$16.5M Pikachu Illustrator Leads Pokemon Card Sales
News related to:UltraBall · 2 min read
UltraBall, a Pokemon card price tracker, has released data showing that the most valuable Pokemon cards in 2026 are not those found in booster packs but rather rare prize cards. The Pikachu Illustrator, a card given to winners of CoroCoro Comic's illustration contests in 1997 and 1998, led the pack, selling for $16.49 million at Goldin on February 16, 2026. This sale was the highest among Pokemon card sales of $100,000 or more, which reached $162.3 million in total.
According to UltraBall's report, 525 Pokemon card sales of $100,000 or more were recorded between January 1 and October 16, 2026. Nineteen of these sales passed the $1 million mark, and 53 passed the $500,000 threshold. The top five sales were as follows:
1. Pikachu Illustrator (1998, Japanese), PSA 10: $16.49 million, Goldin, February 16. 2. Raincoat Pikachu, Art Academy contest promo (2015, Japanese), PSA 10: $8.4 million, Fanatics Collect, September 28. 3. Pikachu Illustrator, PSA 9: $5 million, Heritage Auctions, September 19. 4. Art Academy Mudkip (2015, Japanese), PSA 10: $3.72 million, Fanatics Collect, September 25. 5. Pikachu Illustrator, CGC 9: $2.81 million, Goldin, September 20.
The standout trend highlighted by UltraBall is the presence of Japanese prize cards among the top sales. Seven of the ten biggest sales were cards that were never sold in packs. These include the Pikachu Illustrator, which alone sold nine times for $100,000 or more, totaling $29.9 million across six different grades.
In the English market, the highest English card on the list is a PSA 10 Torchic Gold Star from 2004, which sold for $2.7 million at Alt in September. Its last recorded sale in the same grade was $38,400 in 2024. A 1st Edition Base Set Charizard in PSA 10 sold for $1.39 million at Alt in October, with most spring sales of the same card landing between $456,000 and $528,000.
Condition drives almost all of the high-value sales, with 406 of the 525 six-figure sales being PSA 10s, the top grade. Fanatics Collect handled the most, 261 sales worth $67.1 million, and Goldin sold 75 worth $44.0 million.