Nicholas3652
New Member
This is where you can talk about your favorite, most prized or valuable Pokémon cards. Also, you can talk about the rarest Pokémon cards created. Plus, any prices for any Pokémon cards.
What do you think are the most prized Pokémon cards?
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funmonkey54
Active Member
That is what this entire sub-forum is for.
FrostyFluxy
New Member
The following cards are some of the rarest, most expensive, prized and historical cards in the world.
1998 Pikachu Illustrator
1997 Pikachu #1, #2, #3
1998 Pikachu (Lizardon) #1, #2, #3
1998 Pikachu (Kamex) #1, #2, #3
1999 TMB #1, #2, #3
1999 SSB #1, #2, #3
1999 SNAP Best Photo Contest
1998 Kamex White 'R'
1998 Parent/Child Kangaskhan
1998 University Magikarp
1999 Tropical Wind
1999 TMB Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos
1999 Pre-Release Raichu
2000 9th Lucky Stadium
2001 Neo #1, #2, #3
2002 Battle Roads #1, #2, #3
2002 Battle Roads Elite Four Trainer
2004-present World Championship #1, #2, #3 (English)
2005 Champion's League
2005 Championship Arena
2010 Master's Key
1998 Pikachu Illustrator
1997 Pikachu #1, #2, #3
1998 Pikachu (Lizardon) #1, #2, #3
1998 Pikachu (Kamex) #1, #2, #3
1999 TMB #1, #2, #3
1999 SSB #1, #2, #3
1999 SNAP Best Photo Contest
1998 Kamex White 'R'
1998 Parent/Child Kangaskhan
1998 University Magikarp
1999 Tropical Wind
1999 TMB Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos
1999 Pre-Release Raichu
2000 9th Lucky Stadium
2001 Neo #1, #2, #3
2002 Battle Roads #1, #2, #3
2002 Battle Roads Elite Four Trainer
2004-present World Championship #1, #2, #3 (English)
2005 Champion's League
2005 Championship Arena
2010 Master's Key
Nicholas3652
New Member
Definitely the PRERELEASE Raichu is the rarest of all english Pokémon cards. It seems like Japan always has rarer and cooler cards. Also, Japan's video games has more benefits over their english versions. Sorry for rambling ¦)
FrostyFluxy
New Member
raichuforyou
New Member
Rarest doesn't always mean the card with the fewest physical copies.
If the Illustrator card appears for sale once a year and the Pre Raichu appears for sale once every five years, even though there are fewer copies of the Illustrator than the Raichu (we assume), it is for sale less often. It is less available, therefore it is more rare.
The OPs question could be interpreted as rarity of physical copies or rarity in the market. I usually think of rarity in the market since the physical rarity means nothing to me. The two are related in most cases though.
If the Illustrator card appears for sale once a year and the Pre Raichu appears for sale once every five years, even though there are fewer copies of the Illustrator than the Raichu (we assume), it is for sale less often. It is less available, therefore it is more rare.
The OPs question could be interpreted as rarity of physical copies or rarity in the market. I usually think of rarity in the market since the physical rarity means nothing to me. The two are related in most cases though.
garyis2000
Member
Yes, the pre raichu is rarer than the illustrator but the square cut, no stage blastoise is rarer still
I see your point, but I disagree. Example time!
3 2007 #2 Trainers
12 or so Prerelease Raichus
Judging by numbers, you would say that the #1 Trainer is rarer, simply because there are less.
Judging by market, you would say the #1 Trainer is, again, rarer.
See, when you go by the rarity in the market, the #2 Trainer is rarer. I know of at least 1 transaction for the PreRai, but I have never heard of anyone buying a 2007 #2 Trainer.
However, when you go by collections standards, you can essentially track down the location of all 3 #2 Trainers, as they most likely are tucked away in the collections of the winners. But, with the PreRais, we only know of 1, which was sold to a member here. That leaves 11 or so left that we have no exact location for.
So, in sum, PreRai is rarer. The market shows it is not the rarest, but collection-wise, it is rarer. Therefore, judging rarity via market is invalid.
tl;dr - Judging by market and by physical copies does not always declare which card is rarer. Knowing where each copy of the card is, for me, the best way of determining rareness because everyone has their price, you just have to find the card.
garyis2000
Member
The 2007 trainers have only had 6 years to surface. The PreRaichus have had 14 years to surface and supposedly one has.
I'd take the age of the cards into account too.
I'd take the age of the cards into account too.
The illustrator has appeared for (public) sale four or five times in 15 years. That is hardly once a year. Second, the illustrator goes for more money. The one or two sales of the Pre-chu that we know of sold around the 10-11k mark. The illustrator edges that out a bit with the most recent sale ending around 12-13k....not to mention it holds the highest realized price of any card at 20k. Based off of the price the illustrator commands and its popularity and desirability I would have to say it takes the over all "most prized Pokémon card" with the pre-chu in a very close second.
