Can't-miss Heritage Sale Features Illustrator and Other Rarities Certified by CGC Cards

Get ready for one of the biggest trading card auctions of the year! Heritage Auctions’ Trading Card Games Platinum Session and Signature Auction features nearly 200 top-of-the-line TCG and non-sports cards, all graded by CGC Cards™ and many graded CGC Gem Mint 10. Online bidding is already underway for the auction, which concludes on September 23-24, 2023.

Recently CGC Cards introduced several collector-friendly improvements, including a new Gem Mint 10 grade, more affordable pricing and a sleek new label. Nearly every card in the auction has the new CGC Cards label.

The auction features dozens of high-value cards, including some of the most elite cards in the hobby. One such example is a Pokémon Illustrator, Pokémon (1998) Japanese CoroCoro Comics Illustration Contest Promo graded CGG Gem Mint 10 (lot 36085), one of the rarest and most expensive Pokémon cards. Another Pokémon Illustrator sold for $672,000 in October 2022, a record for any trading card certified by CGC.

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A No. 1 Trainer, Pokémon (2000) Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Tournament 1st Place Prize Promo (lot 36087) is sure to draw spirited bidding as well. The 2000 Tropical Mega Battle Tournament was one of the earliest national competitions for the Pokémon TCG, and only those who made it to the very top of the tournament received a copy of a No. 1, 2 or 3 Trainer as their prize. Because these were never sold commercially, they are extremely rare. This example earned a grade of CGC Pristine 10, making it the highest-graded example in the CGC Cards Population Report.

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Of course, no auction featuring Pokémon cards can be complete without the king of the Pokémon TCG: Charizard! A Charizard, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Base Set Holo with No Rarity Symbol graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36091) is being offered in the sale. Pokémon cards in the Japanese Base Set that lack a rarity symbol came from the very first print of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. If you’re looking for a piece of TCG history, this is it!

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In addition to Pokémon cards, Heritage is also offering cards from other popular TCGs, including rarities from Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! Examples include a Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, Yu-Gi-Oh! (2020) Japanese Remote Duel Promo – SBPR-JP003 Blue Secret Rare – Official Discord Campaign graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36008). This exclusive card was given to winners of a campaign in which Japanese players had to register on the Remote Duel Discord Official Server. A total of 1,000 winners reportedly received the card, so it is assumed that at least 1,000 of these Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon promos exist.

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Also featured is a Time Walk, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Alpha graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36005). Alpha Edition was one of the first printings of the Magic: The Gathering TCG, with the Alpha set in particular having a mere 1,100 copies of each card printed. In addition to its general rarity, Time Walk is one of the Power Nine — a coveted set of cards that were banned from play for being too powerful. It is one of seven graded CGC Gem Mint 10 in the CGC Cards Population Report.

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Other incredible cards featured in the auction include:

• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36014)
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set Shadowless Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36024)
• a Blastoise, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36012)
• a Tropical Wind, Pokémon (1999) Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Participation Prize Promo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36086)
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set Cosmos Holo Test Print graded CGC 8 (lot 36009)
• a Lugia, Pokémon (2000) Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36045)
• a Gaea’s Cradle, Magic: The Gathering (1998) Urza’s Saga graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36006)
• a Conservator, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Alpha graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36002)
• an Elemental Hero Air Neos, Yu-Gi-Oh! (2007) Strike of Neos – STON-EN034 Ultra Rare 1st Edition graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36007)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.