So the story goes, a very small number - said to approximately 100 - of Raichu cards from the game’s Base Set were accidentally reprinted with the word “Prerelease” stamped in the bottom-right of the card artwork. Prerelease Raichu was long rumoured to be a card printed by error in the run-up to the English-language release of the Pokémon TCG’s second expansion, Jungle, in 1999. Perhaps the most controversial Pokémon card of all time, Prerelease Raichu may also be the rarest Pokémon card ever made - in fact, it’s so rare that finding out exact details is tricky. Reportedly sold for $10,500 in April 2009 Fact or fiction? Prerelease Raichu may be the rarest Pokémon card of all time - if it's real, that is. We probably wouldn’t recommend trading it in the schoolyard either, unless your friend has a Rolls-Royce to give you in return. It came in a special frame and box marking the anniversary, which you’d hope might keep it safe given the price tag and rarity.Īlthough the card recreates the original Pikachu card - including the Pocket Monsters Card Game logo on the back and its Japanese text on the front - it’s actually not legal for use in tournaments. If you won, you were given the chance to buy a copy of the limited-edition card for 216,000 yen - or around $2,081/£1,700.
The only way to get a copy of the golden Pikachu was to enter a lottery held in 2016. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Japanese jewellery maker Ginza Tanaka produced a limited number of solid gold cards based on the original Japanese Pikachu card - affectionately nicknamed ‘Fat Pikachu’ due to the electric mouse’s distinctive chubby cheeks in its original design. What makes the 20th Anniversary Pikachu card extra special is the fact it’s made out of solid gold. While many of the rarest Pokémon cards are cards released during the first years of the game, this card is an exception in that it appeared for the first time only a few years ago in 2016 to celebrate the Pokémon TCG’s 20th anniversary. Image: Nintendo/Creatures Inc./Game Freak
Sold for 216,000 yen ($2,081) in October 2016 The card is a reprint of the game's original Pikachu, albeit one made out of solid 24-karat gold. Aren’t you at least a little curious? There might be a retirement fund waiting in your attic.ġ3. Interest in Pokémon and the Pokémon card game has only continued to grow in recent years, with multiple card sales at auction setting new records in 20 alone, so there’s never been a better time to rifle through your collection and see if you own one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time. That's why we've put together this list of the rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards, so you know for certain what's hiding in your attic. And valuable really is the word, with some Pokemon TCG memorabilia going for hundreds of thousands of dollars recently. Other players may look to determine a card's visual worth by its monetary value or rarity, both of which have started fluctuating significantly as of late thanks to a surge in the popularity of Pokémon cards over the last year or so. That said, the cards listed here provide just a brief glimpse into the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s wide range of art styles.There's a huge amount of Pokemon out there and even more Pokemon Trading Cards, raging from common pidgeys to rare and valuable legendary cards, or even better.
Many TCG players and collectors have personal favorites that might influence their opinion, and certain returning designers have a unique style when it comes to Pokémon card art that makes their work easily recognizable. When it comes to visuals, on the other hand, it can be slightly more difficult to determine what is and isn’t considered particularly noteworthy. Related: Pokémon That Couldn’t Use Obvious Moves One example of how the card game is different from Pokémon video games can be seen in how elemental types are approached in TCG as opposed to other titles.
This oftentimes means that TCG Pokémon end up with some unusual moves and concepts that aren’t normally seen in the series proper. While for the most part the game series is translated relatively faithfully into card form, the TCG’s distance from mainline Pokémon games gives it slightly more room to work when it comes to adding in and exploring unique rules.
Here are a few of the most unique examples of Pokémon card art. Others are slightly more obscure among everyone but avid Pokémon trading card fans. Some are well-known, having become highly sought-after collector’s pieces over the years. The Pokémon Trading Card Game ( TCG), given how long it’s been around, has its fair share of unusual visual designs.