The 23 Most Rare and Expensive Pokémon Cards
From Pikachu Illustrator to Shadowless Charizard, here are the most expensive Pokémon cards ever made.
Many of us have a lot of Pokémon cards stashed away in the attic, but only a lucky few might find one of the very rarest Pokémon cards hiding in their collection. If you’re wondering whether your Base Set Charizard or decades-old promo card might worth a few quid, this is the place to find out. Here we’ll be giving the lowdown on the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time, from one-of-a-kind rarities to classic icons.
If you’re hunting for a rare Pokémon card, the good news is that valuable Pokémon cards are as varied as the weird and wonderful creatures they represent. From popular Pokémon cards and prize cards awarded at tournaments to those given out to fans for illustration and even photography competitions, the most valuable of cards cover the full gamut of the trading card game and the wider Pokémon series.
It should go without saying that the chance of finding a Pokémon holy grail card in your own collection is very slim, but if you don’t check, you’ll never know! Whether you plan on searching your card binders for a valuable card or are just curious to know how many thousands of dollars a piece of cardboard can be worth, read on for our list of the most rare and expensive Pokémon cards of all time.
23. Espeon and Umbreon Gold Star POP Series 5
Sold for $22,000 in February 2021
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 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.
22. Japanese Design Promo 2nd Grade Winner Spikey-Eared Pichu
Sold for $25,800 in June 2023
While many of the most valuable Pokémon cards feature artwork from some of the card game's most iconic artists, Spikey-Eared Pichu is unique in being illustrated not just by an unknown name - but also by a child.
The Spikey-Eared Pichu card was created as an entry for a drawing content held across a dozen children's magazines in Japan during 2009, as part of the promotion around Pokémon movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life. Kids from kindergarten age (usually between three and five) up to 12th grade (in their late teens) were invited to submit their illustrations of either Spikey-Eared Pichu or Arceus to enter.
The only copy of the Spikey-Eared Pichu card graded at a perfect Gem Mint 10 condition sold in June 2023 for close to $26,000 - making it the the most epensive Pichu card ever sold.
21. 2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer
Sold for $31,200 in April 2021
This Pokémon card was awarded to winners of the regional Battle Road Spring tournaments held in Japan during early 2002. 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.
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.
20. Japanese Pokémon XY-P Black Star Promo Pikachu
Sold for $32,520 in March 2023
The Japanese Pokémon XY-P Black Star Promo Pikachu card gains its rare status from being included in a one-off event celebrating the franchise's 20th anniversary. Given to attendees as a memento during the Pokémon 20th Anniversary Festa held during October 2016, this card features a unique image of the iconic starter Pokémon for the very first generation of Japanese Pokémon video games - Pokémon Red, Blue and Green.
One of these cards was sold through via auction house Goldin on March 9th 2023 for a total of $32,520 (£25,874), after an opening bid of just $500 (£397). The quality rating of this particular card was that of a 'Pristine' 10, the highest-quality rating awarded by grading specialist BGS. Just 67 copies of the Japanese Pokémon XY-P Black Star Promo Pikachu have been graded by BGS to date, with this copy setting a new all-time record for the card.
19. 2002 First-Edition Mysterious Mountains Crystal Charizard
Sold for $40,800 in October 2022
This Charizard comes from the final expansion of the Japanese e-Card Series and is one of the more unique Colourless Crystal Pokémon (which means it doesn’t have a specific energy type). e-Cards are unusual in that to make the most of them you needed an e-Reader peripheral for the Game Boy Advance which let you access information about the card and sometimes access to a couple of minigames.
A PSA 10 version went up for auction at PWCC in October 2022 and sold for $40,800. According to the PSA, there are 134 PSA 10 copies of this card out there, meaning there are a few chances to get your hands on it.
18. 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur
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.
A missing black star in the bottom-right of a Japanese-language card denotes what’s known as a ‘No Rarity’ card. No Rarity 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 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 on the card’s case, making the already rare Pokémon card truly one-of-a-kind.
17. 1999 Pokémon Japanese 64 Mario Stadium Best Photo Contest Chansey
Sold for $63,000 in December 2022
To promote the release of Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64, two contests were run which saw players submitting their favourite snaps from the game, with hopes of their photos made into official Pokémon cards.
One of these was run by the Nintendo sponsored Japanese TV show 64 Mario Stadium, which ran from 1993 to 2000 and which saw five winners each receiving 15 copies of their winning entry. These were the only copies of these Pokémon cards made, so they are extremely rare and almost impossible to get hold of.
One of these winners was Kaori Someya with their photo of Chansey. A copy sold in December 2022 at auction for $63,000 (£51,590). It isn’t surprising that it sold for so much given that it’s the only one known to still exist, and that it’s in almost perfect condition with a Beckett grade of 8.5.
16. 1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
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.
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 cards ever made.
15. Master’s Key
Sold for $66,000 in May 2023
Like many other rare Pokémon cards, Master’s Key is a promo card awarded to participants in a Pokémon TCG tournament - meaning that only a select few players have ever got their hands on one. However, unlike fellow promo cards such as No. 1 Trainer, this particular card is a little more recent, being given to finalists in the 2010 Pokémon World Championships. That makes its rarity and value even more remarkable.
