The Pokémon franchise has 122 video games across multiple consoles with over 380 million units sold (as of March 2021). According to Statista, Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue is the most successful game in the franchise, with over 31 million units shipped worldwide.
As of July 2022, there are 905 unique Pokémon. According to Bulbapedia, there are also over 9,000 unique English-language Pokémon cards, making it a significant undertaking for collectors trying to “catch them all.”
Rare his cards must be purchased at auction to build decks and compete with other players, but some collectors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the rarest cards.
Guinness World Record
According to Guinness World Records, as of August 2022, the most expensive Pokémon card is a Class 10 Professional Sports Certified Pikachu Illustrator card purchased by social media personality and boxer Logan Paul for $5.275 million.
A PSA score of 10 means the card is in good condition. According to Guinness, there is only one known PSA Class 10 Pikachu illustrator card in the world.
In June 2021, Paul purchased his PSA Grade 9 Pikachu Illustrator card for $1.275 million. He traded the card for his $4 million to get his PSA card, a Class 10 that he now owns. According to Guinness, Paul was awarded a world record certificate for wearing a PSA 10. Pikachu Illustrator card around his neck until his appearance at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.
Kangaskan Holo #115 Card
This rare card sold for $150,100 in October 2020. Only three copies of his map have been sold in the last twenty years, making it difficult to obtain. This card is one of the rarest surviving promotional cards given to participants of the 1998 Japanese parent-child competition.
