The most expensive Pokémon cards ever sold
Every public Pokémon card sale of $100,000 or more that CardTrack has been able to verify, with its venue, grade, date and source — and the running record for each category. This is the register of what was paid; for what cards are worth today, see the most valuable Pokémon cards.
Record tracker · the standing record in each category
| Category | Record holder | Grade | Price | When · where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Pokémon card | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) | PSA 10 | $16,492,000 | 16 Feb 2026 · Goldin verified |
| English-language card | Mudkip Gold StarEX Team Rocket Returns | PSA 10 | $1,020,000 | 21 Sept 2026 · Fanatics Collect verified |
| PSA 10 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) | PSA 10 | $16,492,000 | 16 Feb 2026 · Goldin verified |
| Charizard | Charizard (No Rarity, Arita-signed case)Japanese Base Set, no-rarity first print | PSA 10 | $1,232,200 | Mar 2026 · Goldin reported |
| 1st Edition Base Set Charizard | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set | PSA 10 | $954,800 | 16 Feb 2026 · Goldin verified |
| Gold Star card | Mudkip Gold StarEX Team Rocket Returns | PSA 10 | $1,020,000 | 21 Sept 2026 · Fanatics Collect verified |
| Card from a set (not a promo) | Charizard (No Rarity, Arita-signed case)Japanese Base Set, no-rarity first print | PSA 10 | $1,232,200 | Mar 2026 · Goldin reported |
The register · 33 sales, most expensive first
| # | Card | Grade | Price (USD) | Date | Venue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 10 | $16,492,000 | 16 Feb 2026 | Goldin | verifiedGuinness World Records; Goldin |
| 2 | Art Academy Pikachu ("Raincoat Pikachu", Y. Fujishima)XY Pokémon Card Game Illustration Contest promo (Japan) · 2015 | PSA 10 | $8,400,000 | 28 Sept 2026 | Fanatics Collect | verifiedKotaku; Dexerto; Fanatics Collect lot |
| 3 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 10 | $5,275,000 | 22 Jul 2021 | Private saleprivate sale | verifiedGuinness World Records |
| 4 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 9 | $5,000,000 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | reportedZatu (single report); Heritage lot 7459-21001 |
| 5 | Art Academy Mudkip (Daisuke Ochiai)XY Pokémon Card Game Illustration Contest promo (Japan) · 2015 | PSA 10 | $3,720,000 | 25 Sept 2026 | Fanatics Collect | verifiedSports Illustrated; Otia; Fanatics Collect September Premier |
| 6 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 9 | $1,406,250 | Mar 2026 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions, March 2026 Trading Card Games Signature Auction (reported by ICv2) |
| 7 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 9 | $1,275,000 | Jun 2021 | Private saleprivate sale | reportedWidely reported private sale |
| 8 | Charizard (No Rarity, Arita-signed case)Japanese Base Set, no-rarity first print · 1996 | PSA 10 | $1,232,200 | Mar 2026 | Goldin | reportedTCG Drop Radar (single report) |
| 9 | Mudkip Gold StarEX Team Rocket Returns · 2004 | PSA 10cert 28943070 | $1,020,000 | 21 Sept 2026 | Fanatics Collect | verifiedFanatics Collect lot (Weekly Sunday Auction #244); Polkastarter |
| 10 | Rayquaza Gold StarEX Deoxys · 2005 | CGC Pristine 10 | $1,020,000 | 28 Aug 2026 | Fanatics Collect | verifiedCGC Cards; Dexerto; Fanatics Collect August Premier |
| 11 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $954,800 | 16 Feb 2026 | Goldin | verifiedGoldin (Logan Paul consignment); cited by Dexerto and CGC Cards |
| 12 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 7 | $900,000 | 23 Feb 2022 | Goldin | reportedGoldin Auctions |
| 13 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | PSA 9 | $840,000 | 11 Jun 2022 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedICv2; Heritage Auctions June 2022 Trading Card Games Signature Auction |
| 14 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | CGC 9.5 | $672,000 | 29 Oct 2022 | Goldin | reportedGoldin Auctions |
| 15 | Charizard, reverse holoLegendary Collection · 2002 | PSA 10cert 26858838 | $575,000 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-88005 |
| 16 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $550,000 | 12 Dec 2025 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedcllct; Heritage Auctions (auction total $5,279,820, a record for a TCG auction) |
| 17 | Charizard, Topsun blue backTopsun (Japan) · 1995 | PSA 10 | $493,230 | Jan 2021 | Goldin | reportedGoldin Auctions |
| 18 | Charizard Gold Star δEX Dragon Frontiers · 2006 | PSA 10 | $475,000 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-88001 |
| 19 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $462,500 | 26 Jun 2026 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions (CardTrack sales ledger) |
| 20 | Trophy Pikachu No. 2 Trainer (Silver)1997 Lizardon Mega Battle trophy promo (Japan) · 1997 | PSA 10 | $444,000 | Sep 2023 | Goldin | reportedGoldin Auctions |
| 21 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $420,000 | Mar 2022 | PWCC | verifiedCNN; PWCC Marketplace |
| 22 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | SGC 10 | $369,000 | 12 Dec 2020 | Goldin | reportedGoldin Auctions |
| 23 | Blastoise presentation card (galaxy star holo prototype)1998 Wizards of the Coast pre-release prototype · 1998 | CGC 8.5 | $360,000 | 14 Jan 2021 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions |
| 24 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $350,100 | 12 Dec 2020 | eBay | reportedeBay (Iconic Auctions) |
| 25 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $336,000 | 4 Mar 2022 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions |
| 26 | Pikachu IllustratorCoroCoro Comic illustration contest promo (Japan) · 1998 | CGC 9 | $325,000 | 12 Dec 2025 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions December 2025 Trading Card Games Signature Auction |
| 27 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $311,800 | 28 Mar 2021 | eBay | reportedeBay |
| 28 | Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer (Bronze)1997 Lizardon Mega Battle trophy promo (Japan) · 1997 | PSA 8 | $300,000 | Apr 2023 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions |
| 29 | Charizard, 1st EditionBase Set · 1999 | PSA 10 | $300,000 | 14 Jan 2021 | Heritage Auctions | reportedHeritage Auctions |
| 30 | Mewtwo Gold StarEX Holon Phantoms · 2006 | PSA 10 | $262,500 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-88006 |
| 31 | Psyduck, reverse holoLegendary Collection · 2002 | PSA 10 | $200,000 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-88003 |
| 32 | Dark Vaporeon, reverse holoLegendary Collection · 2002 | PSA 10 | $137,500 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-88002 |
| 33 | Umbreon H29Aquapolis · 2003 | PSA 10 | $100,000 | 18 Sept 2026 | Heritage Auctions | verifiedHeritage Auctions lot 7459-41001 |
Showing 33 of 33 sales. Prices include the buyer's premium where the venue charges one.