Nicholas3652
New Member
Rare and valuable means two seperate things. A lot of people would say that the Base Set cards hold more value (not exactly price). Mainly speaking of Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise and Raichu.
The Illustrator can sell for much more than it has in live auction. There was one that ended at 12-13k in live auction on YJ!
There are a couple factors to consider here. First, YJ! does not have the same exposure as eBay. Second, the card was in live auction and could of earned a significantly higher sum with a BIN/MAO listing.
Value incorporates many factors including rarity but doesn't necessarily have to be the rarest in number of copies. The most valuable card ever sold, the t206 Honus Wagner card is Not the rarest card but it earns more than any other card in the hobby.
When asking what are the most prized cards I would go with Value rather than strictly Rarity.
Oh and there have been PreRaichus that have sold. It is not speculation, it actually happened.
There are a couple factors to consider here. First, YJ! does not have the same exposure as eBay. Second, the card was in live auction and could of earned a significantly higher sum with a BIN/MAO listing.
Value incorporates many factors including rarity but doesn't necessarily have to be the rarest in number of copies. The most valuable card ever sold, the t206 Honus Wagner card is Not the rarest card but it earns more than any other card in the hobby.
When asking what are the most prized cards I would go with Value rather than strictly Rarity.
Oh and there have been PreRaichus that have sold. It is not speculation, it actually happened.
raichuforyou
New Member
I was just giving an example I wasn't trying to say that they sold that often. I was just trying to push the point that a card with fewer copies could sell more often than a card with more copies.
That is a good point Raichu. Sometimes a card can be re-sold multiple times. For example, my Illustrator changed hands 4 times in 2 years. Since the high end items have a high demand and extremely limited number of copies, someone will always increase an offer when they want the card.
This is exactly what happens with the Honus Wagner card. It will end up with a new collector, and then someone will want the card and contact that collector with a higher offer. If you do a little research on that card you can see how it was bought then sold for a higher amount each time in the past 5-10 years.
This is exactly what happens with the Honus Wagner card. It will end up with a new collector, and then someone will want the card and contact that collector with a higher offer. If you do a little research on that card you can see how it was bought then sold for a higher amount each time in the past 5-10 years.
raichuforyou
New Member
If you haven't, you should watch the Espn 30 for 30 on the PSA 8 Honus Wagner. Very interesting stuff.
Even though a lot of people suspect the card was trimmed, it is still more highly prized than any other card in the hobby.
Anyway, if I had to pick the most prized cards I would say Illustrator, Pre chu, and Gem 10 1st ed Charizard. In that order.
The Illustrator is the highest profile and most expensive, Pre Chu is well known in the hobby and its mysterious nature makes it very appealing (not to mention very expensive), and the 1st edition Base Set Gem 10 Charizard is of course the most popular card ever and holds a lot of nostalgia for a large number of people. Of course the old Pika Trophies and many other cards are highly prized by collectors.
Even though a lot of people suspect the card was trimmed, it is still more highly prized than any other card in the hobby.
Anyway, if I had to pick the most prized cards I would say Illustrator, Pre chu, and Gem 10 1st ed Charizard. In that order.
The Illustrator is the highest profile and most expensive, Pre Chu is well known in the hobby and its mysterious nature makes it very appealing (not to mention very expensive), and the 1st edition Base Set Gem 10 Charizard is of course the most popular card ever and holds a lot of nostalgia for a large number of people. Of course the old Pika Trophies and many other cards are highly prized by collectors.
The problem is, though, that this really is a question of individual preference. It's a judgement call that is different for every person. Before I started haunting this section of the message board, I hadn't heard of half of the awesome cards that everyone posts on a daily basis. If you had told me "X is selling a prerelease Raichu!" I would have shrugged and said big deal not knowing anything about it.
Personally my most prized card is an English Happy Birthday Pikachu. It's not particularly rare. But I won it through the WotC giveaway where only 100 (I think... It's been awhile ago) were given out. Unfortunately there's nothing about the card that sets it apart from all the other Birthday Pikachus. Yet I prize it personally as much as many would prize the No. 1 Trainer card or Prerelease Raichu. That doesn't mean that I could go to eBay and sell the Happy Birthday Pikachu for thousands of dollars. It just means that I find a lot of personal value in that card. I think that's what Nicholas3652 was saying.
Anyway, I don't want to burst anyone's balloon. I find the discussion fascinating. And I love hearing about what others' most prized cards are including what are considered in the collecting world to be the "Holy Grails" of Pokémon card collecting.
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