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The most valuable Pokémon cards ever sold

Checked . Every figure links to the page it came from.

Short answer

The most expensive Pokémon card ever sold is the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, which Logan Paul sold at Goldin on 16 February 2026 for $16,492,000 including buyer's premium. Pikachu Illustrator copies take 6 of the top 20 places below, and 19 of the 20 sales cleared $1 million.

Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), PSA 10, as sold for $16,492,000 #1
$16,492,000 Pikachu Illustrator, PSA 10 Goldin · 16 Feb 2026
"Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $8,400,000 #2
$8,400,000 "Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima, PSA 10 Fanatics Collect · Sep 2026
Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $4,880,000 #4
$4,880,000 Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai, PSA 10 Goldin · 25 Oct 2026

This list ranks individual recorded sales, not estimates of what a card might be worth. Each row is one sale of one graded card, with the price paid including buyer's premium where the auction house published it. The same card can appear more than once when different copies or grades sold. Rows come from auction results and private sales reported by Guinness World Records, Sports Illustrated's weekly sales round-ups (which use Card Ladder data), Dexerto and WSB-TV; each row links to its source.

Top 20 Pokémon card sales

# Photo Card Grade Price (USD) Sold Venue Source
1 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), PSA 10, as sold for $16,492,000 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) Sold by Logan Paul to AJ Scaramucci; price includes buyer's premium. Guinness lists it as the most expensive trading card sold at auction. PSA 10 $16,492,000 16 Feb 2026 Goldin (auction) Guinness World Records
2 "Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $8,400,000 "Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima (2015 Japanese XY promo) Price reported as $8.4 million; exact figure not published in the source. PSA 10 $8,400,000 Sep 2026 Fanatics Collect (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
3 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), PSA 10, as sold for $5,275,000 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) Logan Paul's purchase of the same card from Marwan Dubsy: a PSA 9 Illustrator plus cash, valued at $5,275,000. Guinness dates it to 2021. PSA 10 $5,275,000 2021 Private sale Guinness World Records
4 Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $4,880,000 Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai (2015 Japanese XY promo) Goldin Pokémon 30th anniversary auction. PSA 10 $4,880,000 25 Oct 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
5 Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $3,720,000 Mudkip, Art Academy promo by Daisuke Ochiai (2015 Japanese XY promo) A different PSA 10 copy from the October Goldin sale. PSA 10 $3,720,000 Sep 2026 Fanatics Collect (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
6 "Ivy" Pikachu, CoroCoro Comic glossy marketing variation (1996 Japanese), CGC 8.5, as sold for $3,300,000 "Ivy" Pikachu, CoroCoro Comic glossy marketing variation (1996 Japanese) Private sale announced by CGC in August 2026; exact sale date not published. CGC 8.5 $3,300,000 Aug 2026 Private sale WSB-TV (Cox Media Group)
7 Gold 1st Place Trophy Pikachu, 1st Tournament (1997 Japanese promo), PSA 8, as sold for $3,080,500 Gold 1st Place Trophy Pikachu, 1st Tournament (1997 Japanese promo) PSA 8 $3,080,500 25 Oct 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
8 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), PSA 9, as sold for $2,700,000 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) Price reported as $2.7 million; exact figure not published. PSA 9 $2,700,000 31 Aug 2026 Private sale Sports Illustrated Collectibles
9 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), BGS 9, as sold for $2,000,000 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) Price reported as $2 million; exact figure not published. BGS 9 $2,000,000 22 Jul 2026 Private sale Sports Illustrated Collectibles
10 Bronze 3rd Place Trophy Pikachu, 3rd Tournament (1998 Japanese promo), PSA 10, as sold for $1,769,000 Bronze 3rd Place Trophy Pikachu, 3rd Tournament (1998 Japanese promo) PSA 10 $1,769,000 May 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
11 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) PSA 9 $1,406,250 Mar 2026 Heritage Auctions Sports Illustrated Collectibles
12 Charizard, Base Set 1st Edition shadowless holo #4 (1999), PSA 10, as sold for $1,380,000 Charizard, Base Set 1st Edition shadowless holo #4 (1999) Record for an English-language Base Set Charizard at the time of reporting. PSA 10 $1,380,000 23 Oct 2026 Fanatics Collect (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
13 "Incorrect Illustrator" Pikachu, CoroCoro Comic glossy promo (1996 Japanese), CGC 10, as sold for $1,300,000 "Incorrect Illustrator" Pikachu, CoroCoro Comic glossy promo (1996 Japanese) Price reported as $1.3 million; exact figure not published. CGC 10 $1,300,000 14 Aug 2026 Private sale Sports Illustrated Collectibles
14 Charizard, Japanese Base Set holo, no rarity symbol (1996), signed by artist Mitsuhiro Arita, PSA 10, as sold for $1,232,200 Charizard, Japanese Base Set holo, no rarity symbol (1996), signed by artist Mitsuhiro Arita Artist signature on the PSA holder. PSA 10 $1,232,200 Mar 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
15 "Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima (2015 Japanese XY promo), PSA 10, as sold for $1,037,000 "Raincoat" Pikachu, Art Academy promo by Y. Fujishima (2015 Japanese XY promo) A different PSA 10 copy from the $8.4 million sale. PSA 10 $1,037,000 11 Oct 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
16 Rayquaza Gold Star #107, EX Deoxys (2005) Reported as the first English-language Pokémon card to sell for $1 million. CGC Pristine 10 $1,020,000 28 Aug 2026 Fanatics Collect (auction) Dexerto
17 Mudkip Gold Star #107, EX Team Rocket Returns (2004), PSA 10, as sold for $1,020,000 Mudkip Gold Star #107, EX Team Rocket Returns (2004) PSA 10 $1,020,000 Sep 2026 Fanatics Collect (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
18 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo), BGS 8.5, as sold for $1,006,500 Pikachu Illustrator (1998 CoroCoro Comic promo) BGS 8.5 $1,006,500 15 Aug 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
19 Charizard, Base Set 1st Edition shadowless holo #4 (1999), PSA 10, as sold for $1,000,953 Charizard, Base Set 1st Edition shadowless holo #4 (1999) PSA 10 $1,000,952.84 9 Sep 2026 eBay Sports Illustrated Collectibles
20 Gold 1st Place Trophy Pikachu, 1st Tournament (1997 Japanese promo), PSA 8, as sold for $982,100 Gold 1st Place Trophy Pikachu, 1st Tournament (1997 Japanese promo) Same grade as the $3,080,500 copy sold in October 2026. PSA 8 $982,100 6 Mar 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles

