Pokémon Card Values Hit New Heights: The 10 Most Expensive Sales on Record

• Posted: July 18, 2025, 2:37 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Nearly 30 years after their debut, Pokémon cards remain the undisputed stars of the trading card hobby. With values soaring and collector demand showing no signs of slowing, the market for rare Pokémon cards has never been stronger. As of 2025, Pokémon dominates grading submissions, with PSA reporting 97 of its top 100 cards by volume are Pokémon.

Here’s a rundown of the 10 most expensive Pokémon cards ever sold—each one a story of rarity, nostalgia, and serious collecting:

1. 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 10) – $5,275,000
The Pikachu Illustrator card stands alone at the top. Only 51 were ever distributed, and just one has earned a PSA 10 grade. Logan Paul famously acquired it in 2021 with a combination of cash and another Illustrator, a deal that set the hobby’s all-time record.

2. 1997 Japanese Topsun Charizard Blue Back (PSA 10) – $493,230
This elusive Charizard came from Japanese gum packs before the TCG even launched in the U.S. It sold for nearly half a million at Goldin Auctions in 2021, although its value later dipped.

3. 1998 Japanese Promo Silver Second Tournament Trophy Pikachu (PSA 10) – $444,000
Given to second-place finishers at a major Japanese tournament, this ultra-rare trophy card is one of just eight graded by PSA, making it the stuff of legend.

4. 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Charizard (PSA 10) – $420,000
The hobby’s poster child, this 1st Edition Charizard is still the dream card for many collectors. Over 5,000 have been graded, but only 124 are perfect 10s.

5. 1998 Blastoise Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram (CGC 8.5) – $360,000
Used as a prototype by Wizards of the Coast to win Nintendo’s approval, only two of these “test” Blastoise cards exist. This one realized $360,000 in 2021.

6. 1998 Japanese Promo Third Tournament Bronze Trophy Pikachu (PSA 10) – $324,000
Awarded to third-place finishers at the Kamex Mega Battle tournament, this Pikachu trophy card ranks among the rarest prize cards in Pokémon history.

6. 1996 Japanese Base Set No Rarity Charizard, Arita Signed (PSA 10) – $324,000
One of the first Charizard cards ever made, signed by illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita. The combination of “no rarity” symbol and autograph sent the price sky-high.

8. 1997 Japanese First Tournament Gold Trophy Pikachu – $314,707
The top prize from one of Japan’s earliest tournaments, this gold trophy Pikachu is among the rarest cards from the game’s origins.

9. 2017 Black Star #TPCi01 Tsunekazu Ishihara Signed Promo (PSA 7) – $247,230
Handed out only at the birthday party of Pokémon CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, this unique promo card rarely surfaces and brought nearly a quarter-million at auction.

10. 1998 Japanese Promo Family Event Trophy Kangaskhan (PSA 10) – $216,000
A prize from the Kangaskhan Parent/Child tournament in Japan, this trophy card is one of the most coveted non-English Pokémon releases.

10. 1998 Blastoise Test Print “Gold Border” Foil (CGC 6.5) – $216,000
This experimental Blastoise card—Pokémon on the front, Magic: The Gathering on the back—was used for early TCG test runs, and is a true oddity in the hobby.

From trophy Pikachus to prototype Blastoises, these cards prove that Pokémon collecting is about more than nostalgia—it’s big business, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.