Pokemon has never been more popular. Between the new Netflix anime, the third DLC for Sword and Shield coming soon, and even quickly-selling-out Pikachu candies, people around the world can't get enough Pocket Monsters. Now a rare, sealed box of Pokemon TCG cards has sold for a record amount.
Back in February 2019, Heritage Auctions sent out a press release stating that a sealed box of Pokemon TCG First Edition sold at auction at the amazing price of $78,000. Then there was the box that went for about $100,000, and then the holographic starry sky silhouette of Mewtwo that sold for $90,000. But while those prices were impressive, another box of sealed first edition has gone for a jaw-dropping amount.
Heritage Auction's September 11th, 2020 press release states that a single, sealed booster box of first edition Pokemon Trading Card Game sold at auction for $198,000. The box was estimated before the auction to sell for about $80,000, but it blew that estimate out of the water. The Pokemon TCG sealed box was an original from 1999 that was unopened and in its original shrink wrap.
In the press release, Jesus Garcia of Heritage Auctions said, "Sets like this one, especially in such extraordinary condition and sealed in shrinkwrap, have become undeniable rarities... To see this result, more than doubling the previous mark, just shows the popularity and demand for these cards show no sign of slowing down.” While one Pokemon collector was lucky enough to find a 20-year-old pack of Pokemon TCG under a shelf at a Target, most fans will likely never see a sealed Pokemon product from that long ago.
This isn't the first time that fans have proven they would pay enormous amounts for Pokemon collectibles. From the massively expensive Pokemon monster plushies to the popsicles that scalpers were selling for $475 online, fans have proven time and time again that rare Pokemon items have immense value.
Pokemon Trading Card Game may be two decades old, but it shows no signs of stopping. The Pokemon Company reported that 2.1 billion Pokemon cards were sold around the world back in 2016.
Source: HeritageAuctions.com