Happy Birthday CGC Trading Cards!

CGC Trading Cards is celebrating its first birthday! But with all of the incredible cards that CGC Trading Cards has certified since its launch in July 2020, it’s kind of hard to believe that CGC’s latest division is only one-year-old. There have been amazing errors, an extremely rare Pikachu Illustrator, Magic’s Power Nine and a record-setting test print Blastoise, to name a few.

To thank all of our submitters and social media followers who have embraced CGC Trading Cards over the past year, we have giveaways planned all month long on our social media channels. Check out CGC Trading Cards Facebook and Instagram to win an awesome — and appropriate — CGC Trading Cards-certified Birthday Pikachu!

CGC Trading Cards First-year Highlights

Pokémon No. 1 Trainer Trophy Card

The first Pokémon card graded by CGC Trading Cards was a No. 1 Trainer from 2016, which features Pikachu and a golden winner’s trophy. Only a very small number of No. 1 Trainer cards have been printed since they were introduced in 1997, making this one of the rarest English trophy cards in existence. Learn more >

Base Set 2 Charizard Error

In September 2020, CGC Trading Cards authenticated and graded an amazing Base Set 2 Charizard error. The card is supposed to be holographic, but it’s missing its holographic foil layer. When CGC Trading Cards launched, it became the first third-party card grading service to authenticate and grade major errors within the market. Learn more >

Base Set 2 Charizard with Missing Holographic Layer Click images to enlarge.

Inadvertent Early Release from Magic’s Zendikar Rising Set

The Zendikar Rising set’s official release date was September 25, 2020, but CGC Trading Cards received a Crawling Barrens card an entire month before that date! Learn more >

Crawling Barrens card released a month ahead of schedule. Click images to enlarge.

Four Extremely Rare Pokémon test print Blastoise Cards

CGC Trading Cards was thrilled to authenticate and grade four test print Blastoise cards in December 2020. One with a blank back went on to realize $360,000 in January 2021, tying the record for the highest price ever paid at auction for any English Pokémon card. In just a few weeks, another card from the group — one with a Magic back — is being sold. Learn more >

Blastoise Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram graded CGC 8.5. that realized $360,000 Click image to enlarge.

The Joel Mick Collection of Magic Cards

One of the major highlights of CGC Trading Cards’ first year was certifying the Joel Mick Collection, an awesome group of more than 200 early Magic cards, including the fabled Power Nine. Learn more >

Black Lotus, Mox Sapphire and Ancestral Recall from the Joel Mick Collection Click images to enlarge

A Trio of Pokémon Trophy Cards

In April 2021, CGC Trading Cards authenticated and graded a trio of extremely rare Pokémon trophy cards. The three cards were awarded in Japan between 1998 and 2002, with one of the cards being the only one of its kind ever awarded. Learn more >

1998 Kangaskhan Garura Parent/Child Tournament Prize Card, No. 2 Trainer Trophy Card from the 2001 Neo Summer Battle Road National Tournament and No. 1 Trainer Trophy Card from the 2002 Spring Battle Tournament Click images to enlarge

Pikachu Illustrator

A famed rarity, the Japanese Pokémon Illustrator card — known as Pikachu Illustrator — was also certified by CGC Trading Cards in April. Due to the card’s rarity and value, extensive tests were conducted to ensure its authenticity. Learn more >

1998 Pikachu Illustrator graded CGC Near Mint/Mint+ 8.5 Click images to enlarge.

English VS Set from the 2001 Tropical Mega Battle

As a fitting conclusion to an amazing first year, CGC Trading Cards recently certified 17 cards from the English VS deck produced for the 2001 Tropical Mega Battle, one of the most elusive sets from the Pokémon franchise. Happy Birthday to us! Learn more >

Tropical Breeze and Clair's Mantine Error Card from the English VS Set. Click images to enlarge.