Records by year
| Year | Sales ≥ $100k in register | Biggest sale that year | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 10) · Goldin | $16,492,000 |
| 2025 | 2 | Charizard, 1st Edition (PSA 10) · Heritage Auctions | $550,000 |
| 2023 | 2 | Trophy Pikachu No. 2 Trainer (Silver) (PSA 10) · Goldin | $444,000 |
| 2022 | 5 | Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 7) · Goldin | $900,000 |
| 2021 | 6 | Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 10) · Private sale | $5,275,000 |
| 2020 | 2 | Charizard, 1st Edition (SGC 10) · Goldin | $369,000 |
The register is curated, not exhaustive: years before 2026 hold the headline sales the market remembers, while 2026 is being tracked sale by sale from auction results. Counts by year therefore understate earlier years.
For media
Free to cite · CC-BY 4.0- Updated
- RefreshesAs sales are verified (reviewed weekly)
- SourceAuction-house lot pages and releases (Goldin, Heritage, Fanatics Collect, PWCC), Guinness World Records, independent press reports, and CardTrack's own sales ledger for candidates.
Source: CardTrack, Pokémon record sales register, 12 October 2026. https://cardtrack.com/data/record-sales
Charts and tables may be reproduced with the attribution above under CC-BY 4.0. How the numbers are built: methodology. Press enquiries, corrections and custom cuts of the data: jd@cardtrack.com. CardTrack is a market measure, not investment advice.
Frequently asked
What is the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold?
Pikachu Illustrator graded PSA 10, sold for $16,492,000 at Goldin on 16 Feb 2026. Consigned by Logan Paul; bought by AJ Scaramucci. $13.3M hammer plus buyer's premium. The only PSA 10 Illustrator known. Guinness-certified most expensive trading card sold at auction.
How many Pokémon cards have sold for $1 million or more?
10 public sales in CardTrack's register have reached $1 million; 16 have reached $500,000 and 33 have reached $100,000. The first seven-figure sale on record was Pikachu Illustrator in Jun 2021.
What is the most expensive Charizard?
Charizard (No Rarity, Arita-signed case) (PSA 10) at $1,232,200, Goldin, Mar 2026 (single report, not yet verified against the lot page). The English 1st Edition Base Set Charizard record is $954,800 (PSA 10, Goldin, 16 Feb 2026).
Are these prices real?
Every row names its source. 'Verified' rows were checked against a primary source — the auction house's lot page or release, or Guinness World Records — or two independent reports; 'reported' rows rest on one report or on a CardTrack sales-ledger row and are shown so the record is complete, not because they are certain. Prices include the buyer's premium where the venue charges one, which is how auction houses report them. Private sales are included only when the price was disclosed by a party or certified by Guinness.
How a sale gets in
Inclusion
- A single Pokémon card (sealed product, lots and complete sets are excluded — a $1.22m Skyridge master set lot at Heritage in March 2026 is the kind of row this rule removes).
- A public price of $100,000 or more, as reported by the venue, including the buyer's premium where one is charged. Private sales only when a party disclosed the price or Guinness certified it.
- An identifiable lot: venue, date and grade. Where the venue publishes the certificate number we record it.
Verified vs reported
Verified means we read a primary source — the lot page, the auction house's release, Guinness — or two independent reports that agree. Reported means one secondary report or a row in CardTrack's own sales ledger; it is listed so the record is complete and promoted when a primary source confirms it. The record tracker above uses both, and labels each.
What is deliberately left out
Ledger rows whose certificate number has contradictory sales within six months (a sign the row is a different card or a mis-joined lot), and weekly-auction or eBay results with no independent confirmation — including several 2026 Fanatics Collect weekly results above $400,000 that are queued for review. A sale that cannot be pointed at is not a record.
Corrections
Every row links its source. If you hold a lot page or release that confirms, corrects or adds a sale, e-mail jd@cardtrack.com; the register is reviewed weekly and the CSV carries the as-of date. Card values on linked card pages are CardTrack's current market estimates and are unrelated to the sale prices here.