The rarest Pokemon card of all time, the Pikachu Illustrator, has sold for $4,000,000 in an eBay auction.
The PSA 9 Mint card was listed by longtime collector smpratte and closed at a flat $4 million on September 12, making it one of the most expensive sales in the hobby’s history.
The Illustrator Pikachu was first awarded in 1998 to winners of the CoroCoro Comic Illustration Contest in Japan, with only an estimated 20 to 39 copies ever handed out. Considered the “Holy Grail” of Pokémon cards, it has become synonymous with extreme rarity and value.
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In 2022, Logan Paul made headlines when he purchased a PSA 10 version of the same card for over $5 million, wearing it on a chain during his WrestleMania debut.
$4,000,000 Pikachu card sells at auction
The copy sold on eBay is one of the most famous examples in circulation. Labeled by PSA as the first known PSA 9 Mint Illustrator, it has been featured in multiple publications, including a 2017 SMR article, and even serves as the Bulbapedia stock image of the card. The listing describes it as “the most documented copy of the Illustrator,” adding to its historical significance.
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The seller, smpratte, is a well-known figure in the Pokémon community and noted in the description that this card is rarer than Honus Wagner, Mickey Mantle, Black Lotus, and even Charizard. With this $4 million sale, the Pikachu Illustrator further cements its position as the most valuable Pokemon card in existence.