Over the past decade or so, the value of Pokemon cards has gone through the roof. Cards that originally price mere dollars to pick up are at present worth tens, or in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars. The record for the most expensive Pokemon carte always sold has been cleaved numerous times over the final four years solitary and has more than tripled during that time. Information technology'southward gotten to the point where many of these cards are worth more than than most peoples' homes.

What makes this all so staggering is that a lot of the rarest and nigh valuable Pokemon cards today were once fairly common and were owned by children all over the world. Perhaps had they known then what nosotros know now, they might just have taken better care of them rather than shoving them in their pockets and, heaven forbid, really using them to play the Pokemon Trading Card game. Readers would be wise to go and cheque their attics after finishing this list, as they might just exist sitting on a goldmine.

Updated March 2, 2022 by Tom Bowen: Though NFTs and cryptocurrencies are beginning to gain some traction with those looking to invest, the Pokemon TCG bubble remains largely intact. In the past few months lonely, millions of dollars worth of Pokemon cards take inverse hands, with one peculiarly rare card selling for an center-watering $900,000 in February of 2022. The potential for big gains continues to concenter investors from all over the earth, but knowing which cards to buy isn't always easy. This list of the well-nigh expensive Pokemon cards to have e'er sold at auction should requite a pretty good indication of what to look for though, and then is definitely a bang-up place to beginning.

28 No Rarity Poliwrath ($25,015)

The No Rarity Poliwrath Pokemon card
No Rarity Poliwrath Pokemon card population

Though not a particularly rare card in and of itself, a Japanese re-create of base fix Poliwrath sold at auction for more than than $25,000 in late 2020. This wasn't just any Poliwrath, yet, merely instead ane of merely three Jewel-MT x copies of the "No Rarity" variant that resulted from a press error that occurred during the TCG'south infancy.

The error led to copies of all of the Japanese base ready cards being printed without a rarity symbol in the bottom right-hand corner. The error was fixed pretty quickly, but non before thousands of packs of the afflicted cards fabricated their way into circulation. As a effect, affected cards are highly sought after and regularly sell for inflated prices.

27 Wonder Platinum Trophy ($25,100)

The Wonder Platinum Trophy Pokemon card
Wonder Platinum Trophy Pokemon card population

The Wonder Platinum trophy carte du jour was handed out to the height competitors at the Japanese National Title back in 2009 and features a Giratina with a platinum pendant every bit its artwork. Estimates advise that there are merely 36 copies of the card in beingness, simply simply viii of them accept been graded by the PSA and just six have received a perfect rating.

In November 2020, a copy of the card was able to bring in a trivial over $25,000 at auction, although it hadn't actually been graded by the PSA. The card was instead assessed by Beckett and received an impressive 9.v rating. There is actually a perfect ten re-create listed on eBay for $200,000 at the time of writing, although despite there being xc people watching the listing, none seem willing to bite at that price.

26 Globe Championship Master'due south Primal ($26,900)

The World Championship Master's Key Pokémon Card
World Championship Master's Key population

A re-create of the Master's Key card sold for more than than $25,000 in Baronial of 2020. Unlike most cards sold at sale, this i wasn't graded by the PSA and was instead appraised by Beckett. Whether or not a copy still sealed in the original trophy case would have fetched more remains to exist seen, though, given the carte du jour's value, it'south perhaps a petty surprising that the seller opted to open information technology up.

The Chief's Key was originally handed out to contestants at the 2010 Pokemon Globe Championships. The issue took place in Hawaii and was contested by just 36 players. As a result, the card is incredibly rare, with only nine Gem-MT ten copies - the highest grade that can be handed out by the PSA - in beingness.

25 Skyridge Charizard ($28,100)

The Skyridge Charizard Pokemon Card
Skyridge Charizard Pokemon card population

Information technology'southward frequently said that nothing can be certain in this world aside from death and taxes, but there's a strong argument to be made that the value of Charizard cards skyrocketing as well deserves a place on that list. The Skyridge variant is just one of the Pokemon's many cards to take sold for ridiculous amounts, with one Skyridge Charizard fetching more than $28,000 at sale in Nov 2020.

