fun set to open while not breaking the bank this is the set to go for!
- ~$4 per booster pack
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Lugia 1st Edition Neo Genesis
- Release Date: 2000
- Grading: BGS Pristine 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $144,300
Similar to Mewtwo, Lugia was an iconic Legendary for many children who grew up with the series in the 00s. So it should come as no surprise that its debut as a Pokemon card was a major hit.
While a 1st Edition Lugia broke records by selling for a mind-blowing $129,000 in 2020, a Beckett graded 10 version of the item sold for $144,300 at a PWCC auction in May 2021. BGS grades a lot harder than PSA, making this pristine Pokemon card one of only three in the entire world.
About two weeks ago, 34-year-old Oregon resident Kalvin Foley wanted to buy a rare Pokémon card on eBay. It was a rainbow Vmax card featuring Charizard, one of the most popular Pokémon. He was attempting to win it at the end of an auction, one of the most adrenaline-inducing parts of bidding. The card, which started off at $100, began to steadily increase. It jumped to $250. Then $300. Then $375.
Im just watching it throughout the day, Foley recounted. When the 1-minute countdown began, he entered in his max bid of $425. And as soon as I did that, I think everybody else did, because it went from $375 all the way up to, like $550, he said.
Now, he thought, hed never be able to get the card. Foley said that only a year ago, it might have been worth around $250-$300 roughly half the price.
Japanese Promo Masters Scroll Daisuki Club 8600 Points
Sold in March 2021, for $35,200
This holographic Masters Scroll card is one of several item cards that were part of the L-P Promotional cards released between September 2009 and August 2010.
Once a player accumulated 8,600 action points, he or she would earn the Master Rank distinction and a prize in the form of this Masters Scroll card.
Given the difficulty of acquiring such a massive amount of action points, not many members ever received one of these cards, making it one of the rarest promotional Pokemon cards in the hobby.
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List Of Pokmon Trading Card Game Sets
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This is a list of Pokémon Trading Card Game sets which is a collectible card game first released in Japan in 1996. As of April 2022, there are 98 card sets released in America and 91 in Japan, including special sets. As of September 2017, Collectively, there are 6,959 cards in the Japanese sets and 9,110 cards in the English sets. The large difference stems from non-holofoil duplicates of rare cards included in English sets that are not printed in Japanese sets. As of March 2017, 23.6 billion cards had been shipped worldwide.
The sets are generally broken into two lists: one for the first line of Wizards of the Coast cards and the second after Nintendo‘s acquisition of the card game after Wizards.
Pokemon Japanese Base Set Holo No Rarity Symbol Holo Charizard
Sold in November, 2020 for $57,877
The 1996 Japanese No Rarity Charizard card is a true piece of hobby history as it marked one of the first appearances of the iconic character.
Most Japanese base set cards will contain a rarity symbol in the lower-right corner of the card that varies based on the card type.
Holographic cards in the set feature a star symbol, so if you find one without the rarity symbol, then you know youre looking at the more rare, first-print no rarity Charizards.
The no rarity Charizards are much more difficult to find as PSA has graded 3,634 regular base set Charizards compared with only 273 no rarity Charizards.
Furthermore, roughly 14% of the regular base Charizards have achieved a PSA 10 grade compared to less than 2% of the no rarity Charizards.
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