Heritage Auctions says it’s the “most valuable and rarest Pokémon card in the world”.
[dropcap size=small]I[/dropcap] still fondly remember saving up all my pocket money to buy a shiny Pokémon card of Venomoth. The card was in a glass display case, and to me, the shimmering background enveloping the poison bug Pokémon made it the most magical thing in existence. After a month, I had finally gathered enough pennies together to make up the £5.00 I needed to make the card mine, which at the time felt like all the money in the world.
So I can’t help but imagine what my 8 year-old self would make of learning that Heritage Auctions (via IGN) currently has a very, very rare card up for auction, which is expected to sell for around $50,000!
Holy Pokémon cards, Ash! That sure is a lot of pocket change!
Before you go rushing off to your old collection to see if you have this card to sell, you’d best stop yourself right there, because this card was one of only 39 made. The “Pikachu Illustrator” card was made specially for an illustration competition back in 1998, and was awarded as a prize rather than sold:
What makes it so rare is that it was not sold, but awarded as a prize in an illustration contest through CoroCoro Comic. This unique card was created specifically for the contest. In the January 1998 issue, three 1st Place winners won a copy of the card, as did another 20 2nd Place winners. With cards awarded in two more contests that year, there were a maximum of 39 copies released. It is not known exactly how many surviving copies are still around; however, only 10 PSA certified copies are known.
The auction site lauds the card as being the “most valuable and rarest Pokémon card in the world”, and one of its kind reportedly sold for the gargantuan price tag of $90,000 back in 2014.
Below you can see the adorable holographic design of Pikachu holding a pen and paintbrush to fit the illustrator theme, along with the original Japanese ‘Pocket Monster’ backing on the reverse side:
The bid currently stands at a cool $22,000, but the auction isn’t due to end until November 17th, so it’s sure to go up in the meantime.
Understandably the rarity of the card justifies its high price tag, but for many the cards will continue to be off the charts in terms of sentimental value; just like my Venomoth card or my favourite Chansey card.
Some of my favourite cards from my little collection. Oh, the nostalgia!
If all this talk of Pokémon cards has left you pining for those nostalgic card collecting days, then you’ll also be happy to know the classic Pokémon cards have been re-released for us to enjoy all over again!
Do you have a Pokémon card in your collection you couldn’t bear to let go? Let us know in the comments below!
