Pika-Power! Three CGC-certified Pokémon Cards Each Realize More than $200,000

It’s a Pikachu party! Three rare and valuable Pokémon cards graded by CGC Cards each realized more than $200,000 in auctions in May 2024. The cards included two Pokémon Illustrators and a No. 2 Trainer from the first official Pokémon TCG tournament.

The No. 2 Trainer, Pokémon (1997) Japanese First Official Tournament 2nd Place Holo graded CGC 9 realized an impressive $219,607 in Goldin Auctions’ recent Goldin 100 Part One auction, which ended on June 1, 2024. This promo card was given to the second-place winners of the first official Pokémon TCG tournament, held during the 6th Next Generation World Hobby Fair in June 1997. This is the only card from the first official Pokémon TCG tournament in the CGC Cards Population Report as of June 2024. For more information about this card, check out this article.

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Meanwhile, a Pokémon Illustrator, Pokémon (1998) Japanese CoroCoro Comics Illustration Contest Promo graded CGC 8 realized $204,000 in PWCC’s Premier Auction on May 16. With only 41 known examples in circulation, Pokémon Illustrator is one of the most sought-after cards in the entire Pokémon TCG. This particular Illustrator now holds the record for price realized by a CGC-certified card on PWCC’s auction platform. CGC Cards has certified a total of 14 examples of Pokémon Illustrator as of June 2024, according to the CGC Cards Population Report.

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Another Pokémon Illustrator graded CGC 8.5 realized $201,067 in a Rare Candy auction on May 29. In addition to these two examples, two other CGC-certified Illustrators have realized six figures at auction: one graded CGC Gem Mint 10 that sold for $495,000 in a Heritage Auctions sale in September 2023 and another graded CGC 9.5 that realized $672,000 in a Goldin sale in October 2022.

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Are you ready to maximize the potential of your TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards? Consider getting them graded by CGC Cards! No matter what you collect, CGC Cards is here to enhance your collection’s value, liquidity and security with expert and impartial grading services. Start grading today by creating a membership account. All you need is a free CGC account to submit collectibles for grading, but paid members receive discounts and other benefits. Learn more and select your membership level 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.

Prices realized include a buyer's premium.