The world's most valuable Pokémon card, Pikachu Illustrator, sells for $580,000

Among the most rare and valuable Pokémon TCG cards in existence, Pikachu Illustrator draws eyes every time it appears at auction. The latest copy on the proverbial collectibles block recently sold for over half a million dollars. Originally distributed as a prize for several contests hosted by Japanese monthly manga magazine, CoroCoro Comic, exactly 39 copies of Pikachu Illustrator were created between 1997 and 1998. Two more copies eventually appeared in the private collection of Pokémon TCG co-creator Yuichi Konno in 2020, bringing the grand total to 41 known to exist. At time of writing, 35 of the contest prize cards had been professionally graded, with many of those passing under the digital gavel of collectible auction sites like Goldin - who hosted the December 21st sale of a Pikachu Illustrator for $579,500 (£459,048). The holofoil card was graded Mint 9, just shy of perfect quality according to grading titan Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). Read more