Pokemon has been able to successfully make its way into three different fields. It is an incredibly popular video game franchise and also a popular anime that has run for over two decades. What might get overlooked is that it’s also a trading card game. The Pokemon Trading Card Game is a great game to play, but it’s not just about battling friends with cool cards. It’s a collectible field, too. The cards are used in the game, but they are also collected by many people. As a result, they carry good value. Most cards people collect range from $1-$10 but every once in a while, they are able to pull something worth a lot of money. Here are the most expensive Pokemon cards in history.
Image Credit: Dexerto
Even in new sets, these cards can be worth multiple hundreds. Naturally, if the card is in great condition and graded, that price can jump dramatically. This is true of old cards, too, since they aren’t manufactured anymore.
Some cards out there are worth millions. Here are the most expensive Pokemon cards one could have.
Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul brought this into the spotlight when he wore it to a boxing match, but it is far and away the most expensive Pokemon trading card out there. This card, in total, cost him $5.275 million in 2022. No other card has come close to that price tag. No other card likely ever will, especially as time goes on and drives the price of this stunning card back up. It’s no surprise to see a price tag like this after, considering the hike in price he and other YouTubers caused opening older packs.
As mentioned, a Charizard card is always going to be very popular and rare. This 1999 Charizard is no different. In fact, it’s the epitome of that idea. It was sold for $420,000, earning its slot among the most expensive Pokemon cards. This particular Charizard card has no shadow underneath the Pokemon. This was a printing error that only occurred a few times, driving up the price and rarity. The non-misprint version of this card still fetches a hefty price tag and was the chase card for many YouTubers as pack openings took virality.
Starter Pokemon, especially the starters, are always very popular cards. A given Charizard card is often the rarest or most sought-after card in a given set. That’s true of its counterpart Blastoise, too. This particular Blastoise card is thought to be one of just two in existence, so the price reflects that. It was originally created for a Wizards of the Coast presentation, which is why the number of copies is so low. It was sold for $360,000.
In the interest of skipping another first edition Charizard, the next unique Pokemon card is series mascot, Pikachu. The Top 4 prize card from the first ever Pokemon Championship exists in only 4 copies, all at a PSA 8 Near Mint rating. It last sold in 2023 for $300,000. The current listing from a private seller sits at a staggering 2 million for the card, making it one of the most expensive Pokemon cards out there.
This specific card had one of the highest price tags of all time. This is a special card that depicted the president of the company and was autographed, so it naturally carries a very high price tag. In April of 2021, it was sold for over $247,000. The original card is very rare, but the autographed version carries an even more special rarity.
Not all expensive cards come from sets produced in the 1990s or early 2000s. The price drops significantly, but there are plenty of cards a collector could pull right now that are worth a hefty amount. Here are a few examples of that. Grading these cards drives the price up, but even ungraded they are worth a pretty penny.
All cards and live prices are taken from tcgplayer, cardmarket or ebay.
Photo Credit: Tom Taylor
Promo Cards for competitors and Staff fetch a pretty penny. Especially with older Worlds stamps. Staff stamped cards, which are in even shorter supply have fetched upwards of £600 for ungraded copies of the card.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Charizard is amongst the highest priced Alt Arts available for the modern card game. Its sales have slowed down due to lack of stock, but its market value sits at $410. But, its still one of the most expense Pokemon cards out there for normal players.
This Lugia card comes from the most recent set, ahead of the release of Crown Zenith. Silver Tempest boasts a few really good cards and this is the most expensive one there is. It goes for over $240, so collectors who pull this Pokémon trading card would be very lucky. Two Lugia VSTAR cards (a secret rare and rainbow rare) are worth over $30 each, but this Lugia carries the highest tag.
This Giratina V card is one of the best in all sets and it comes from Lost Origin, a fairly new set as well. It goes for $299 ungraded, so it could be worth quite a lot in good condition someday.
The dynamic duo of beloved water type Pokemon have seabound artwork that is priced around $400.
The GX Tag Teams are both strong and sought after. The Alternate Art of this ghostly duo goes for roughly $270.
Eeveelutions cards are extremely popular, so this incredible Espeon is not surprising. It comes from Fusion Strike, which doesn’t have an overabundance of quality cards. It sells for $194.
Evolving Skies has quite a few wildly expensive pulls and this Rayquaza is one of them. The alternate art VMAX goes for an incredible $359. What’s even more incredible is that it’s not Evolving Skies’ most expensive card.
That honor goes to this amazing Umbreon VMAX card. This is one of the most expensive Pokemon cards currently available as it goes for a stunning amount of $566.
Once again, an Evolving Skies Eeveelution finds itself on this list. This time, it is this Sylveon that goes for $173.
The final card from Evolving Skies is this Glaceon, which sells for $179.
Coming from the Chilling Reign, set, this Blaziken card is incredible. The art, the art style and everything are perfect. The price tag it carries reflects that as it is currently worth $131.
One of the best cards in the entire current sets has to be this Galarian Moltres. The art is stunning and any collector lucky enough to pull it from a pack of Chilling Reign should know it’s worth $130. V cards aren’t often the most expensive Pokemon cards but this one is because it’s that good.
With the growth of crypto and the emergence of non-fungible tokens, the question arises about possible Pokemon NFTs. Many unofficial pieces of Pokemon digital art have been appearing on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea. But this space is still in its early days.
For those not connected to the industry in any way, it may seem bizarre that Pokemon cards can be worth so much. Although, the concept of valuable trading cards can be traced back to the 19th century, to the originals of the oldest decks of baseball cards. In 2016, a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card was sold at auction for $3.1 million.
Before the Illustrator card sold for $900,000, the most expensive Pokemon card was… An Illustrator. That’s right – in 2021, another Illustrator sold for $375,000, becoming known as the most valuable Pokemon card in history. Before that, the range diversified a little, with other cards being introduced to the heights of stardom. For instance, In 2020, a 1999 Shadowless Charizard was bought for $220,000, and then sold again for $350,000 just one year later.
In the last few years, high-grade, Japanese Pokemon cards from the nineties have proven to be lucrative investments. For example, in 2020, a top-tier limited edition tournament card called the 1998 Kangaskhan Holo Family Event Trophy sold for $150,000. It’s unknown how many of these cards exist, but only 46 have ever been assessed by the PSA, the world’s leading collectable grading organisation.
The most expensive Western Pokemon card to ever sell at auction was a 2000 Lugia – the first-ever English Lugia card to be produced. To explain the grading system, a ‘good’ rated Lugia could sell for around $50, but in 2020, this 2000 Lugia sold at auction for $129,000, boasting ‘perfect’ condition.
Is it time to invest in Pokemon cards?
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