The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, with only 39 copies produced back in 1998 as prizes for a Japanese illustration contest. Out of those, just 12 to 15 have shown up at public auctions over the years, making them incredibly hard to find on the market.[1][2][4]
These cards were given to the top winners of that contest, so most owners have kept them private or ungraded. The ones that do hit auctions often fetch huge prices because of their history and condition. For example, a pristine PSA 10 version sold for over 5 million dollars in 2022 to YouTuber Logan Paul, who later put it up for auction himself.[2][3][4]
Auction records show sales from places like Heritage Auctions and Goldin, where high-grade examples have appeared a handful of times since the early 2000s. Not all 39 exist in perfect shape, and many stay hidden in collections, so the auction count stays low.[2]
If you are hunting for one, check recent sales on sites tracking Pokemon promos, but expect competition from big collectors. Prices for lower grades still run into tens or hundreds of thousands, depending on the grade from PSA or similar services.[1][2]
