There’s one metric above all else when it comes to Pokemon cards: value. The Pokemon Trading Card Game might have been around for two decades, but it’s just as popular as ever. People still play it as a game, collectors still covet rare Pokemon cards, and some go for a ridiculous price at auction.
If you’ve been rummaging around in your closet and you’ve found a rare Pokemon card, you’re probably looking to find out if it’s going to make you rich. While the answer to that question is likely “no”, there’s no harm in checking if you have one of the most expensive Pokemon cards in existence, is there?
There are two main factors that make Pokemon cards increase in value: rarity and condition. If your card is rare and pristine, it’s probably worth some money. You’re a step closer to Logan Paul turning up at your house with $3.5 million. Tasty.
With it being a market, these prices are always estimates, based on historic auction sales and other factors, so the values listed here aren’t ironclad. However, they should give you a good idea about just how much your Pokemon cards are worth. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable Pokemon cards around.
10
1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Venusaur
Pokemon card’s value: $30,000
This card is just one of only 139 first-edition cards, which means you won’t see it at auction often. When you do, people throw their money at the screen.
9
1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Blastoise
Pokemon card’s value: $30,600
He might always get overshadowed by Charizard, but this hefty lad can hold his own. Any Pokemon who was featured on the cover of one of the main games is as popular as you’d imagine with collectors.
8
1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Thick Stamp Chansey
Pokemon card’s value: $34,800
Damn, boy, you thicc. You a thicc-ass boy. What makes this card so special is the fact that most of the ones in circulation are damaged due to a manufacturing issue. If you have one in mint condition, it’s worth a lot of cash.
7
2005 Pokemon EX Deoxys Gold Star Holo Rayquaza
Pokemon card’s value: $35,400
Not only is this a Gold Star card, which makes it difficult to pull, but look at that artwork! Designed by Masakazu Fukuda, it’s no surprise that this is one of the most coveted cards in existence. It just looks cool.
6
2010 Pokemon Japanese Design Promo 4th Grade Winner Illusion’s Zoroark
Pokemon card’s value: $40,800
During a tie-in event for the Ruler of Illusions: Zoroark movie, these were given out to winners of an illustration contest. The six winners were all granted 100 copies of the card they designed, which means there are only 100 copies of this specific card in circulation, making it one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made.
5
2004 Pokemon EX Team Rocket Returns Holo Torchic Gold Star
Pokemon card’s value: $43,200
Gold Star cards have a pull rate of one per every two entire boxes you open. That makes them hard to come by unless you’re willing to spend a lot of money. Only 300 of these have been graded, and only 17 of those are classed as mint condition.
4
1999 Pokemon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Trophy Card
Pokemon card’s value: $43,200
Available only as a participation award in a 1999 tournament at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, where only 50 of the top players around the world were invited, this is one of the rarest and most coveted cards in the world. It’s also unlikely you have one shoved in a drawer somewhere unless you’re a retired pro.
3
2000 Pokemon Topps Chrome Series 1 Tekno Charizard
Pokemon card’s value: $60,000
This fetching chrome card was notoriously difficult to pull, which explains why it went for $60,000 in January 2022 on the PWCC marketplace. They occasionally pop up on eBay, but be careful out there and make sure it’s the right grading if you’re looking to buy.
2
1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Tamamushi University Prize Magikarp
Pokemon card’s value: $78,000
It might not fetch the same price as the next card on our list, but this one is among the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, only available originally as a prize in the Tamamushi University Hyper Test. Only those who won a battle at the event were able to add this card to their collection.
1
1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard
Pokemon card’s value: $420,000
Almost half a million dollars! Imagine finding that in your loft. Featuring iconic art from Mitsuhiro Arita, this is the most widely coveted Pokemon card ever made. But just having the card isn’t enough. Over 3,000 of these have been passed along to graders, but only 121 of them have been granted PSA 10 Gem Mint designation.
Written by Kirk McKeand on behalf of GLHF.
