Pokémon Master’s Key prize card, one of 36 ever made, triples its sales record at auction

A rare Pokémon card awarded to Japanese finalists in the game’s 2010 World Championship has smashed its sales record at auction by selling for triple its previous price. The Master Key card was given to the top players in the 2010 Japan World Championship representative tournament - the equivalent of the country’s National Championship - held that summer in the Japanese capital’s Tokyo Dome. The event marked the culmination of multiple World Championship Series qualifying stages held across all 47 of Japan’s prefectures from the winter of 2009 until June 2010, with thousands of Pokémon players - initially selected via a raffle system - competing across the TCG’s age-based Junior, Senior and Master divisions. The top-ranked player from each league was subsequently granted entry to the Japan World Championship, joined by the winners of Last Chance Qualifier contests. Read more