Alt Offers 151 CGC-certified Beta Playtest Pokémon Cards in September and October Auctions

Not one, not two, but 151 ultra-rare Beta Playtest Pokémon cards graded by CGC Cards™ are being offered in upcoming Alt auctions throughout September and October 2024. Online bidding is already underway for some of the cards in Alt’s weekly auction ending on September 19 and weekly auctions will continue to feature these cards until October 24.

A Rhydon, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC Gem Mint 10 is currently leading the sale. The Beta Playtest card features a full color illustration of Rhydon by Ken Sugimori. Interestingly, Sugimori’s name is misspelled on all Beta Playtest Pokémon cards as “Sugimorori,” setting them apart from all other cards in the Pokémon TCG.

Prototype and Playtest Pokémon cards are some of the earliest cards from the Pokémon TCG. They were created during the development process for the purpose of testing the TCG’s gameplay and design concepts. While prototype cards have many different phases and iterations, most of the cards available in the Alt auctions are from the Beta Playtest phase of development: the stage where all 151 Pokémon were featured on their own card, sporting full color illustrations by Sugimori.

Click images to enlarge.

Before being revealed in the Alt auctions, the cards were sent to CGC Cards for rigorous authentication and verification, and then each was graded and encapsulated in the state-of-the-art CGC Cards holder.

During the authentication process, CGC Cards' experts were able to work very closely with Takumi Akabane — one of the original developers of the Pokémon TCG — to learn more about their history and to verify that the cards are genuine. "I helped CGC Cards identify and authenticate these test cards; some I remember having marked for corrections," Akabane said. "I was also the one who created the original back design."

“With these cards, the provenance is key,” said Matt Quinn, Vice President of CGC Cards. “So knowing where these cards came from, directly from basically the people who started the Pokémon TCG… It’s really cool to see these cards and to be able to handle them personally, and to talk with some of the people who were part of the beginning of the Pokémon TCG to get their authenticity verified.”

Check out the full interview with Matt Quinn below:

CGC Cards will be posting more information about the certification process regarding these cards soon. Please stay tuned!

Other CGC-certified Beta Playtest Pokémon cards being offered in the Alt auction ending on September 19 include:

• a Rattata, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 9.5
• a Seel, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 8.5
• a Horsea, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC 9
• a Golbat, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Beta Playtest graded CGC Gem Mint 10

For a complete list of the CGC-certified Beta Playtest Pokémon cards being offered on Alt, including the dates they will be offered in auction, click here.

Related Article:

• Alt x CGC: Interview with Matt Quinn