Pikachu Illustrator cards that cannot improve in grade are those already at the top PSA 10 level or with flaws so severe they are stuck at lower grades forever. Only a handful of these ultra-rare cards exist in total, and just one is known to be a perfect PSA 10 that sits at the peak with no room to climb higher[2][3][4].
The Pikachu Illustrator is one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made. It comes from a 1998 Japanese illustration contest where kids drew their dream Pokemon cards. The grand prize winner got 20 copies printed as promos. Experts believe between 13 and 100 of these cards still exist today, but most are ungraded or in rough shape[2].
Grading matters a lot for value. Companies like PSA check centering, edges, corners, and surface for a score from 1 to 10. A PSA 10 means flawless, like it just came from the printer with no human touch. Logan Paul bought the only known PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator for over 5 million dollars in 2022. That card is maxed out. It cannot improve because 10 is the highest grade possible[2][3][4].
Lower grade ones might have hope. A card at PSA 9 could press and resubmit to chase a 10, but not if it has print defects, bad centering from the factory, or damage like whitening on edges or scratches. Some Pikachu Illustrators are locked low because of these issues. Factory printing quirks from 1998 mean not every copy was perfect to start with[4].
No exact count exists for “cannot improve” Pikachu Illustrators. Out of the maybe 39 total copies tracked by collectors, only that one PSA 10 is confirmed unbeatable at the top. The rest are either ungraded, lower grades with potential, or damaged beyond fixing. Low-grade ones with bends or tears will never hit high scores[2][4].
Collectors chase these cards for their story and scarcity. Even non-perfect ones sell for huge sums because so few are around. If you own one, get it graded to know its spot. A card that cannot improve still holds value, especially if it is authentic and from the contest era. Keep an eye on sales for raw or low-grade examples to see real market prices.
