Intense Bidding for CGC-certified No. 2 Trainer in Goldin 100 Auction

A No. 2 Trainer Pokémon card graded by CGC Cards™ is attracting intense interest in an ongoing Goldin sale. Bidding for the early tournament prize promo had already exceeded $75,000, nearly a month before Goldin Auctions' Goldin 100 Part One auction is to end on June 1, 2024.

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The first official Pokémon TCG tournament was held in June 1997. Unlike the Lizardon Mega Battle tournament that was held the following year, entry into this first tournament was limited since it was part of a greater event in Japan — the 6th Next Generation World Hobby Fair. Players who successfully entered the tournament competed in five battles, where just one loss meant disqualification.

Four total sessions were held across two days, with one winner in each session. The four winners of each session were awarded a special No. 1, 2 or 3 Trainer card (both the third- and fourth-place winners of each session received a No. 3 Trainer card). The No. 2 Trainer, Pokémon (1997) Japanese First Official Tournament 2nd Place Holo graded CGC 9 in this auction is one of those special cards that was awarded to a second-place winner in 1997.

The card features artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita — the famed artist behind several of the Pokémon TCG’s most iconic cards, including Base Set Charizard. The illustration shows a happy and slightly chubby Pikachu holding up a silver trophy, while the text offers congratulations to the recipient. This is the only card from the first official Pokémon TCG tournament in the CGC Cards Population Report as of May 2024.

Note: At the time this card was graded, it was encapsulated with the original CGC Cards label. Starting July 11, 2023, CGC Cards began encapsulating cards with the new CGC Cards label. In addition to the new label, collectors enjoy many other benefits with CGC Cards, such as the ability to submit without purchasing a membership and an industry-standard Gem Mint 10 grading scale. For more information, go here.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs 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. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more.

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