For decades now, the Pokemon TCG has been beloved by many people, ranging from players who enjoy playing the game, to collectors willing to spend thousands of dollars to complete their collection. One of these collectors has now set the record for the largest sale of a Pokemon card, besting the previous record of $195,000 for a Pokemon card just last year. Interestingly enough, the new record holder is the same type of card as the previous record.
The record-breaking card is the Pikachu Illustrator. This card was exclusively given as a prize for a Japanese comic contest held back in 1998 and features original art by Atsuko Nishida, the original artist of the then chubbier Pikachu. With only 39 copies originally printed, and only 10 thought to still be in existence, it is considered by many to be one of the rarest cards in the world.
The sale of this Pikachu Illustrator card went for a grand total of $233,000, surpassing the previous record by $38,000. The card was sold in superb condition with one flaw and evaluated at a Mint 9 rating. This score is not dissimilar to the recent record sale of a LeBron James rookie card, however that sold for about $1.8 million.
While many would speculate the reason the card is priced so high might be because of its power in the game, that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, like the Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer card that sold for $90,000 at auction earlier this year, the card has no actual use in competitive play. The card's text reads, "We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokemon Card Game Illustration Contest. Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokemon Card Illustrator and admire your skill.”
It seems like the high priced sales of rare Pokemon cards aren't going away any time soon. With a selling price of $233,000, one can't help but think if there is a ceiling on these prices, or if they will continue to go up in value as the years go on. Hopefully, the person who purchased this extremely rare and valuable card receives it quickly, and it doesn't get lost in the mail, like an unfortunate Charizard card.
Source: ZenPlus