The card in question had been given the PSA'due south highest possible rating, making it 1 of 194 copies of Skyridge Charizard to have received a perfect 10. Many of the others take also inverse hands for figures in backlog of $20,000 over the past year or so, although the toll seems to be leveling out for the moment. It's still non a bad card to accept, though.

24 Summer Boxing Route 2007 - Miracle Diamond ($32,000)

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most-expensive-pokemon-cards-miracle-diamond-psa-population

Given that it was handed out to the pinnacle 3 competitors from each age segmentation during Japan'south 2007 Battle Road Summer and 2008 Boxing Road Spring tournaments, one would exist forgiven for thinking that there are a lot of copies of Miracle Diamond floating around. That's non actually the example though, with estimates pinning the actual number at around 90. More than xiv years later information technology was first handed out, one of these sold for an impressive $32,000 in late 2021.

Of those which were handed out, only ten take been graded by the PSA, with just six of them achieving the coveted PSA GEM-MT ten rating. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the current recorder holder is one such card, with the other four likely to sell for considerably less than the 32 grand it raised in the upshot that they ever get to auction.

23 Summer Battle Road 2002 - No. ii Trainer ($34,100)

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expensive-pokemon-cards-summer-battle-road-no-2-trainer-psa-population

Information technology'due south not also oft that a card graded below a 9 sells for more a few m dollars, but that's exactly what happened with one copy of the No.ii Trainer Battle Road Summertime promo in March of 2021. The card in question, which had actually been mislabeled past Beckett, received but a vii.5 rating, though yet sold for an impressive $34,100.

The card was given out to winners of the Kanto Summertime Battle Road tournament in 2002 and came in male person and female variants. Non many of them have made their mode west in the 2 decades since so, with only ii of them ever beingness graded by the PSA. One did receive the elusive Jewel-MT ten rating, withal, and so may well cease up selling for considerably more if it ever goes to auction.

The Master's Scroll Pokémon Card
Master's Scroll population

In early 2021, a GEM-MT 10 re-create of the Japanese Master's Curl card was sold on eBay for more than than $35,000. It'south a carte that was never bachelor in packs nor was it ever made available outside of Japan. The just way to obtain information technology was through the Pokemon Daisuki Lodge in 2010.

The Pokemon Daisuki Club is the official Japanese Pokemon fan club and regularly offers limited edition cards. Members are able to accumulate Action Points by completing certain tasks and tin can so merchandise them in for such cards. Information technology'south unknown exactly how many members were able to accrue the 8,600 points needed to obtain the Master's Scroll card, but there are only 26 Precious stone-MT 10 copies in existence, making it incredibly rare.

21 1st Edition Shadowless Chansey ($36,877)

1st Edition Shadowless Chansey (Pokemon Card)
1st Edition Shadowless Chansey population

The popularity of the base fix is one of the driving forces behind the skyrocketing prices of Pokemon cards. It may exist Charizard leading the accuse, but plenty of other holographic cards from the west's very offset ready take sold for staggeringly high prices over the last year or so; including this Gem-MT 10 Shadowless Chansey.

Information technology was auctioned off by PWCC towards the end of 2020 and sold for more than $35,000. This makes it the almost expensive Chansey sold to date and is great news for everyone else currently sitting on a mint condition re-create of the menu. According to the PSA webpage, there are at to the lowest degree 47 of them out there.

twenty 1st Edition Shadowless Blastoise ($45,100)

1st Edition Shadowless Blastoise (Pokemon Card)
1st Edition Shadowless Blastoise population

It might non be quite every bit popular equally Charizard, but Blastoise comfortably beats out the likes of Venasaur and Chansey for the 2d spot when it comes to valuable base gear up cards. A mint condition copy of the bill of fare was sold for a little over $45,000 just last November, once again through a PWCC eBay auction.

Information technology's one of 100 copies of the card to have been given the GEM-MT x rating by the PSA making it 1 of the more common base set holographic cards in perfect condition. Equally with Charizard though, the relatively loftier population doesn't seem to have impacted its value all besides much; most probably because so many of them are already in the hands of collectors.

