All the CGC-certified TCGs and Sports Cards that Made Waves in August and September Auctions

Since launching in 2020, CGC Cards™ has become one of the leading third-party certification services for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards, now with more than 6 million cards graded. Collectors trust CGC Cards with accurate, consistent, affordable and fast certification services, and increasingly, CGC-certified cards are achieving impressive results in sales across multiple auction platforms, including leading sites such as Heritage Auctions, Goldin and Alt. Here are some of our favorites:

Beta Playtest Charizard

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This Charizard, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 8.5 (lot 36056) realized an impressive $42,500 in a Heritage Auctions sale on August 16. Like all TCGs, Pokémon went through various periods of development before being released to the public. The Beta state of playtesting came later in production, just a few months before the official release of the Japanese Base Set. Beta Playtest Pokémon cards shared many of the same game mechanics as the final version, but with different visual representation, including artwork by Ken Sugimori, white borders instead of gold and no rarity symbols. This Charizard is one of the earliest Pokémon TCG cards in existence, and with the Pokémon’s popularity, it is likely to be the holy grail of the buyer’s collection.

Splendid Genesis

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A special card, this Splendid Genesis, Magic: The Gathering (1997) Richard Garfield Event graded CGC Gem Mint 10 and certified by CGC Signature Series as signed by Monique Thirifay (lot 31) is one of only 20 examples from an uncut sheet that was cut, signed and encapsulated in the presence of a CGC Cards representative. Richard Garfield originally gave 110 copies of Splendid Genesis to close friends and family to celebrate the birth of his first child. The reverse side includes a pencil sketch of the same artwork on the front, signed and sketched by Thirifay at the time the 20-card sheet was cut. This example of Splendid Genesis is numbered 8/20 and realized $36,600 in a Goldin sale on August 17.

Ty Cobb

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This 1910 E98 Set of 30 Ty Cobb (Red) graded CGC 9.5 (lot 47) sold for $23,180 in a Goldin sale on August 3. Ty Cobb played for the Detroit Tigers from 1905 to 1926, becoming one of baseball’s most iconic players. He entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame with more than 98% of voters’ approval in 1936. This isn’t the first time a CGC-certified 1910 E98 Ty Cobb card has realized five figures in auction; in 2023, another CGC 9.5 example realized $66,000 in a PWCC / Fanatics Collect sale.

Other notable auction highlights include:

• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) “Disco” Holo Test Print graded CGC Gem Mint 10 and certified by CGC Signature Series as signed by Mitsuhiro Arita (lot 32) that realized $87,975 in a Goldin sale on August 17
• a No. 3 Trainer, Pokémon (2001) Japanese Spring Battle Road – Kansai graded CGC 9.5 that realized $32,000 in an Alt Liquid Auction on August 2
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC 9.5 that realized $24,500 in an eBay auction on August 2
• a Lot of 3 Pokémon cards including an Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, Pokémon (1997) Japanese The Mystery of the Fossils Test Print – Glossy, each graded CGC Gem Mint 10 that realized $24,000 in a Fanatics Collect Premium Auction on August 22
• a Venusaur, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 8.5 (lot 36058) that realized $23,750 in a Heritage Auctions sale on August 16
• a Blastoise, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 9 (lot 36057) that realized $23,125 in a Heritage Auctions sale on August 16
• a Venusaur, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Pristine 10 that realized $22,000 in an eBay auction on August 28
• a Koffing, Pokémon (1995) Japanese Alpha Prototype graded CGC 9 that realized $19,581 in a Goldin sale on September 3
• a Mewtwo, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 9 that realized $17,934 in a Goldin sale on September 2
• a 1997-98 SkyBox Premium Star Rubies #111SR Kevin Garnett graded CGC 8.5 that realized $15,860 in a Goldin sale on September 2
• an Ancestral Recall, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Alpha graded CGC 9.5 Qualified that realized $17,400 in a Fanatics Collect Weekly Auction on August 18
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set 1st Edition Holo graded CGC 9 that realized $15,500 in an eBay auction on August 20
• a Master’s Scroll, Pokémon (2010) Japanese LEGEND Promos – 055/L-P Holo – Daisuke Club Master Rank Promo graded CGC 8 that realized $14,999 in an eBay auction on August 17
• a Lillie, Pokémon (2017) Japanese GX Battle Boost graded CGC Pristine 10 that realized $11,100 in a Fanatics Collect Weekly Auction on August 11
• a 1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth graded CGC 2.5 that realized $9,723 in an eBay auction on August 17
• a 1951 Bowman #20 Tom Landry graded CGC Authentic (AU) and with an autograph grade of JSA Auto 9 that realized $4,500 in an eBay auction on August 21

All prices realized include a buyer's premium.

Note: At the time some of these cards were graded, they were 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.