With the Pokémon Sword and Shield: Lost Origin TCG Expansion pack set for release in September 2022, many players of the Pokémon TCG and card collectors are eagerly waiting to collect rare cards.
Not only this, but new games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set for release on Nintendo Switch in November 2022, bringing new Pokémon and the Palda region, which will be sure to launch new TCG expansions in the future. Among these upcoming expansions, new Pikachu cards are almost guaranteed, as they have become some of the most fan-adored and collectible cards in the TCG, with many having outstandingly high values in 2022.
2002 Legendary Collection Pikachu Reverse Holo
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $4120
When the set first released, Legendary Collection wasn't a favorite of every collector, but as one of the initial sets released in the Wizards Of The Coast (WOTC) era, it naturally increased in value and earned much more love over the years.
On this particular Legendary Pikachu reverse holo, the holofoil is bright and shiny, making it a solid stand out. Though this isn't an aspect all collectors enjoy on holographic cards, the firework print design of the foil is memorizing to watch as the card moves around. From this small detail alone, it is easy to see how it has become one of the more valuable Pikachu cards in 2022.
2001 Black Star Promo Birthday Pikachu Holo
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $6,750
The original birthday Pikachu card's history involves being part of a 'create your own Pokémon card' campaign in 2000, where members of local Pokémon Leagues could submit their card designs to WOTC.
Though the card was immediately banned in TCG upon release, due to players taking advantage of the special birthday feature, +50 was granted to attack with no evidence that it was truly their birthday. Due to the card's history and popular illustration/design, good condition copies of the card are valued highly, and it was popular enough to earn a reprint in the more recent Celebrations set.
1995 Japanese Topsun Blue Black Pikachu (No Number)
PSA 9 Recently Sold For $6,767
Topsun cards were among the first sets of Pokémon cards ever released, after base set in 1996. Topsun cards are extremely aged and valuable, with several printing errors made throughout the series that increased value.
Pikachu is well-known as one of the cutest electric type Pokémon, so it's no surprise that the versions of the Pikachu Topsun card with print errors are so valuable. Some versions of the Pikachu card have no number on the card, a rare print error that increases the value with only 22 PSA 9's and 16 PSA 10's known in existence.
1999 Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Pikachu (Red Cheeks)
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $6,900.
It is a known fact to every Pokémon fan that when Pikachu releases an electric type attack, its cheeks turn yellow. Mitsuhiro Arita created the illustration on this card of Pikachu with yellow cheeks for this reason, to create a sense of movement and action in the illustration.
However, when it was submitted to WOTC, they assumed it was an error and changed it themselves without contacting Arita as the original artist! This created a small percentage of Base Set Pikachu cards with red cheeks as a print error, before it was corrected - and these are now highly valuable and sought-after.
2006 EX Holon Phantoms Gold Star Pikachu
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $8,600
Pikachu is undoubtedly one of the cutest rodent creatures of the Pokémon franchise, and possibly the only thing that can make Pikachu any cuter is the rare shiny form of the Pokémon.
Shiny Pokémon showed up in the TCG in the illustrations of special 'Gold Star' cards, such as the 2006 EX Holon Phantoms Gold Star Pikachu. This Pikachu card was extremely rare, with pull rates equaling roughly 1 in 6 boxes, or 1 in 216 individual packs. With only very few sealed booster boxes of the set left, and 98 PSA 10's of the card in known existence, the value it now holds is no surprise.
1996 Japanese Base Set Pikachu (No Rarity Symbol)
BGS 9.5 Recently Sold For $8,999
It is no secret that print errors were common in early sets, and the first print run of Japanese Base Set Pokémon cards in 1996 is no stranger to these errors, known for missing the rarity symbol found in the bottom right corner of a card.
Though there is little documentation on whether this was a print error or deliberate decision, the next print run was soon fixed to include the symbol. This card has an extremely low population, therefore is considered a highly valuable variant for collectors.
2002 Pokémon E-Card Sample Pikachu
Recently Sold For $12,500
The older Pokémon game titles are often considered the best. The 2002 E-Card Sample Pikachu is a special card because it was a special card made for demonstrations of the Gameboy Advance's e-Reader.
The cards were never officially released, but found their way into the hands of collectors regardless. Only 22 PSA-graded Pikachu sample cards are known to exist, with only 16 of them being PSA 10. This specific card is adored and valued for the history it holds to both the Pokémon video games and TCG, as well as Gameboy Advance technology.
2016 20th Anniversary 24k Gold Tanaka Japanese Pikachu
Recently Sold For $12,655
This particular Pikachu card was the result of an interesting collaboration between the Pokémon franchise and jeweler Ginza Tanaka. The card had a limited pre-order window of only 20 days, at a price tag of $2,100!
With it being made of 24-Karat gold, it is no surprise that paired with how rare this Pikachu is, the value has increased dramatically. This is one of many examples that show how Pikachu cards can be among the most expensive Pokémon cards in existence.
1995 Japanese Topsun Prism Pikachu
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $15,000
Topsun cards are a unique moment of the Pokémon franchise, with each pack containing two cards and two sticks of gum. Out of the 150 Topsun cards created for each Pokémon at the time, there were 16 card variations with a prism holographic effect.
However, a pull rate of a prism holographic card was 1 in 40 packs, making them extremely rare and hard to find. With Pikachu well-known as the franchise mascot, there is little surprise that this card became one of the rarest Pikachu cards in existence, and managed to rack up $15,000 in a sale as a PSA 10.
1998 Japanese Illustrator Pikachu
PSA 10 Recently Sold For $5,275,000
Many serious collectors are well aware of the worth of this particular Pikachu card, featuring an adorable piece of artwork created by Pikachu's original illustrator, Atsuko Nishida.
The 1998 Japanese Illustrator Pikachu was awarded as a prize to an illustration contest held by CoroCoro Comic, with only 39 copies printed, and 24 of those copies being graded by PSA. Most recently, the Pokémon community was left in shock in April 2022, when influencer Logan Paul wore the only known PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card at Wrestlemania 38, having purchased it through private sale for an astounding amount of $5,275,000.