Top 20 most costly and uncommon Pokémon cards

If you have any of these rare Pokémon cards in your collection, you might be able to retire

Many of us have a stack of Pokémon cards tucked away from our childhood, but not everyone has one worth thousands of dollars. Let’s be honest, the chances that you own one of these rare and expensive Pokémon cards are slim. Still, it’s fun to dream, right?

In this list, we’re showcasing the pinnacle of Pokémon card collecting. Even owning just one of these in mint condition would make your collection more valuable than most of your friends’, and that’s what really matters. Check out our list below to see some of the most expensive Pokémon Trading Card Game collectibles.

For more Pokémon content, take a look at our lists of the best Pokémon games and the best starter Pokémon.

2002 First-Edition Mysterious Mountains Crystal Charizard

Value: $40,800

Remember the Game Boy Advance e-Reader? This device connected to the console and unlocked exclusive content by scanning special cards. Pokémon took advantage of this by creating a line of cards that could be scanned, and the Crystal Charizard is the rarest of them all. Only around 100 PSA 10-graded copies are known to exist.

2004 Pokemon EX Team Rocket Returns Holo Torchic Gold Star

Value: $43,200

This Torchic Gold Star card is highly sought after, with only about 300 graded. Even rarer, only 17 of those have been graded as mint condition, making it a treasure for collectors.

2005 Pokemon EX Deoxys Gold Star Holo Rayquaza

Value: $45,100

The legendary Rayquaza appears on this stunning Gold Star card. Given its rarity when first released, finding a mint-condition copy today is like discovering a hidden gem.

1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set Holo Venusaur

Value: $55,000

This first-edition Venusaur, one of the rarest and most valuable cards, doesn’t have a rarity stamp, which was added in later reprints. Only five have ever been graded a 10 by PSA, making it a true collector’s item.

1999 Tropical Mega Battle No. 2 Trainer

Value: $60,000

Often, second-place tournament cards are harder to find than first-place ones, and this No. 2 Trainer card is a prime example. It’s a rare find today, especially considering the low number of cards given out.

2003 Victory Orb Mew Trophy

Value: $60,000

This Mew Trophy card was awarded to top players in Japan’s Battle Road Summer events. With only 14 PSA-graded copies in existence, it’s a highly coveted item for collectors.

2000 Pokemon Topps Chrome Series 1 Tekno Charizard

Value: $60,000

Unlike most of the cards on this list, this Charizard comes from a Topps Chrome series. Despite its differences, it fetched an impressive $60k at auction and appears occasionally on eBay at varying prices, so collectors may want to keep an eye out.

2006 EX Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard

Value: $60,066

This rare Dark-type Charizard, featuring the shiny version of the Pokémon, was printed as part of the Dragon Frontiers set in 2006. Only 59 PSA 10 copies exist, making it highly valuable on the auction block.

1999 Japanese 64 Mario Stadium Best Photo Contest Chansey

Value: $63,000

Following the release of Pokémon Snap, winners of a photo contest hosted by the Japanese TV show 64 Mario Stadium had their photos printed on official Pokémon cards. Only one of these Chansey cards is known to exist today.

1999 Pokemon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind Trophy Card

Value: $65,100

This rare card was awarded to the top 50 players of the 1999 TCG tournament in Honolulu. It’s incredibly limited, making it nearly impossible to find unless you have connections to competitive card players from the late ’90s.

2005 Umbreon Gold Star Holo

Value: $70,000

Top players in the competitive TCG scene received this Gold Star Umbreon as part of the Pokémon Players Club XP system. Only a few of these cards were ever awarded, and with the highest PSA grade being 9.5, they’re hard to find in perfect condition.

1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tamamushi University Prize Magikarp

Value: $78,000

This rare Magikarp card was given out as a prize for winning the Tamamushi University Hyper Test in Japan. With such limited availability, it’s one of the rarest cards on the market.

1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer

Value: $90,000

Awarded to winners of regional heats in 1999, this card also served as a ticket to the mysterious Super Secret Battle tournament. With only seven known graded copies, one recently sold for $90,000, and another is listed for $198,000.

1998 Trophy Pikachu Gold

Value: $128,900

This tournament-exclusive card was given to the top 3 players of the 1998 Japanese Pokémon Lizardon tournament. Only seven of these cards have ever been graded, and one recently sold for nearly $129,000.

2000 Pokemon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia

Value: $144,300

Lugia fans will love this Neo Genesis card, which has become incredibly hard to grade due to printing errors. Only about 40 have been graded, and a mint-condition version was sold for $144,000 in 2021.

1998 Kangaskhan-Holo #115 Family Event Trophy Card

Value: $150,100

The winner of Japan’s Parent/Child Mega Battle tournament in 1998 received this exclusive Kangaskhan card. It’s a rare find, especially for collectors who weren’t part of that event.

2017 Black Star Ishihara Signed GX Promo Card

Value: $247,230

This card, featuring Tsunekazu Ishihara, the founder of The Pokémon Company, was created to celebrate his 60th birthday. Signed by Ishihara himself, it’s an ultra-rare piece for collectors, complete with an ability and GX attack that make it even more valuable.

1998 Pokémon Commission Presentation Galaxy Star Holo Blastoise

Value: $360,000

One of the rarest cards, this Blastoise was never released to the public. Only two are known to exist, and the only one seen in the wild sold for $360,000 in 2021.

1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard

Value: $420,000

This is the card that many collectors swear they had but can’t find. If you’ve kept a mint-condition 1st Edition Charizard, it could be your ticket to an early retirement.

1998 Pikachu-Holo Illustrator

Value: $6,000,000

The holy grail of Pokémon card collecting, this rare Pikachu card was awarded as a prize for an art competition. With fewer than 20 in existence, its value has soared, with the most recent sale reaching a jaw-dropping $6,000,000.

Reference article

THIS IS ONLY A BLOG POST FOR INFORMATION – WE DO NOT BUY, SELL, OR APPRAISE THESE ITEMS