Rare Trophy Pikachu Pokémon card sells for US$300,000 in big money auction
Anyone else wish they kept those they had as a kid?
Pokémon cards have been selling for exorbitant prices since 2021, and while the hype is beginning to fade this year, some of the rarest cards ever printed are still fetching astronomical prices.
Last year, YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul made headlines for purchasing and owning ultra rare Pokémon cards, including the only known mint condition Pikachu Illustrator card worth US$5,275,000.
Just last month, a ‘Pokémon TCG' Illustrator Pikachu Auction had a starting bid of US$480,000. However, because of its high price, no bids were made after that.
But on Friday (April 21), Heritage Auctions, an organisation that describe themselves on their website as “the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer,” sold a staggering US$300,000 for a PSA-graded Japanese Trophy Pikachu.
It was a 1997 Pokémon Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Bronze PSA Trading Card Game NM-MT 8 (Media Factory, 1997) 1st Tournament Holo.
What are Trophy Pikachu cards and why are they so valuable?
Trophy Pikachu cards were given to the top three finishers in each division of the Pokémon TCG tournament back in 1997.
As a result, according to the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a site that authenticates and grades cards around the world, the Pokémon Company printed less than 100 of these cards.
The PSA also graded the Trophy Pikachu Pokémon card an NM-MT 8. PSA grading is a method of determining a sports card's authenticity and increasing its market value. Centering, corners, edges, and surface all play a role in the PSA's grading scale, which runs from 1 to 10.
Extremely high-end cards are graded PSA NM-MT 8 if they have no more than one of the following flaws upon close inspection: a very light wax stain on the reverse, the slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. They also appear to look like a Mint 9 at first glance.
Heritage Auctions also said in a statement that they knew how rare the card was and that it would do well in the auction, “but the result exceeded everyone’s expectations”.
Pokémon produced some of the highest game-related sales in the auction
The Pikachu card wasn’t the only valuable item that fetched a demanding price in the auction.
Among the priciest was a Pokémon Unlimited Base Set Test Print Uncut Sheet (Wizards of the Coast, 1999) Cosmos Foil, which sold for US$250,000, more than eight times its pre-auction estimate.
The sheet contains 110 cards, including seven duplicates of Nos. 1-3, 4 (Charizard), 5-7, and 9-16 (the only card missing is No. 8: Machamp).
These sheets are highly sought after by collectors because they showcase the development and history of the Pokémon TCG.
Not too far behind was a Pokémon 1st Edition Base Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 1999), which “drew more than three dozen bids” before it was finally sold at US$237,500.
A sealed booster box from this set is extremely rare, especially in recent years as more boxes have been opened. This box contains Blastoise, Venusaur, Mewtwo, and the elusive Charizard.
A mint copy of what is widely considered to be the game's best card, a Pokémon Charizard 4 1st Edition Base Set PSA Trading Card Game GEM MT 10 (The Pokémon Company, 1999), sold at auction for more than twice its pre-sale estimate. Unique as it is, Holo sold for $212,500.
An original copy of Pokémon VS 2001 Tropical Mega Battle Complete Deck CGC Trading Card Game Graded (The Pokémon Company, 2001) sold at auction for US$175,000, the highest price ever paid for a complete deck of trading cards.
These decks were given to the 23 kids who competed in the 2001 TMB, and a complete deck has not been sold until now. The copy that was sold is an English edition; eight copies were distributed in 2001.
Pokémon wasn’t the only game that drew attention in the auction.
Magic the Gathering’s Limited-Edition Decks also drew attention with more than 20 and close to 60 bids for some of the decks on auction.
Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.
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