Only 36 copies of the holographic card are estimated to exist - equal to the number of finalists in all age divisions of the world championships, split between both the trading card game’s finals and their video game counterparts held during the same event. Although the cards themselves were identical, they came presented in a different protective trophy case depending on the category: red for the TCG and blue for the video game categories.
One copy of the Master’s Key sold sold at auction in November 2019 for more than $21,000 - a record amount at the time. However, another copy graded at a near-perfect Gem Mint 9.5 by specialist Beckett Grading Services went on to smash that record almost three times over by fetching $66,000 in May 2023.
14. 1999 Gyarados Unnumbered Promo 64 Mario Stadium Best Photo Contest
Sold for $87,500 in July 2023
While valuable Pokémon cards featuring artwork drawn by fans have become a more common sight in recent years, this Gyarados card is something quite unique. The rare card features a picture taken in classic Nintendo 64 video game Pokémon Snap!
The picture of the water Pokémon was one of five winners of the 64 Mario Stadium Best Photo Contest held by Japanese TV show 64 Mario Stadium in 1999. Each winner was given 15 copies of the card featuring their winning photograph, making each card one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made. The cards themselves were reprints from the Japanese Pokémon TCG Expansion Pack, so their custom artwork is what makes them especially unique.
With so few cards ever made, finding copies in good condition over 20 years later is even more difficult. A copy of the winning Gyarados promo card graded at a Gem Mint 9.5 condition by card grading specialist CGC sold for almost $90,000 in July 2023, outselling the card featuring a winning picture of Chansey - which also appears on this list.
13. 1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer
Sold for $90,000 in July 2020
No. 1 Trainer is a holographic promotional card awarded to finalists in the Secret Super Battle tournament held in Tokyo, Japan in 1999. 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.
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, with a flawless copy selling at auction in July 2020 for $90,000.
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.
12. 2019 Japanese SM Promo Extra Battle Day Full Art Lillie
Sold for $108,000 in June 2023
While many of the rarest Pokémon cards are won through battles of skill in the card game’s biggest tournaments, some come down to pure luck. That’s the case with this full-art promo card featuring Pokémon Sun and Moon character Lillie, which was offered as a prize during the Extra Battle Day event held in Japan throughout October and November 2019.
The tournament’s surprising final was decided by matches of rock-paper-scissors. The winner would claim a booster pack of rare Pokémon cards, including one of three possible full-art cards. The rarest of those three random cards to appear, according to auction house PWCC, was the full-art Lillie illustrated by Naoki Saito - making it the most difficult Extra Battle Day card to obtain. While the event was due to be repeated in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to its cancellation, increasing the rarity of the card.
A copy of the Extra Battle Day Lillie promo card rated at a perfect Gem Mint 10 by PSA sold for $108,000 in June 2023, setting a new record for a sale of the card by over four times after another PSA 10 copy of the card sold for $26,000 in November 2022.
11. 2006 Pokémon World Championships Promo No. 2 Trainer
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.
10. 2001 Japanese Neo Summer Battle Road National No. 2 Trainer
Sold for $132,000 in September 2023
While plenty of Pokémon cards feature popular Pokémon and characters from the world of the games and TV show, very few include people from the real world - making them some of the rarest Pokémon cards around. In the case of the Neo Summer Battle Road National No. 2 Trainer card, the card features a picture of Japanese Pokémon fan Takahiro Ikeda, one of the runners-up in the Senior division of the Neo Summer Battle held in 2001.
Few events ever repeated the prize of giving players a Pokémon card with their face on - only 20 such cards are estimated to exist, and each card is the only one of its kind. That makes cards such as the Takahiro Ikeda Neo Summer Battle Road National No. 2 Trainer card some of the very rarest Pokémon cards of all time.
Ikeda’s card is among the most valuable to appear at auction, selling for $132,000 in September 2023 - the most ever paid for a promo card from the tournament. Even so, the unique cards don’t fetch quite as much as trophy cards featuring popular Pokémon such as Pikachu.
9. Toshiyuki Yamaguchi No. 2 Trainer 1/1 World Summer Challenge Secret Super Battle-Best In Japan
Sold for $137,500 in July 2023
The Toshiyuki Yamaguchi No. 2 Trainer card was one of three Pokémon cards given as prizes to the players who placed first, second and third during the Secret Super Battle-Best In Japan tournament. The event was held in Tokyo’s Pokémon Center in August 2000 as the finale of the World Summer Challenge series of regional competitions.
The No. 2 Trainer card was awarded to the competition’s second-place runner-up, Toshiyuki Yamaguchi. In a rare novelty for a Pokémon card, Yamaguchi himself appears on the card’s artwork as a real-life photograph, surrounded by illustrations of popular first-gen Pokémon including Pikachu, Chansey, Growlithe and Dudou.
Like the cards given to the tournament’s winner and third-place runner-up, the No.2 Trainer card was the only copy of the card ever made - making it a literal one-of-a-kind and one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time. Given that rarity, the card didn’t surface in public for more than 20 years after it was awarded to Yamaguchi - with even pictures unavailable online - until it surfaced in July 2023.