19 Gold Star Rayquaza ($45,100)

Gold Star Rayquaza (Pokemon Card)
Gold Star Rayquaza population

Compared to some of the other high-value Pokemon cards, Gold Star Rayquaza is a fairly recent addition to the TCG. Information technology was first printed in 2005 as function of the EX Deoxys ready and is one of seven unlike Rayquaza variants to feature in information technology. Surprisingly, information technology is far from the rarest of those seven, although remains the about desirable due largely to its gilt star.

According to the PSA website, there are 46 Precious stone-MT x copies of the card in circulation, with more than 440 copies having been graded in total over the concluding 15 years. As i might expect, it was one of those mint condition cards that set the record cost for a Rayquaza card, selling for a piddling over $45,000 in December of 2020.

18 EX Team Rocket Returns Gilded Star Torchic ($50,000)

The EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Torchic Pokemon Card
EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Torchic Pokemon card population

Information technology's not all that ofttimes that a starter Pokemon card that isn't Charizard sells for large money, particularly a first-phase one from as recently as 2004. Gold Star Torchic from the EX Team Rocket Returns set is something of an exception, however, with a copy having sold for an eye-watering $50,000 towards the end of 2021.

The card in question was one of only 17 to have been given the PSA'southward perfect Gem-MT x rating and 322 to take been submitted to the company for inspection. A few of the other cards in the gear up have likewise sold for high prices over the years, but none accept fetched anywhere near as much as the little burn Pokemon.

17 No Rarity Venusaur ($55,000)

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most-expensive-pokemon-cards-no-rarity-venusaur-psa-population

No rarity cards came about every bit the result of a printing error, with some copies of the early Japanese base set cards missing the little black star from the bottom right-paw corner. This makes them highly desirable with collectors, every bit evidenced by a re-create of the card selling for $55,000 in November of 2021.

The carte du jour in question was one of only five PSA 10 rated copies of the card in existence and, every bit the PSA has now stopped grading this particular bill of fare variant, that number is unlikely to increase anytime soon. Simply to add together to its rarity, the record-holding card was as well signed by illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita, though, thankfully, only on its protective case rather than the actual card itself.

xvi Mew Victory Orb Trophy ($60,000)

Mew Victory Orb Trophy (Pokemon Card)
Mew Victory Orb Trophy population

The Victory Orb trophy card was handed out to the top 3 players of each age group during the Japanese Boxing Road Summer 2003 and 2004 tournaments. Although the card was reprinted with unlike artwork for subsequent events, the original unnumbered promo card is incredibly rare and highly sought after.

It's for this reason that one collector was willing to part with $60,000 to become their hands on ane in late 2020. Only 14 copies of the carte have been graded by the PSA, 12 of which were given the highest possible rating. There are certainly rarer cards out there, just not too many of them sell for quite this much.

xv Tropical Mega Boxing - No. 2 Trainer ($60,000)

The Tropical Mega Battle - No. 2 Trainer Pokémon Card
Tropical Mega Battle - No. 2 Trainer population

Showing i of these special trainer cards is supposed to allow players special handling at official Pokemon events, merely it'due south unlikely that this is the reason that they're so highly sought after. A PSA Authentic copy of the card sold for $60,000 in 2019 on eBay. This might seem like a lot, only it's probably only a fraction of what a Gem-MT 10 copy of the card would sell for.

Trainer No.ii was i of 8 limited-edition cards given to attendees of the Tropical Mega Battle, an annual event that took identify at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu between 1999 and 2001. There are only 5 copies of the card registered with PSA and merely 2 of those are in mint condition making this one of the rarest cards ever printed.

14 EX Dragon Frontiers Gilded Star Charizard ($sixty,066)

The EX Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard Pokemon card
EX Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard Pokemon card population

Despite being printed in 2006, a Gold Star Charizard managed to bring in an incredible $lx,066 at sale non too long agone. The Delta Species card was sold through eBay in October 2020 and attracted involvement from a number of interested parties earlier the concluding sale cost was finally confirmed.

