Pokémon Illustrator Certified by CGC Cards Realizes Nearly $500,000

A Pokémon Illustrator graded CGC Gem Mint 10 realized just under a half a million dollars in a recently concluded Heritage Auctions sale, demonstrating that even in a soft market, CGC-certified cards are selling for strong prices. The Illustrator was just one of hundreds of cards certified by CGC Cards™ in the Trading Card Games Platinum Session and Signature Auction, which ended on September 23, 2023.

The Pokémon Illustrator, Pokémon (1998) Japanese CoroCoro Comics Illustration Contest Promo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36085) sold for $495,000, making it the second-highest price realized by a CGC-certified Pokémon Illustrator at auction. CGC Cards has graded nine Pokémon Illustrator cards, according to the CGC Cards Population Report, with only four examples awarded the CGC Gem Mint 10 grade.

The auction, entirely composed of CGC-certified cards, brought in a grand total of $971,413, with nearly half of that amount attributed to the CGC-certified Pokémon Illustrator. A sale of all CGC-certified cards achieving almost a million dollars shows that many of the hobby’s most sought-after cards are now in CGC Cards holders.

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A Charizard, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Base Set Holo – No Rarity Symbol graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36091) also turned heads in the sale. Bidding quickly soared into the five-figure range, with the card ultimately realizing $57,500. Charizard is a popular Pokémon, and this particular version is as original as one can get. Japanese cards lacking a rarity symbol come from the very first print of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

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Finally, a No. 1 Trainer, Pokémon (2000) Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Regional Tournament – 1st Place Prize Promo graded CGC Pristine 10 (lot 36087) sold for $48,125. This is the only example of the 2000 No. 1 Trainer in the CGC Cards Population Report. In 2000, the Pokémon TCG regional tournaments were split into brackets based on age and gender. The top-three winners in both the male and female brackets received these promo cards. The male winners got a card with artwork of a boy holding a medal, while the female winners got the same card, but with artwork of a girl holding a medal instead.

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Other CGC-certified highlights in the auction included:

• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36014) that realized $41,250
• a Time Walk, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Alpha graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36005) that realized $25,000
• a Tropical Wind, Pokémon (1999) Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Participation Prize Promo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36086) that realized $21,250
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set Cosmos Holo Test Print graded CGC 8 (lot 36009) that realized $18,750
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set Shadowless Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36024) that realized $12,500
• a Charizard, Pokémon (2002) Legendary Collection Reverse Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 36038) that realized $11,250

All prices realized include a buyer’s premium.