How Many Pikachu Illustrator Cards Exist According to Early Magazine Records
The Pikachu Illustrator card stands out as one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made. It comes from a special 1997 Japanese contest where kids drew their own Pokemon illustrations. Winners got this promo card as a prize. But figuring out exactly how many exist has always been tricky.
Early magazine records from Japan give us the best clues. Back in 1998, CoroCoro Comic, a popular kids magazine that ran the contest, reported printing just 39 copies. These went to the top winners in illustration categories. That number stuck around in collector circles for years as the official count from the source.
Over time, not all 39 have surfaced. Grading companies like PSA have only seen a handful. Right now, experts track about 13 to around 40 known copies in the wild. Some sources say up to 100 might exist if you count ungraded ones, but early magazine info points to that firm 39 total printed.[1]
Why the range? The contest split into groups like best Pikachu drawing or overall art. CoroCoro confirmed 39 prizes shipped out. No more were made after that. Today, high-grade versions like PSA 10s fetch millions at auction. Logan Paul grabbed one for over 5 million dollars in 2022, called the only pristine copy known.[2]
Collectors chase these because of that low print run straight from the magazine records. If you spot one for sale on sites like eBay, check its grading and history. Prices swing wild based on condition, with PSA 9s hitting 4 million recently.[3][4]
Keep an eye on PokemonPricing.com for live price updates on Pikachu Illustrator and similar ultra-rares. Values climb fast when new copies pop up.
