Rare Pokémon cards: what is the rarest card in the world?

Rare Pokémon cards: what you should know

Some rare Pokémon cards exist only once in the entire world – others are so common that their price barely covers the cost of printing and materials.

That a rare Pokémon card is worth more than one that is available thousands of times over should surprise no one. But how do the dramatic differences in the rarity of some examples come about?

Three factors play a role here, and they often work together:

1. Original print run

If only a small number of a particular Pokémon card was printed, the rarity is of course very high from the outset. Very small print runs are found above all among the special editions: cards that were handed out as prizes for tournaments or competitions, for example, were often produced only 10, 20 or 30 times in total.

You will also find rare Pokémon cards among the first versions. Back in the 90s, Pokémon was still a small niche product for children. Only over the years did interest, demand and with them the print run grow. Before that success set in, considerably smaller print runs were put into circulation.

And of course The Pokémon Company itself also determines which Pokémon cards are rare: holographic cards or legendary Pokémon are found far less often in booster packs than standard Pokémon, Energy cards or common Trainer cards.

You can recognise the rarity (= number of printed examples) by small symbols on the card itself:

A clever move by the company, because the chance of a rare Pokémon card is part of what makes collecting so appealing!

2. Attrition/loss over time

Some rare Pokémon cards have been in circulation for more than 30 years! After all, the first variants have been around since the mid-90s. It is clear that many examples were lost during that period. The trading cards had no real value for a very long time and were treated carelessly accordingly.

Owners threw away seemingly useless cards or traded them in. Countless treasures were also lost through damage: tears, creases or moisture quickly take their toll on the simple cardboard cards. The worldwide passion for collecting only really began in recent years.

Collectors protect their favourites today with PSA Grading: the cards are analysed by PSA, an internationally recognised grading body, and sealed in a protective plastic case. Their value is thereby permanently secured. At the start of the Pokémon craze, however, this procedure was not yet possible.

3. Misprints, test prints and other special features

Thousands of different artworks have been printed to date. In total, several million cards are likely to be in circulation. Something can quickly go wrong there! Numerous misprints and examples that were never intended for sale were produced in this way.

An error in the date or an incorrectly reproduced letter can turn a standard example printed thousands of times over into a very rare Pokémon card. Particular care is required here, though, in order to tell valuable misprints from cheap fakes!

Another reason why PSA Grading is of central importance today. It gives owners the certainty of owning a genuine, valuable misprint.

Test prints are also particularly rare: as the name suggests, these are trial versions that went to print first in order to check correctness and quality. Because of their very small print run, they too are among the very rare Pokémon cards.

Rarities at a glance: the rarest Pokémon cards

So which cards are the rarest in the world? The list is headed by three absolute one-offs, which at the same time also achieve the highest prices at auctions. The hotly coveted rarities are:

1. Ishihara-GX

With a few dozen examples (estimates range from 30 to 200 pieces), Ishihara-GX is at first glance not a truly rare Pokémon card. It is, however, extremely difficult to get hold of one!

That is because the card showing the CEO of the Pokémon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, was only handed out to the participants of a private event during the World Championships in the USA in 2018. The occasion was the sixtieth birthday of the Pokémon boss.

A particularly rare example bearing a signature by Ishihara is especially sought after. At an auction it achieved an impressive price of around 250,000 US dollars (approx. 195,000 CHF).

2. Post Malone V (P25 Music 7)

The P25 programme was launched for the 25th anniversary of the international Pokémon debut: eleven international artists recorded 14 new songs for the anniversary. To honour the event fittingly, unique cards were also put into circulation.

The best-known variant is certainly the Post Malone special print, but Katy Perry and J Balvin also received unique Pokémon cards with their faces on them. The one and only example was entrusted to each of the artists – the special editions are not available in the shops.

No price is therefore known for these particularly rare Pokémon cards either. Should they ever be auctioned, however, the owners could undoubtedly expect huge sums!

3. Commissioned Presentation Blastoise Galaxy Star Holo

An impressive example of the great importance of test prints: the Presentation Blastoise Galaxy Star Holo was the first test print in English and thus the very first English card.

