If you collect rare Pokemon cards, you have probably heard about the Pikachu Illustrator. It is one of the holy grails of the hobby. People often compare it to super rare cards from Magic: The Gathering, like the Alpha Black Lotus or other Alpha rares from the original set. A big question collectors ask is how many Pikachu Illustrator cards exist compared to those Magic Alpha cards. Let us break it down in simple terms.
First, the Pikachu Illustrator. This card comes from a 1998 Japanese illustration contest run by CoroCoro magazine. Only the top 20 winners got one as a prize. That means just 20 of these cards were ever made. Experts think maybe 13 to 20 still exist today in any condition. Some sources say up to 100 might be out there ungraded or lost, but the real number of known copies is tiny. Only a few have been graded by PSA, the top grading service. Logan Paul bought one in PSA 10 condition for over 5 million dollars in 2022. That shows how crazy rare it is. No one knows exactly where all 20 went, but they pop up at auctions once in a blue moon.
Now, look at Magic: The Gathering Alpha rares. Magic started in 1993 with its Alpha set. This was the very first printing, before they fixed errors and improved the cards. Alpha cards have rounded corners and a special back design. Print runs were small because Wizards of the Coast did not expect the game to blow up. For key Alpha rares like Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, or Time Walk, estimates put the total printed between 1,000 and 1,100 copies each. That is based on collector data and sales records over 30 years. Not all survive in good shape, but way more than 20 exist. Hundreds of these have been graded by PSA or BGS. Prices are nuts too. A Black Lotus in top grade can sell for millions, sometimes topping 3 million dollars at auction. Other Alpha rares like Timetwister or Mox Sapphire fetch hundreds of thousands.
So, how do the numbers stack up? Pikachu Illustrator wins on pure scarcity with only 20 made versus 1,000-plus for each major Magic Alpha rare. That makes the Pikachu about 50 times rarer by print run. But Magic Alpha cards have more total supply across all rares in the set. The entire Alpha set had around 20,000 to 30,000 cards printed in total, spread out. Pikachu Illustrator has no such spread, it is just those 20 prizes. Both are chase cards for big spenders. A Pikachu might edge out on rarity per card, but Magic Alphas have a bigger collector base and longer history driving demand.
Prices tell a similar story. Recent sales show Pikachu Illustrators holding at 5 million plus for gems. Magic Alpha Black Lotus hit 511,000 dollars for a PSA 8 in 2021 and keeps climbing. Lower grade Alphas trade hands often, while Pikachus almost never do. If you hunt these on PokemonPricing.com, watch for graded ones. Pikachu Illustrators stay locked in vaults. Magic Alphas show up more at shows and online.
Rarity like this drives the market. Fewer Pikachu Illustrators mean each one feels like a unicorn. Magic Alpha rares are pandas, rare but findable with effort. Both make collecting thrilling if you can afford the chase.
