The last few years have seen the market explode for mint condition Pokemon cards from the trading card game's early days, and the latest big money sale has seen one collector land a holographic card at a six-figure cost. Charizard has been the proverbial big-money card from the trading card game's early days, with collectors eagerly and willingly to spend top dollar on mint condition holographic Charizard cards. While the latest big money Pokemon card may feature an iconic monster on its art, the trophy also in the art serves as a more accurate description of the card's original purpose.
Pokemon cards demanding six-figures, or higher, is nothing new following the franchise celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021 as collectors began seeking out the rarest cards dating back to the very first card prints in Japan. To date, the most expensive card to be sold was a PSA 10 graded Pikachu Illustrator which cost famed and controversial influence Logan Paul well over $5 million. It remains the most expensive Pokemon card sold while the next-most expensive, a first edition Shadowless Charizard, sees a significant drop as it cost a buyer $420,000 in 2022.
While the latest big-money card may not cross the million dollar mark, it still manages to come in among the most expensive Pokemon cards out there after selling for $300,000 during an auction held by Heritage Auction. The card in question was identified as the Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Bronze Professional Sports Authenticator Trading Card Game NM-MT 8 (Media Factory, 1997) First Tournament Holo. Heritage said the card was one of four Pikachu trophy cards awarded to the four participants who took third place at the first official Pocket Monsters Tournament to take place in Chiba, Japan, in 1997.
Trophy cards, much like the Pikachu Illustrator cards, are among the rarest Pokemon cards out there given the extremely limited number of cards printed for each year's Pokemon World Championships. The cards will typically feature card art befitting that year's card sets, with the 2022 trophy cards' art looking like it was taken straight out of the Sword and Shield card sets. Aside from serving as recognition for a player's skill in the game, the cards also served as a proverbial golden ticket to ensure players who walked away with a trophy card effectively locked in a spot for themselves at the next year's world championship.
The sale of this particular card means the bar has been set going forward as there are only three other No. 3 Trainer trophy cards, also graded at a PSA 8. Any collector's looking for one of the remaining cards will likely have to split with $300,000, minimum, if they hope to get their hands on it. It also the questions of how much more No. 1 and No. 2 Trainer Pikachu trophy cards could demand at auctions or sales, especially if these cards end up being graded at a PSA 8 as well.
Source: Heritage Auctions (via The Gamer)