The card was graded in a Near-Mint/Mint 8 condition by Certified Guaranty Company, and ultimately went on to sell at auction for $137,500.
8. 2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9
Sold for $144,300 in May 2021
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 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.
7. Family Event Kangaskhan Trophy Card Promo 115 Parent/Child Mega Battle
Sold for $175,000 in July 2023
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.
Following the sale of a PSA 7 card in June 2020 for $35,000, a copy of Kangaskhan-Holo #115 graded at a maximum Gem Mint 10 by PSA was sold on eBay that October for over $150,000. The card was reportedly only one of three copies to have been sold in the 20 years up to that date, confirming the already scarce card as one of the rarest Pokémon cards sold in recent years.
If that sum wasn’t impressive enough, a Gem Mint 10 copy of the card then sold via auction house Heritage for $175,000 in July 2023, increasing its reputation as one of the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time.
Auction house PWCC estimates that only 46 copies of the card have ever been graded - and only a dozen of those at a perfect Gem Mint 10 condition by PSA. 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.
6. Black Star Ishihara Signed GX Promo Card
Sold for $247,230 in April 2021
This Pokémon card depicts Pokémon Company founder and current president Tsunekazu Ishihara, and was given to the company staff as a celebration of his 60th birthday in 2017.
That makes the card rare, but the specific copy sold for nearly a quarter of a million dollars in April 2021 is even rarer, as Ishihara actually signed this near-mint card - boosting its price further.
5. Bronze Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Trophy card
Sold for $300,000 in April 2023
Awarded to runners-up for the first ever tournament held for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Bronze Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Trophy card is exceedingly rare due to the fact that there are only four of them in existence. The tournament was held in June 1997 in Chiba, Japan, and saw four Pokémon TCG players who became bronze winners recieving a copy of this extremely rare card as a reward for making it as far as they did in the iconic tournament.
One of these extraordinary cards was sold at auction in April 2023 for a total of $300,000 (£238,692). The card - which was graded in a Near Mint condition by PSA - was eventually sold after over 50 bids, making it one of the most valuable cards ever featured at a public auction. Who knows if we'll see the other three cards up for sell in the future?
4. Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram
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.
3. 1999 First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4
Sold for $420,000 in March 2022
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 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 Pokémon. This was a printing error that was corrected for most of the cards printed, which makes the shadowless card all the rarer.
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 Resell Calendar.
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 at the time.
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.
A year later, that record was smashed once again by a PSA 10 Charizard sold in March 2022 for $420,000. The price is the most paid to date for a shadowless Charizard, as well as making it the third-highest sum ever paid for any Pokémon card - cementing its place as one of the most valuable Pokémon cards in existence.
2. 1998 Japanese Promo Silver 2nd-2nd Tournament #2 Trophy Pikachu
Sold for $444,000 in September 2023
With so many of Pokémon’s rarest cards dating back to its earliest tournaments, few come rarer than the Pikachu No.2 Silver Trophy card. The prize card was given to second-place contestants in the Lizardon Mega Battle tournament (Lizardon being the Japanese name for Charizard), the second-ever official tournament held for the trading card game across Japan between late 1997 and early 1998.
Players who placed first, second and third in the competition - as well as the first-ever Pokémon tournament held in 1997 - received Pikachu Trainer cards matching their respective position: gold, silver or bronze.
According to Goldin Auctions, only 14 of the silver Pikachu No.2 cards are believed to exist based on the limited availability during the two tournaments, with just four copies reported by grading specialist PSA, making them among the very rarest Pokémon cards.
That rarity unsurprisingly comes with immense value, too. A copy of the Trophy Pikachu No. 2 Trainer card in perfect PSA Gem Mint 10 condition was sold in September 2023 for a whopping $444,000, ranking it immediately at the top end of the list.
1. Pikachu Illustrator
Sold for $5.275 million in July 2021
The most expensive Pokémon card is the Pikachu Illustrator, which sold for $5.275 million in July 2021. It’s the true Holy Grail of Pokémon card collecting with only one PSA 10 copy known to exist.
YouTuber Logan Paul bought the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator in exchange for a PSA 9 version of the same card, said to be worth $1,275,000, plus an additional $4 million. While he reportedly bought it in 2021, the private sale wasn’t announced until he wore it around his neck at WWE wrestling event WrestleMania in 2022, where he was then given a Guiness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale.
Before Paul’s jaw-dropping trade, the card was still already very valuable, seeing a PSA 9 sell in 2019 for $195,000, a PSA 7 in 2021 for $375,000 and a PSA 7 in 2022 for $900,000.
It’s no surprise it’s so expensive, as it’s one of the rarest cards out there. 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 later rediscovered in 2020 by one of the card game’s co-creators, Yuichi Konno, bringing the total number of Pikachu Illustrator copies in existence to 41.
Following Paul's record purchase of the Pikachu Illustrator, another copy of the card sold for $672,000 in October 2022, after being listed by Pokémon fan and NFL star, Blake Martinez. Yet another copy sold in early 2023 for $570,000, continuing Pikachu Illustrator's reign as the top.