The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, with only 39 known copies in existence from its 1998 promo print run in Japan. Among these, a notable number suffer from centering issues, where the image and borders are not perfectly aligned, which can hurt their grade and value when submitted to services like PSA.
Centering problems are common in early Pokemon cards due to printing technology at the time. For the Pikachu Illustrator specifically, collector reports and grading data show that at least 10 to 15 of the 39 cards have visible off-centering, often ranging from 50/50 to 60/40 borders. This means the artwork shifts slightly left, right, top, or bottom, making perfect 50/50 centering tough to achieve. High-grade PSA 10 examples, which need near-perfect centering along with sharp corners and clean surfaces, are extremely scarce, with population reports listing just 1 or 2 confirmed at that level out of all submissions.[1][5]
Why do so many have this flaw? The cards were produced in small batches as tournament prizes, and the fragile cardstock from that era often led to misalignment during cutting and foiling. Similar issues appear in other vintage sets, like Base Set holos with holo shifts or off-center backs, but Pikachu Illustrator’s tiny print run amplifies the problem. Out of the 39, about 25 have been graded, and roughly half of those received PSA 8 or lower partly due to centering alone.[2][4]
For collectors chasing these, raw copies with minor centering might sell for $100,000 to $500,000, while well-centered ones push into millions, like the record $5 million PSA 10 sale. Always check population reports on sites like PSA or BGS before buying, and use a loupe to inspect borders yourself, aiming for at least 60/40 to have a shot at a strong grade. Modern sets like Scarlet & Violet 151 also battle centering, with community pulls from over 700 packs showing frequent issues on Pikachu illustration rares, but nothing matches the Illustrator’s rarity.[1][3]
If you spot a Pikachu Illustrator for sale, verify its centering early, as fixes are impossible and poor alignment drops value fast. Tracking graded pops helps gauge how many flawed versions are out there, keeping demand high for the few gems.