According to the PSA website, at that place are just shy of one,500 graded copies of the card in existence, although merely 59 of those have been awarded the coveted GEM-MT 10 rating. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the tape-setting sale was of 1 of these 59 cards. Others regularly sell for between twenty and 30 1000 dollars.

xiii No Rarity Charizard ($threescore,100)

The No Rarity Charizard Pokémon Card
No Rarity Charizard population

Base fix Charizard has always been 1 of the virtually valuable Pokemon cards, merely the 'No Rarity' Japanese version is definitely one of the more sought-afterward variants. A GEM-MT ten copy of the carte sold for only over $20,000 back in September 2018, merely the value of the bill of fare has skyrocketed in the years that have followed.

In November 2020, a Mint ix copy of the carte du jour sold at auction for more than $60,000 and another brought in around $58,000 less than ii weeks later. Prices of 9 rated copies of the card have fallen a little since then, but it's left many wondering what a Jewel-MT 10 might be worth in the electric current market. There are only six of them in existence, then it wouldn't be all that surprising to see 1 of them break the hundred thousand dollar mark sometime shortly.

12 World Championships 2013 - No. 2 Trainer ($65,000)

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most-expensive-pokemon-cards-number-2-trainer-2013-psa-population

The 2013 Pokemon Globe Championships in Vancouver were the kickoff to be held outside of the United States despite all four semi-finalists being American. Iii of them walked away from the event with the coveted No.ii Trainer card, one of which was sold for $65,000 in October of 2021. Not bad at all for just a few days' work!

Of the iii 2013 No. 2 Trainer cards that were handed out, only 1 has been graded past the PSA (at the time of writing, at least). It received a PSA9 rating, suggesting that a mint condition re-create of the card could sell for considerably more should ane of the other current owners ever decide to go their card graded.

eleven Tropical Mega Battle - Tropical Wind ($65,100)

The Tropical Mega Battle - Tropical Wind Pokémon Card
Tropical Mega Battle - Tropical Wind population

A mint condition re-create of Tropical Current of air sold on eBay in October 2020 for an middle-watering $65,100. What's more than astonishing is that Tropical Wind is by far the most common of the Tropical Mega Battle set. Due to how rare mint condition copies of some of the other cards are though, they hardly always go upwardly for sale.

Tropical Wind is some other ane of the eight cards handed out at the Tropical Mega Boxing event. In that location are only two Jewel-MT 10 copies of the carte in existence, with most of the cards appraised by PSA being rated eight or 9. That said, even these are worth a pretty penny to the correct collector.

10 University Magikarp ($66,100)

The University Magikarp Pokémon Card
University Magikarp population

University Magikarp doesn't come up for sale too frequently, but when it does, it unremarkably fetches a fairly high price. The average cost for the card over recent years has been effectually $17,000, but the virtually recent auction was for considerably more. A Gem-MT 10 re-create of the carte was sold on eBay at the end of Feb 2021 for a staggering $66,100. This beat the previous record for the card (ready in Oct 2020) past a cool $16,000.

The menu was handed out equally a prize post-obit a competition held by Tamamushi University. Participants took a series of tests and those who passed were invited to a special tournament in Osaka. Following the completion of the tournament, winners were given a copy of University Magikarp. According to a mag advertisement promoting the contest, 1,000 copies of the card were printed, simply only 68 have been graded by PSA.

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expensive-pokemon-cards-pokemon-play-promo-umbreon-psa-population

Released in Japan in 2005, the Gold Star Umbreon Pokemon Play promo features some truly stunning artwork. This, combined with the card's rarity, led to a re-create beingness sold for $70,000 in June of 2021. The bill of fare in question had been rated past Beckett every bit a 9.v, suggesting that a perfect 10 could yet push the menu's value higher yet.

In order to go their hands on a copy of the card, players would need to be a member of the Pokemon Actor'due south Guild and then accumulate lxx,000 EXP points before the terminate of the fourth season. Considering players only received 100 points for attending official events, not too many of these were ever handed out; every bit evidenced past there beingness only 24 graded past the PSA to engagement.

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