10 Most Valuable Pokemon Cards to Sell on eBay
Pokémon trading cards have seen a resurgence in recent years. Some of the most expensive single Pokémon cards ever sold on eBay reportedly range in price from $3,000 to $90,000.
The popularity of the cards surged following the launch of the Pokémon Go mobile app back in 2016, which "resurrected Pokémon mania," Texas-based Heritage Auctions noted at the time.
Heritage Auctions describes itself as "the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world's third largest," according to its website.
Pokémon cards first landed on the U.S. market from Japan in the late 1990s. "Prices soared, with common cards often trading for $10-$50 or more online and in school playgrounds" at the time before their popularity faded in the mid to late 2000s, according to Heritage Auctions.
But Pokémon card prices have now skyrocketed. Among the highest priced Pokémon cards sold recently was a copy of a 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard card. The copy was sold at an auction for $360,000 a few months after a 1st edition of the card was purchased in October 2020 for $150,000 by YouTuber Logan Paul.
Back in February, the Pokémon franchise marked its 25th anniversary.
The Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), the world's largest trading card and memorabilia certification company, said in a blog post in February: "We have seen Pokémon cards in celebrity collections and watched them break the six-figure mark in sales over the years."
PSA's grading system values cards using a 10-point grading scale.
The highest grade from its card grading scale is "Gem Mint 10," which denotes a "virtually perfect card," followed by a "Mint 9," which indicates a card is in "superb condition," the PSA explains.
10 most valuable Pokémon cards to sell on eBay
Below we look at 10 of the most expensive single Pokémon cards to have sold on eBay, according to data published by Heritage Auctions, originally sourced from HobbyLark, a games and hobbies information website.
Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator Promo Graded PSA 9 Mint Rarest Card Highest Grade
- Selling price: $90,000
- Date sold: May 8, 2014
Torchic Holo Card And Toy
- Selling price: $10,000
- Date sold: April 2, 2014
Pokémon Dark Dragonite 1st Edition Error Card 5/82 Near Mint/Mint Condition
- Selling price: $9,999
- Date sold: June 5, 2013
Faded Marowak Error
- Selling price: $8,000
- Date sold: October 3, 2013
Pokémon Tropical Mega Battle Prize Card The Original One In PSA 10 Condition
- Selling price: $8,000
- Date sold: November 12, 2012
PSA 10 Misprint Shadowless First 1st Edition Dragonair Rare Pokémon Card Mint
- Selling price: $4,000
- Date sold: April 27, 2014
1st Edition Shadowless Charizard 4/102 Pokémon Card PSA 10 Mint Holy Grail
- Selling price: $3,650.99
- Date sold: April 13, 2014
1999 Pokémon Game 1st Edition #4 Charizard Holo PSA 10 Gem Mint
- Selling price: $3,350
- Date sold: September 28, 2014
1999 Pokémon Game 1st Edition #4 Charizard Holo PSA 10 Gem Mint
- Selling price: $3,050
- Date sold: July 10, 2014
Pokémon Card Gold Star PSA 10 Gem Mint Espeon (Pop 5) Rare
- Selling price: $3,000
- Date sold: June 22, 2014