Card photos: Guinness World Records; Sports Illustrated; WSB-TV. All credits

Card photos are the sale images published by each outlet, shown for identification and commentary. Where a source gave only a rounded figure (for example "$8.4 million"), the table shows that figure and says so. Dates show the month only where the source did not give a day.

What the list shows

  • 2026 rewrote the list. 19 of the 20 sales above happened in 2026. Before the February Goldin sale, the public auction record was far lower; the same Illustrator card had changed hands privately for $5,275,000.
  • Japanese promos dominate. The top end is mostly Japanese prize and promo cards printed in tiny numbers: the Illustrator (a 1998 CoroCoro Comic contest prize), tournament trophy Pikachus, and the 2015 Art Academy promos, which were winners of an illustration contest.
  • Grade matters as much as the card. A PSA 10 Art Academy "Raincoat" Pikachu sold for $8.4 million in September 2026; another PSA 10 copy of the same card sold for $1,037,000 at Goldin two weeks later.
  • The English Base Set Charizard is the benchmark English card. A PSA 10 1st Edition copy sold for $1,380,000 at Fanatics Collect on 23 October 2026, a month after another went for $1,000,952.84 on eBay.

Most valuable One Piece cards

The One Piece Card Game launched in English in 2022, so its record sales are recent and much lower than Pokémon's. The top public sales are tournament prize cards, most of them ungraded and sold in their original display.

# Photo Card Grade Price (USD) Sold Venue Source
1 Monkey D. Luffy 1st Place trophy card, Chinese Year One World Championship (2024) ICv2 reported it as the most expensive One Piece card sold at the time. Ungraded (display) $713,700 Aug 2026 Goldin (auction) ICv2
2 Monkey D. Luffy serialized Top Prize #ST01-001, Korean (2024), #001/077 Ungraded (original display box) $440,420 17 May 2026 Goldin (auction) Sports Illustrated Collectibles
3 Monkey D. Luffy Red Manga alt art OP13-118 (2025), BGS 10 Black Label, as sold for $165,100 Monkey D. Luffy Red Manga alt art OP13-118 (2025) BGS 10 Black Label $165,100 12 Jul 2026 eBay Sports Illustrated Collectibles

Sports Illustrated also reported a December 2025 sale of a CGC Pristine 10 2023 Championship World Final Gold Monkey D. Luffy, but printed the price with a typo, so it is left out here until we can confirm the figure.

How we built this list

  • One row per sale. Prices are in US dollars and include buyer's premium where the source says so.
  • We include public auctions, marketplace sales and private sales that were announced by the buyer, seller, grader or auction house and reported by a named outlet.
  • We leave out phone cards and sealed product; a 1997 CoroCoro phone card sold for $2,255,000 in October 2026, but it is not a trading card.
  • Unconfirmed claims, asking prices and "valued at" figures are excluded.

Want to know what it costs to grade your own cards first? See PSA grading cost, compare the card grading companies, or try the grading cost calculator. For how card prices move over time, see card prices, and before buying a high-value card read how to tell if a Pokémon card is fake. More on the game: Pokémon and One Piece.

Sources

  1. Logan pauls rare pokemon card becomes most expensive ever sold in record setting auction , Guinness World Records . Checked November 12, 2026.
  2. Another high end pikachu leads top 5 tcg sales of the week , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  3. Mudkip leads pokemon sales bonanza to sweep weekly tcg sales , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  4. Daisuke ochiai pokemon promo becomes most valuable mudkip card in history , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  5. Pokmon ivy pikachu card fetches 33 million private sale , WSB-TV (Cox Media Group) . Checked November 12, 2026.
  6. A pikachu illustrator leads top 5 tcg card sales week , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  7. 2 million pikachu illustrator tops this week tcg sales , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  8. Another record pokemon sale pikachu market on fire , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  9. World record charizard headlines top pokemon card sales of march 2026 , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  10. Rare pokemon phone card sells for 2 25 million tops tcg sales , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  11. 1 3 million pikachu leads top 5 tcg card sales of week , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  12. Pokemon sweeps the top 5 tcg sales again led by pikachu , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  13. Gold star rayquaza becomes first english pokemon card to sell for 1 million , Dexerto . Checked November 12, 2026.
  14. Another 1 million charizard leads biggest tcg sales , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  15. Goldin summer tcg elite auction rakes over 18 million , ICv2 . Checked November 12, 2026.
  16. One piece hype train rolling another record sale , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.
  17. One piece monkey d luffy leads top 5 tcg sales this week , Sports Illustrated Collectibles . Checked November 12, 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected]. Free to cite with a link.