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The current auction record
Guinness World Records lists the PSA Gem Mint 10 Pikachu Illustrator as the most expensive trading card sold at auction overall. Its official wording is that the card “was sold for $16,492,000 (£12,074,206) by Logan Paul (USA) through Goldin Auctions, on 16 February 2026.” Guinness states that this total includes the buyer’s premium, and the lot also included a custom diamond necklace and hand delivery. The figure is therefore an announced lot total, not a card-only hammer price, and it should not be compared directly with prices that exclude those extras.
Guinness notes that its record data can change and is not always published immediately, so check its record listing for any update after the date of this article. The Guinness report on the sale gives more detail on the buyer and the event.
Guinness says this copy is the only known Pikachu Illustrator graded PSA Gem Mint 10. The card was not sold originally: it was a prize in a 1998 illustration contest. Guinness credits Atsuko Nishida as its designer and as Pikachu’s original creator.
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#1 Best Overall
- Rare Pokemon Cards with 100 or Higher (Assorted Lot with Duplicates) (Original Version)
- Each piece a rare Pokemon-type card
- ideal for casual play non-block tournament formats
- Country Origin:USA
Top ten reported sales
TCGplayer’s ranking, “The 30 Most Expensive Pokémon Cards Ever Sold,” was published on 23 March 2026 and is the source for entries 2 through 10. It counts public auction sales and private exchanges that a party made public, skips duplicate copies of the same card even when grades differ, and treats Trophy Pikachu copies from the same placement as one entry. The TCGplayer ranking is the place to check the full entries.
| Rank | Card | Grade | Reported amount | Sale date | Venue and type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pikachu Illustrator (1998) | PSA Gem Mint 10 | $16,492,000 (includes buyer’s premium; lot also included a necklace and delivery) | 16 Feb 2026 | Goldin Auctions, public auction |
| 2 | 1st Edition Base Set Charizard (1999) | PSA 10 | $954,800 | Feb 2026 | Goldin Auctions, public auction |
| 3 | Japanese Charizard No Rarity Symbol (1996) | Not stated | $641,721 | Sep 2025 | Not stated in TCGplayer’s summary |
| 4 | Prerelease Raichu (1999) | PSA 6 | $550,000 | Sep 2025 | Heritage Auctions, public auction |
| 5 | Charizard Topsun Blue Back (1997) | Not stated | $481,200 | Jan 2021 | Not stated in TCGplayer’s summary |
| 6 | Silver Trophy Pikachu No. 2 Trainer, 2nd Tournament (1998) | PSA 10 | $444,000 | Sep 2023 | Goldin Auctions, public auction |
| 7 | Bronze Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer, 1st Tournament (1997) | PSA 8 | $378,200 | Dec 2025 | Goldin Auctions, public auction |
| 8 | Commissioned Presentation Blastoise Galaxy Star Holo (1998) | Not stated | $360,000 | Jan 2021 | Not stated in TCGplayer’s summary |
| 9 | 2004 Pokémon World Championships Tropical Wind, Semi-Finalist (2004) | PSA 10 | $300,000 | Jan 2025 | Fanatics Collect |
| 10 | Snap Pikachu (1999) | PSA Authentic | $270,000 | Jun 2023 | Private sale, publicly shared on YouTube |
Ranks and amounts for entries 2 through 10 come from TCGplayer’s March 2026 article. TCGplayer’s summary does not say whether those amounts include buyer’s premium. Only entries 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9 are described as auction or dealer sales; the others are not all primary auction records, so treat them as reported figures rather than audited results.
Rank #2
- 5 Assorted Ultra Rare Pokemon cards
- Variety may include all but not limited to only - V / Ex / Gx
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Contest and tournament prizes
Four entries are event awards rather than cards that came out of booster packs. The top-ranked card was a 1998 illustration-contest prize. Entry 6 was a second-place prize from a 1998 tournament, and TCGplayer notes that very few Trophy Pikachu copies have received a PSA 10. Entry 7 was awarded at the first Pokémon tournament in Chiba, Japan, according to TCGplayer, and is graded PSA 8. Entry 9 is a 2004 World Championships Semi-Finalist card; TCGplayer says that at the time of its March 2026 article only two graded copies existed and this one was the only PSA 10.
Test prints and promotional cards
Entry 4, the Prerelease Raichu, is described by TCGplayer as a test-print card that was not distributed as a normal prerelease promo. TCGplayer also reports that CGC certified two copies in 2023. Entry 10, Snap Pikachu, was a private sale that its buyers documented and shared publicly on YouTube in June 2023. TCGplayer describes it as the highest price then reported for a Snap promo.
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- 50+ Pokemon Cards
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Early Charizard and Blastoise cards
The 1st Edition Base Set Charizard at rank 2 is the Charizard Logan Paul pulled in a livestreamed box break in February 2021, according to TCGplayer. The card’s documented opening and a special slab label are part of its sale story. Entries 3, 5 and 8 are vintage Charizard and Blastoise cards sold for between $360,000 and $641,721. For entry 8, TCGplayer cautions that only one of two alleged copies had surfaced, so the total population should not be treated as established.
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A ranking like this depends on which sales are counted and how each one is described. Check these points before comparing two entries.
Rank #4
- 50 assorted Pokemon cards
- Bundle with an LCC deck box that holds upto 100 Pokemon cards
- 1 Double rare legendary Pokemon card
- Sale total versus card price. Guinness’s $16,492,000 includes buyer’s premium and extras. Entries 2 through 10 do not say whether they include premium.
- Public auction versus private sale. Auction results come from a venue’s record. Private sales appear only when a party discloses them, so the list cannot claim to cover every deal.
- Grade and printing. A PSA 10 result is not directly comparable to a PSA 6 or PSA 8 copy of the same card, and a different printing or variant is a separate card.
- Deduplication. TCGplayer skips duplicate copies of the same card, even when grades differ, so a card can appear only once at its highest entry.
- Dates. Each amount is a past sale on the date shown. None is a current valuation, and a sale from 2021 says nothing about what a similar card would sell for today.
The list is best used as a record of what has been publicly reported for unusual cards. It is not a guide to what a collection is worth or whether a card will hold its price.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 100 assorted Pokemon cards
- Bundle with a LCC deck box that holds up to 100 pokemon cards
- Legendary Double Rare Cards
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
