Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary this week, and the launch of a new set of trading cards could push up the value of decades-old collections still sitting in lofts and drawers, according to trading card experts.
Highly sought-after Pokémon cards already sell for tens of thousands of pounds, and in February a card featuring Pikachu sold at auction for a record $16.4million (£12.2million). The card was sold by social media influencer Logan Paul, who had bought it for $5.2million (£3.9million) in 2021, a return of more than 200 per cent.
Pokémon began life as the video games Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released on the Nintendo Game Boy handheld in Japan in February 1996. The first Pokémon character created was Bulbasaur. Later that year, Pokémon trading cards began appearing as promotional giveaways inside Japanese manga comics, followed by "expansion packs" of ten cards featuring characters such as Pikachu, Charizard and Blastoise.
Why old cards can be worth a fortune
Most Pokémon collections gathering dust from years past are unlikely to be worth much, but it is worth checking for rare items. The record-breaking 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card was one of just 39 given out as a prize in an illustration competition, and is prized because it was designed by Atsuko Nishida, the original creator of Pikachu.
Will Holmes, 25, a Pokémon card trading enthusiast from Tooting in south-west London, said the anniversary should send old collectors digging into their drawers and cupboards. "News of Pokémon's anniversary should cause old collectors to dig into the back of their drawers and cupboards in search of long-forgotten cards," he said. "The same thing happened a few years ago during Covid, when the price of some rare cards doubled overnight. Because the earliest cards are less likely to have survived the passage of time, they tend to be the most valuable."
Original 1996 packs sold in Japan for 291 yen (£1.41). A rare 1996 Charizard in top condition from that era would now be worth £240,000, while common cards such as Rattata or Caterpie sell for only a couple of pounds in fair condition today, because so many were made. The hobby went global after a 102-card Pokémon set was released in the United States in 1999.
Which sets hold their value
The Team Rocket set released in 2000 contained the first "secret" rare card, Dark Raichu, numbered 83/82, which is worth £4,000 in "gem mint", or virtually flawless, condition. Charizard from the 2002 Legendary Collection, with reverse holofoil printing, is worth £11,000, rising to £15,000 for the version in the 2003 Skyridge set, released when Pokémon's popularity had dipped and fewer sets were sold. A Gold Star Torchic from the 2004 Team Rocket Returns set is valued at up to £50,000 because it was such a rare release.
Symbols printed on the bottom of a card indicate its rarity: a circle means common, a diamond uncommon, a star rare, and a white or gold star an ultra-rare find. Valuation websites such as Collectr and Pulse Trading Card Game, along with prices achieved on eBay, can help collectors check what their cards are worth.
The temptation to open the pack
When Pokémon cards first went on sale in the UK in 1999, booster packs of 11 cards cost between £1.50 and £2 and typically included five common cards, three uncommon cards, two energy cards and one rare foil or holographic card. Left unopened, those packs can now be worth as much as £10,000. A first edition Charizard from 1999 in mint condition could be worth £40,000.
Holmes began collecting at the age of 11 and still has a handful of four-packs that cost him £3.60 in pocket money 14 years ago. Unopened, they would be worth £450 today. One pack he did open contained a Gardevoir card he now believes could be worth about £550. "Like many other enthusiasts I first became hooked on Pokémon in the school playground, spending pocket money on cards rather than sweets," he said. "If I had known they would turn into a shrewd investment if left unopened, I would be thousands of pounds richer."
Getting a card graded
Anyone who thinks they have a valuable card is advised to have it examined through a process known as "grading". The 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card that sold for a record price was rated "gem mint" and given a Professional Sports Authenticator score of 10, meaning it was judged virtually perfect. It was also "slabbed", meaning locked into thick, protective clear plastic. By contrast, a damaged, low-grade PSA 1 version of the same Pikachu Illustrator card can still sell for around £3,000.
A regular PSA grading through a service such as The Sub Center costs £65. Although it can seem an unnecessary expense, experts say it is worthwhile for anyone wanting to trade cards as an investor rather than simply as a fan.
A vast and growing collection
There have been 126 English-language Pokémon trading card releases over the past 30 years, comprising 9,110 different cards. A separate 91 releases in Japan have produced 6,959 individual cards. To mark the anniversary, a new set goes on sale on 16 September, with five-card packs, plus an energy card, priced at £6.95 in shops. Collectors are expected to need 160 different cards to complete the set, and further releases, including "Mega Evolution" packs and tins of collectables, are due over the coming months.
Aytan Cohen, 22, from Epping in Essex, said trying to collect every set would drive anyone "crazy" and recommended focusing on favourite characters instead, with YouTube videos and Facebook and Instagram groups on hand to help identify releases and spot fakes. "Eight out of ten cards are just ordinary, and might be worth only a few pence," said Cohen, a trainee solicitor. "And the special ones are usually not special at all and could be given away. Even if you find something valuable, you need to accept a shop might only pay 70 per cent of its true worth. I sell on eBay to cut this cost. I also trade on social media groups found on Facebook and Instagram."
eBay allows sellers to scan a card when listing it for sale; the software checks its database and shows how similar cards have sold in various conditions, alongside an estimated price. But if a card seems more valuable than that estimate suggests, it is worth searching for it online and having it professionally graded. Cohen said the thrill of the hunt endures regardless: he planned to join a queue for the Pokémon release at the Sports Direct store on London's Oxford Street this week, having earlier this year bought a £6 ten-pack containing a Mega Evolution Pitch Black card that he sold on for £200.
Five most valuable Pokémon cards
- Pikachu Illustrator, £12,204,000, a 1998 rarity given away as a competition prize.
- Pikachu No1 Trainer Trophy, £2,220,000, presented to winners of a 1998 tournament.
- Charizard First Edition, £407,000, one of the most desirable cards issued in 1999.
- Blastoise Presentation, £266,400, a 1998 prototype card, only a handful of which exist.
- Ishihara GX Promo, £185,000, given to employees in 2017 for the Pokémon president's birthday.