Wizards of the Coast produced it as a proof of concept in order to obtain approval from Nintendo for further production runs. The back of this unique card is completely white. Three further examples bearing the Wizards of the Coast logo also exist, but they cannot match the rarity of the “bare” variant.

A total of two of these Blastoise cards were made, but the second example is considered lost. It can therefore be assumed that today it is a one-off. The price reflects this as well: 360,000 USD was achieved at an auction.

4. Charizard Topsun Blue Black (1995/1997)

Charizard cards are repeatedly among the most expensive, rarest and best Pokémon cards. No wonder, then, that this list also features a variant: in the 90s, the Japanese brand Topsun included a card as a gift with its chewing gum.

It shows a Charizard with a different text arrangement and completely different artwork. As it was a promotional gift, players and collectors initially had rather little interest. They would probably never have dreamt that a Topsun Charizard would one day be among the rarest Pokémon cards of all!

Demand for this special Charizard is enormous today. A misprint that fascinates collectors also contributes to this: the year is given as 1995, but the actual year of production is 1997.

Today only one card with PSA Grade 10 is known worldwide! So it is a one-off. You correspondingly have to dig deep into your pocket for it: the auction price was last around half a million US dollars!

5. Illustrator Pikachu Grade 10

Only 39 Illustrator Pikachu were ever produced. Just 20 examples are still known today, and only one of them is in the best possible PSA Grade 10. Here you can safely speak not only of one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all, but also of the most expensive: this Pikachu achieved 16.5 million US dollars (approx. 13 million CHF) at an auction!

It is therefore the most expensive Pokémon card ever to have changed hands so far. And that although it is completely unusable for the actual card game! Illustrator Pikachu was originally a reward for artistic fans: a Japanese magazine held drawing competitions in 1997 and 1998 and awarded the card as a prize for the best entries.

The Japanese inscription reads: “We confirm that your illustration was an excellent contribution to our drawing competition. We therefore appoint you an officially recognised Pokémon card illustrator and admire your skills!”.

Illustrator Pikachu is the perfect example of how important a high PSA Grading is for particularly rare cards: another example with a grading of 9 achieved “only” 1.2 million USD at an auction.

The rarest Pokémon cards at AMAZINGTOYS®

If you are looking for rare Pokémon cards, AMAZINGTOYS® is the right address! In our shop you will find, among other things, a particularly rare Rayquaza Gold Star 107/107 EX Deoxys Holo.

This card, in an almost perfect PSA Grade 9, exists only 10 times in the entire world. Only one single example with Grade 10 is known. The owner of this rarity therefore only has to share their fame with ten other people.

The total number (“PSA POPULATION”) of Rayquaza Gold Star EX Deoxys Holo stands at 10 examples. Only one card (“PSA POP HIGHER”) worldwide achieved an even higher grading. Source: psacard.com

But the Gold Star Rayquaza is not only one of the rarest Pokémon cards in our shop; it is also one of the best Pokémon cards for investors! Over the past 12 months the card has been able to quintuple its market value.

Conclusion: rare Pokémon cards almost always achieve the highest prices too

How often a Pokémon card is to be found largely determines its financial value as well as collectors' interest. The most expensive and most hotly coveted examples are absolute one-of-a-kind pieces. These include, for example, an Illustrator Pikachu Grade 10 (approx. 13 million CHF) or a Charizard Topsun Blue Black Grade 10 (approx. 500,000 USD).

A rare Pokémon card alone is, however, no guarantee of high prices! Only in combination with good condition and PSA Grading does a valuable investment come about. Thousands of rarities are indeed available, but they have been damaged by careless handling over the years.

Anyone who has their cards assessed by PSA not only receives a clear evaluation but also protects the treasures from further damage. The submitted examples are sealed in robust plastic cases and are then perfectly suited as an investment or for the display cabinet.

Players, collectors and investors therefore always have their best Pokémon cards given a corresponding PSA Grading. Rayquaza Gold Star 107/107 EX Deoxys Holo, one of the rarest Pokémon cards in the AMAZINGTOYS® shop, has an almost perfect Grade 9, for example. There are only 10 such examples worldwide, and only one with a Grade 10. An extremely rare treasure, then!

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