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Though many Pokémon Trading Card Game collectibles are now worth incredible amounts of money in 2023, there are some cards that are selling for way less than many TCG fans expected them to be valued at. Despite releasing decades ago, the Pokémon TCG has seen a major resurgence in popularity. Pokémon cards that were once worth nothing can now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In April 2022, Logan Paul broke a Pokémon Guinness World Record by paying a staggering $5,275,000 for the Pikachu Illustrator card. Not everything has seen a rise in value though, as there are many rare Pokémon cards that should be worth a lot more.
How Pokémon Card Value Grew
In 1996, the Pokémon TCG was originally launched in Japan before making its worldwide debut three years later with the release of the iconic Base Set expansion. Due to its overwhelming success, The Pokémon Company continued to release a new TCG expansion for every new mainline Pokémon RPG. Eight generations of games later, there are now over 9,000 Pokémon cards that players can collect in the Nintendo tabletop game. After the release of the first Pokémon Sword and Shield TCG set in 2020, Pokémon cards started to take on a new life of their own, as many of them began to skyrocket in value.
Interested in seeing some of the first-ever trailers and commercials for the Pokémon card game? Check out the video compilation from TiuSam below, which shows Pokémon TCG trailers and ads from 1999 to 2018!
The majority of the TCG's most valuable collectibles come from retro expansions, such as the iconic Base Set Charizard Pokémon card which has sold for as high as $420,000 in 2022. Due to the scarcity of the original 90s sets no longer existing, classic Pokémon cards have seen the largest growth in value. Interestingly, there are many popular and rare retro cards that have failed to take off in prices compared to other collectibles. Below is a list of Pokémon cards that should be worth a lot of money - but aren't.
Rare Crystal Celebi Pokémon Card From The Skyridge Expansion
Following the launch of the Gen 1 Pokémon Red and Blue Versions RPGs in 1998, Magic: The Gathering publisher Wizards of the Coast won the bid to release the English version of the Pokémon TCG. After decades of releasing many of the TCG's classic sets, Nintendo split ways with the publisher in 2003 fresh off the release of their final expansion Skyridge. Because the expansion features the last Wizards of the Coast Pokémon cards ever made, Skyridge has become one of the most sought-after sets in the TCG's history among collectors.
The e-Card Series also included the debut of the new rare Crystal Pokémon variant, which features a gorgeous holographic foil that runs across the entire card. So it should come as little surprise that the rare Crystal Pokémon cards have since become one of the most desirable TCG collectibles from that generation. However, for some reason, the Crystal version of Gen 2 Johto Mythical Pokémon Celebi has failed to bring in big money.
In 2022, the Crystal Celebi Pokémon card had been selling for as low as $200 ungraded and has only been going for around $1,000 for graded versions. In comparison, the Crystal Charizard of the same set can sell for $15,000. Its poor performance is confusing, since Celebi is a popular Mythical Pokémon, and Crystal Pokémon cards are notoriously hard to find due to their low print-run.
Pokémon TCG Legendary Collection Venusaur Reverse Holographic Fireworks Card
In 2002, the TCG saw the release of the wildly popular Legendary Collection expansion. The special set included reprints of the original Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket expansions. What made the release really special though, was that every booster pack was guaranteed a rare reverse holographic Pokémon card that featured a firework-style holo foil pattern. The beautiful design hasn't been seen since the classic set launched decades ago, making them truly one of a kind.
Despite the massive popularity of Gen 1 Starter Venusaur (which is definitely not one of Pokémon Red and Blue's weirdest Pokédex entries), the reverse firework variant of the Kanto Grass-type isn't actually worth that much. Surprisingly, collectors can pick up the Pokémon card for just $100 on online auction sites. Those looking to get a pristine copy can even purchase a high-grade version of the card for as little as $500. Given how unique and limited the firework pattern is, the rare Venusaur card that features its iconic Base Set artwork should be going for a lot more.
Pokémon Expedition Base Set TCG Mewtwo
To collaborate with the Game Boy Advance's new Nintendo e-Reader add-on, The Pokémon Company launched the e-Series Pokémon card variant of the TCG in 2002. Pokémon Expedition was the first e-Series expansion to release in the collaboration and was a major departure from classic TCG card designs.
The e-Series Pokémon cards featured a unique yellow border that could be swiped and read by the Game Boy Advance's add-on. Pokémon Red and Blue Kanto Legendary Mewtwo was one of the first legendaries to debut in the e-Series format, and its Pokémon card features incredible artwork by veteran Neo Destiny TCG artist Kimiya Masago.
The gorgeous collectible depicts Mewtwo levitating across a dark sky that is covered in sparkled holo foil. If the Pokémon card is turned the right way it's revealed that the Legendary is actually standing in front of a raging lightning storm. Even though the rare Expedition Mewtwo easily features one of the Legendary's best TCG designs of all time, the unique card goes for just $250 graded.
Players can even find this Pokémon card going for as little as $80 in Near Mint condition. With this being one of D&D lore creator's Wizards of the Coasts' last Mewtwo cards, it's another rare collectible that is being overlooked.
