Top 10 Most Expensive Pokémon Cards

Set

Official Tournament Trophy · Japanese Promo

Released

1997 (Japanese)

The bronze from the first trophy set the game ever gave out, handed to third place finishers at the 1997 official tournaments in Japan. Fewer than ten copies appear on the PSA census. A PSA 8 copy sold at Heritage in April 2023 for $300,000, and a second copy made $225,000 in Heritage's December 2025 sale.

Set

Wizards of the Coast Presentation Prototype

Released

1998

In 1998, Wizards of the Coast printed two of these to pitch what an English Pokémon card could look like: galaxy starlight holo pattern, blank back, a year before the English game existed. It is effectively the first English Pokémon card ever made. The CGC 8.5 copy sold at Heritage in January 2021 for $360,000.

Set

Lizardon Mega Battle Trophy · Japanese Promo

Released

1997 (Japanese)

The silver medal of the trophy Pikachus, awarded to second place finishers at the 1997 and 1998 Lizardon Mega Battle tournaments. About fourteen copies are believed to exist. The only copy ever graded PSA 10 sold at Goldin in September 2023 for $444,000.

Set

EX Dragon Frontiers · 100/101

Released

2006 (English)

Gold Star cards were the EX era's hardest pulls, roughly one in every two booster boxes, and this is the black shiny Charizard. A PSA 10 sold at Heritage on September 19, 2026 for $475,000, with two more copies close behind in the same season at $384,000 and $393,000.

Set

Topsun Gum Card · No. 006 (Japanese)

Released

1997 (Japanese)

Topsun cards came two to a pack of gum. Most Charizards carry their printed number, like the one pictured here. A few came out missing the number entirely, and one of those error copies, graded PSA 10, sold at Goldin in January 2021 for $493,230.

Set

Base Set · 14/102

Released

1999 (English)

A production error: a small run of Raichu came off the line in 1999 stamped PRERELEASE, a stamp meant for other promos, and staff took the errors home. For about 25 years the card was treated as a rumor, until CGC authenticated copies forensically in 2023 and PSA graded its first in 2025. A PSA 5 sold at Alt in October 2026 for $699,625, a record for any Raichu.

Set

Base Set 1st Edition · 4/102

Released

1999 (English)

The most famous Pokémon card in the world. Of the thousands of copies submitted to PSA over the years, only about 124 have ever graded a 10. The copy pulled in the February 2026 Logan Paul Break sold at Goldin for $954,808, the figure confirmed in Goldin's own press release.

Set

Expansion Pack · First Printing (Japanese)

Released

1996 (Japanese)

The very first Charizards came off the first Japanese print run, before rarity symbols were added to the corner of the card. A PSA 10 copy in a case signed by artist Mitsuhiro Arita sold at Goldin in March 2026 for $1,232,200. A second copy was reported sold for $1,700,000 the same month, a private sale figure reported by Sports Illustrated that was never tied to a public auction.

Set

Official Tournament Trophy · Japanese Promo

Released

1997 (Japanese)

The gold trophy from Pokémon's first official tournaments, handed to first place finishers in 1997 and 1998. Goldin records eight copies of this card in the PSA census. A PSA 8 copy sold at Goldin on October 26, 2026 for $3,080,500 including the buyer premium, on a $2,525,000 winning bid with 32 bids, the most ever paid for this card. A different PSA 8 copy had sold at Goldin in March 2026 for $982,100.