This Rare Pikachu Card Could Fetch up to $400,000 at Auction

If you’re a Pokemon collector who’s gotta catch ’em all, you may want to give your accountant a heads up.

An extremely rare Pikachu playing card is currently on the auction block. It’s the first lot in an online sale hosted by Goldin, and it’s about as rare as they come. The 1998 Pokémon Japanese Trophy Pikachu No. 2 Silver Trophy card on offer was made as a second-place prize for the 1997-98 Lizardon Mega Battle Pokémon tournament held in Japan. Only 14 are believed to have been produced, and the example shown here is one of just four that have been graded by Professional Sports Authenticator, or PSA. Of those four, it’s the only one in mint condition. PSA gave it a GEM MT 10 grading, which means it’s virtually perfect with pristine corners and no creasing. That may explain why, even though there are more than two weeks left to bid on the lot, it’s already well on its way to reaching its high sales estimate of $400,000. Current bidding for the item stands at $75,000.

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Those details aren’t as interesting as its artwork though. A gleeful Pikachu holds up a trophy on its front side, set against a shimmering silver foil. Pokémon legend Mitsuhiro Arita designed the artwork for the card.

The Lizardon (Charizard) tournament began in 1997 as the second official Japanese tournament honoring the fire-breathing Pokémon that takes flight. When the trophy Pikachu card released it was a hot commodity, due to its limited quantities. And collectibles from the franchise have continued to prove their status as reliable investments. Another Pikachu card earned $900,000 at auction in March 2022. And last November, former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Blake Martinez retired from the NFL after selling a rare 1998 Pokémon card for $672,000.

If you want to become a Pokemon master, you can place a bid on the card now through Goldin.com. The 2023 Summer Comics, TCG, and Non-Sports Elite auction ends September 6.

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