10 Most Valuable Pokemon Cards to Sell on eBay

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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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
The Pokemon European International Championships in 2017
A contestant at the Pokémon European International Championships in London, U.K. in November 2017. The most expensive single Pokémon cards ever sold on eBay have reportedly ranged in price from $3,000 to $90,000. John Keeble/Getty Images
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About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more