Okay, picture this: In 1998, Corocoro Comics in Japan held a contest. The grand prize? A special Pikachu card featuring Ken Sugimori (the guy who drew the original Pokemon art) holding a paintbrush. Only 39-41 copies were ever printed. That’s it. That’s fewer than the number of times I’ve failed to catch a single Pokemon in Pokemon Go.
You couldn’t buy this card in a booster pack. You had to win it. And not just win it—you had to be one of the absolute best Pokemon illustrators in Japan. So this isn’t just a card; it’s a trophy for artistic skills that would make Van Gogh jealous.
The Price Tag That Will Make Your Wallet Cry
In 2016, a PSA-graded 10 (that’s mint condition, for the uninitiated) version of this card sold at auction for $54,970. In 2026, another copy in slightly less perfect condition fetched over $100,000. And wait for it—in 2026, a different copy reportedly sold privately for a staggering $5.2 million.
Let that sink in. That’s enough money to buy a house, a car, and a lifetime supply of Poke Balls. But honestly? I’d trade the house just to hold this card for five seconds. Then I’d probably drop it, so maybe not.
