The 26 Most Expensive Pokémon Cards, Officially Ranked

On February 27, 1996, Game Freak published Pokémon Red and Green on Nintendo's Game Boy handheld system, with Blue following later the same year. Coinciding with the latter's Japanese debut, the Pokémon Trading Card Game officially became a reality. By the turn of the century, Pokémon could not be escaped. Pocke🦩t Monsters ruled the wo🌳rld.

Nintendo users had their pick of five extensive JRPGs; if the franchise's commercial serves as any indication, it is safe to assume several satisfied customers returned for Pokémon Gold and Silver. Putting aside a that inadvertently sent children to the hospital, the anime adaptation appears set to produce new episodes until the end of time. In 1997, the manga began its run, and෴ chapters continue to be released until this very day. Pokémon conquered Asia and the rest of the world soon followed.

This brings the discussion to the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Depending on the person, TCG represents the height of the license's brilliance or a minor diversion to keep children entertained for a couple of hours. 1996's original set included cards, but each year has brought forth new ite💞ms to the deck. For some, TCG's scene is the only important element; for others, cards are primarily about bragging rights.

Did you collect Pokémon cards as a kid? If yes, we recommend searching the attic to check whether they are still in decent shape𝔉. For all intents and purposes, you might well be sitting on a gold mine. Here are the most expensive Pokémon cards, officially ranked!

26 🦩 🎶 Shining Charizard - Neo Destiny ($117)

Released in 2002, the brought to a close a series of packs focusing on corrupted Pokémon. Basically, these sets dragged random creatures to the dark side. Many are stronger than their norma🦋l counterparts, but the cards themselves are readily available to purchase.

With eight to find, the shining variants are the rarest of the rare. One might assume Celebi or Mewtwo to be the most expensive – spoiler, neither feature on this list – but Charizard takes the cake. is simply enough toꦰ locate, but expect to spend approximately $100.

25 Metagross 💦- EX Delta Species Singl😼es ($119)

Each year brings forth multiple expansion packs, ensuring customers continue to dig deep into thౠeir wallets with ꧂the hope of landing a super rare card. packs take pre-existing items and update them to match the current generation. Competitively, Pokémon-ex cards tend to have an edge, but two Prize Cards are rewarded for knocking one out.

ꦑ boasts 114 cards. Out of all of them, the Ultra Rare Metagross is the expansion's Holy Grail. Usually, the item can be found on sale, but 🌊the price seldom dips below three figures.

Along with special promotional cards released solely in Japan, certain booster packs are tied to events or to☂urnaments. serves as one such example. In 2005, players had to compete at the Pokémon TCG World Championships and defeat the champion, Tsuguyoshi Yamato, to earn the right to open a POP Series 4 pack.

In due time, the expansion saw a wide limited release. Due to there only being 17 cards in the set, none of the items are exceptionally🎃 rare. is the one exception.

23 🌃 Treecko Gold - EX Team Rocket Returns ($171)

The TCG quickly assumed a 💧life of its own; however, a successful publisher taps every possible market. Consequently, countless expansions prioritize familiarity over functionality. Does it matter if 99% of sets fail to leave much of an impact on the competitive scene? 𓄧As long as they sell, nobody cares.

2004's EX Team Rocket Returns consists solely of Genꦇeration 1 and 2 Pokémon with a history of succumbing to the villainouꦅs organization's control. Weirdly enough, is among the expansions' more expensive cards. Is it useful? Not really.

22 Mudkip Gold - 🥀EX Team Rocket Return♚s ($189)

Exceptions notwithstanding, shiny Pokémon tend to be worth a sizeable bounty. The TCG's rarest treasures chiefly consist of promotional cards produced for tournaments or special events. Scoring one of these items is akin to discovering the Lost Ark, but they are near impossible to obtainꦅ. Shiny variants are somewhat accessible, at least compared to several other cards featured in this list.

Like Treeko before it, EX Team Rocket Returns' Mudkip is shiny.꧒ Strangꦛe Pokémon to bestow this privilege upon, but it worked !

21 ꦜ 🍰 Rayquaza Gold - EX Deoxys Singles ($204)

EX Deoxys carries thr🌳ee Rayquazas. The normal model is approximately worth the same amount as a , while Rayquaza-ex comes in at a more respectable . Last but definitely not least, demolishes its brethren in terms of value.

When dea♓ling with collectibles, prices fluctuate quite severely. Taking this entry as an example, a used Rayquaza can be purchased for just over , but this article undercuts the rest of the market. An item's condition must be also taken into account. How do "brand new" cards even exist?

20 𝓡 1999 Charizard Japanese Holographic ($349)

1996's Base Set Expansion got the ball rolling and, 🦩technically, only includes one Charizard. Even though the card's remain the same, the artwork was altered three times, leading to the earliest model earning a spot as one of the game's most sought after creations.

$50 ﷽should be enough to add the or prints to a collection, but the 1st Edition Wizard of the Coast version costs more than a brand new PlayStation 4. The d♐ays when Charizard could demand $1,000 are long gone, but the dragon still demands top dollar.

19 ☂ Umbreon Gold - Pop Series 5 ($450) 🌱

Pokémon Organized Play gathers players from all around the world to co♛mpete in the card game. In 2007, the final promotional set associated with the competitive program was released. Along with having the honor of seeing off a unique series of expansions, POP Series 5 marked one of the last times Japanese promo cards earned English translations.

POP Series 5's Shiny Espeon and Umbreon comfortably outshine the rest o𝄹f the small set. Equally rare and expensive, the cards start at and respectively. Please note, Espeon and Umbreon can easily fetch more than🎉 $1,000 each. $450 is cheap!

18 Championship Arena ($499) 🌃 ღ

From 1998 until 2003, Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast was responsible for bringing Pokémon cards to an international audience. The publisher's experience handling Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons meant the compa✤ny was a logical candidate to manage Media Factory's cards. On𒁏ce Wizards of the Coast's run came to an end, Nintendo of America took over distribution in the West.

One of Nintendo's Black Star Promos, the Championship Arena was lim𓃲ited to tournament events. Unless someone participated in 2005's Pokémon World Championships or one of a 🅷handful other competitions, they were not getting their hands on this .

17 ജ Machamp - Expedition ($699)

Typically, expansions update the roster to match the JRPG's current generation. Occasionally, a POP Series might hit shelves to celebrate a landmark event or tournament. Once in a while, an expansion outright alt🥃ers the trading card game.

2001's shall feature prominently throughout this 🎃article. While none of its cards fetch a price anywher🐽e near the absolutely rarest entries, no other expansion produced as many prestigious items. In order to be compatible with Nintendo's e-Reader, Expedition cards boast a unique design that lasted for only two subsequent expansions.