The popularity of the Pokemon card game has skyrocketed over the past few years. With celebrities and social media influencers joining in on the buying frenzy, it has turned into quite the gold rush. There is a massive collection of pokemon cards, ranging from rare prereleases to valuable legendary cards. Collecting, trading, and selling pokemon cards is a serious business.

To save you from the hassle, we have compiled a list of the most expensive Pokemon cards ever sold. Read on and explore the world of these expensive and rare cards.

1.  1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer

The rarest of the cards are indeed expensive. The 1999 super secret battle no.1 trainer card has only seven copies, making it one of the rarest cards on our list.

This holographic card was awarded to the finalists of the 1999 secret super battle tournament. It is believed that by presenting the card, one could get entry into the super-secret tournament. As only seven secret tournaments were held, the card has only 7 existing copies.

2.  1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set Holo Venusaur

Most of the rarest and most expensive pokemon cards are from the early days when the first edition of the card game was released. While the English edition of these cards has an authentication stamp, the Japanese version lacks one. The Japanese versions of the first edition release lack a black star, which translates to no rarity. These no rarity symbols on the cards ironically serve as confirmation of their rarity.

The 1996 Japanese Venusaur pokemon card has only five available copies which are graded 10 by the PSA. Recently, a copy of the card was sold at $55000. However, this specific card had a signature from the famous pokemon card game artist, Mitsuhiro Arita.

3.  2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9

The pokemon cards from the Neogenesis edition are the most difficult to grade, making the 1st edition. The grading of this card is difficult because the first prints of the neogenesis edition had a lot of misprints and errors. Holo Lugia is one of the rarest Pokemon cards you can find out there. Lugia is a popular character in the game series and was featured on Nintendo merchandise in the early days. This character is indeed popular in Pokemon video games, but having Lugia in your card collection is a privilege many card collectors and enthusiasts crave for. The PWCC has graded around 40 cards that are in mint condition and are worth the money.

4.  1999 First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4

Charizard is an all-time popular character in the pokemon card and video game universe. The card was first released in the late 2000s, pushing its value up the list. These cards are very difficult to find in mint condition. Due to the lack of availability, this pokemon card is one rare find. The first holographic edition of the Charizard is the most sought after. What makes this card unique is the misprinted shadow on the illustration. The card made headlines and was sold above $200K. Since this deal, the shadowless holographic Charizard has become one of the most sought-after cards in the pokemon universe.

5.  Black Star Ishihara Signed GX Promo Card

This promotional pokemon card has a whopping value of above a quarter-million dollars and was sold in an auction in April of 2021. The black star has an illustration of the founder and president of the pokemon company, Tsunekazu Ishihara. The promo card was awarded to the attendees on the founder’s 60th birthday. The card holds a unique ability called Red Chanchanko which prevents attacks and renders the opponent’s abilities useless. The Black start Ishihara is indeed an expensive card representing true value.

6.  Pikachu Illustrator

This card is the most valuable card of them all. The Pikachu illustrator was first awarded to the contestant winners in the early days of the card game’s release. There are 41 copies of the card known to exist, and they are owned by different card collectors and pokemon game enthusiasts. The card is unique in a lot of ways. Firstly, the card is labeled as an illustrator instead of a trainer card. Furthermore, the card has a pen icon on the bottom left side that shows the card is designed for a contest. Out of the 41 copies, only 23 have been certified and graded by the PSA, with each having a value of over $300K.

As of now, the value of Pokemon cards is still rising. Most of these cards are produced in low volume, hence the pretty expensive price tag on them. However, it is possible that there are many more of these cards out there.