Blastoise CD Promo From The Pokémon Song Best Collection
In 1999, Japanese fans were able to buy the Pokémon Song Best Collection music CD. The album featured a compilation of songs from the Pokémon anime. The songs featured on the album's finalized tracklist were actually decided by Pokémon players who got to vote in a magazine poll. What made the album really collectible, though, is that it also came packaged with a handful of rare Pokémon TCG promo cards such as Snorlax, Venusaur, and Charizard.
Pokémon Blue Box mascot Blastoise was also one of the cards included in the album and featured alternate artwork of his iconic Base Set card. The promos artwork is drawn by renowned Japanese artist Ken Sugimori, who created the designs for all the original 151 Pokémon in the Kanto PokéDex.
Want to see all the Pokémon Song Best Collection Pokémon cards for yourself? Check out the unboxing video from NuyoBoy87 on YouTube below:
Incredibly, the Blastoise CD Promo Pokémon card sells for just $50 ungraded on auction sites and only goes for around $350 for a perfect graded version. Considering this rare promo is from 1999, and features an alternate artwork from legendary illustrator Ken Sugimori, this is another Pokémon card that should definitely be worth more in 2023.
Shining Mew CoroCoro Promo Pokémon Card
Japanese TCG collectors who picked up the May 2001 issue of CoroCoro Comic were rewarded with the Shining Mew promo Pokémon card. The beautiful collector's item is covered with holo foil speckles on every inch of the card and has a stunning artwork of Gen 1 Kanto Mythical Pokémon Mew, responsible for the series' popularity, floating through a cosmic galaxy background.
The CoroCoro Comic isn't just one of the best promos to have ever been released in the TCG, but it is also a contender for one of the best-looking Pokémon cards of all time. Seeing this card in person is an experience in itself, as the rainbow sparkles really pop off the card. So it's actually pretty surprising that the rare TCG promo can be picked up on auction sites for just $80.
Even high-graded versions of the Shiny Mew Pokémon card can be found in the $250 range. Out of all the Pokémon card collectibles that are undervalued, and not being worth the most money in Pokémon TCG, this is probably the most shocking example of a card that didn't benefit from the TCG's recent explosion in popularity.
Lugia Promo Card From The Unreleased Pokémon TCG Game Boy Sequel
Following the massive popularity of the Pokémon TCG, Game Freak released the Pokémon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy Color console in 2000. While the game was a hit among die-hard Pokémon card players, Game Freak decided to not release the game's sequel Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR! outside of Japan.
Collectors who managed to get their hands on the TCG Game Boy Color sequel on its release date in 2001, were rewarded with a special promo card that was packaged inside the box that featured Pokémon Gold and Silver Legendary Lugia. Despite the card's incredible obscurity outside of Japan, the promo only sells for $300 in Near Mint condition graded. The promo has sold for over $1,000 in absolutely perfect condition in the past, but it's quite surprising that the popular Gen 2 Legendary Pokémon card doesn't sell substantially higher.
Pokémon the Movie 2000's Ancient Mew Promo Card
For many TCG collectors, the Ancient Mew promo card is one of their most prized possessions they have in their collection. Children who grew up with the franchise in the 90s were given the iconic holographic Pokémon card for free when seeing Pokémon the Movie 2000 in theaters. In Japan, the Ancient Mew Pokémon card actually had a textured holo foil instead of being glossy and featured holographic speckles all over the card, making it much more likely to be valuable than the gold Pokémon cards from Burger King that were given out for Pokémon: The First Movie.
There was also a print run of the promotional item that misspelled Nintendo as "Nintedo". Given the massive printing error, plus the Pokémon card's higher quality version in Japan, it's surprising that the collectible can be bought for just $130 ungraded. On the high end, the card only fetches around $500 in near-perfect condition. Since the Pokémon the Movie 2000 TCG promo is so iconic worldwide and the Japanese print is much better quality, the Ancient Mew Pokémon card should be worth a lot more.
Blaine's Charizard From The Gym Challenge TCG Expansion
When the Pokémon TCG first launched worldwide in 1999, the Base Set's most popular card was the original Charizard. For many kids of the 90s, the Kanto Starter was the first "must-have" collectible in the Nintendo tabletop game. Decades later, Charizard has continued to reign supreme as the most valuable Pokémon in the TCG, including the Charizard cards in the TCG Brilliant Stars expansion.
The Kanto Dragon is so popular, that Charizard cards even from modern sets go for thousands of dollars within weeks of release. So it would be pretty incredible if players can get their hands on a retro Charizard Pokémon card right now for as low as $100. This is the case with Blaine's Charizard from the Gym Challenge TCG expansion, which was released in 2000.
Not even the epic side shot artwork of Charizard breathing fire has made this card go up to the value many fans would have expected it to be at. In 2022, a 1st edition version of the Pokémon card in pristine condition sold in the $600 range. Although most valuable Charizard Pokémon cards sell for a lot of money, the Gym Challenge collectible has continued to fail to take off in price. The Pokémon card's lackluster value is even more confusing, considering many Pokémon Trading Card Game fans consider Blaine's Charizard to have better artwork than the iconic Base Set version.
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Pokémon Trading Card Game
- Released:
- 1996-10-20
- Franchise:
- Pokemon
- Genre:
- trading card game
- Publisher:
- The Pokemon Company, Wizards of the Coast
