Anecdotally, the original Charizard Pokémon Trading Card Game card has long been believed to be the most valuable card of them all, but here’s the thing about value: Things are only worth what they’re said to be worth if somebody in the real world is willing to pay that price for them. Looking at recently sold eBay listings, the Charizard card still moves, selling for anywhere from $30 to a few hundred dollars, which hey, for a piece of thick paper, is pretty solid.
But proven in a recent auction in Beverly Hills, California, that number isn’t even close to the world’s most valuable Pokémon card. A rare, limited edition card sold for a whopping $54,970 during an auction of comics and comic art.
In the early 2000s, the Pokémon Illustrator card, of which only 39 were ever made, sold for about $23,000 at an auction, but that record was more than doubled on November 18 at an auction hosted by Heritage Auctions. The card was originally offered as a prize by Japanese magazine CoroCoro for their Pokémon Card Game Illust Artist Contest in 1998, and translated, the text on the card reads, “We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokémon Card Game Illust Contest. Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokémon Card Illustrator and admire your skill.”
A press release indicates that the value of Pokémon cards has risen due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, so look through your old binder and maybe you’ll find a small fortune! Or maybe not!
Featured image:Â The90sKids
