Pikachu Illustrator cards are among the rarest in Pokemon history with only about 39 known to exist, while Test Print cards like the Pikachu MTG Stock Test Proof are even scarcer as unique printer test pieces with just one confirmed copy.[2][1]
The Pikachu Illustrator comes from a 1998 Japanese illustration contest run by CoroCoro magazine. Winners got these special promo cards as prizes. Experts believe exactly 39 were ever printed and handed out. Only a handful have shown up in the collector market over the years. One pristine PSA 10 version made headlines when YouTuber Logan Paul bought it for over 5 million dollars in 2022. That sale put the card’s extreme rarity front and center for Pokemon fans everywhere. Even lower grade copies fetch huge prices because so few exist and none are being made anymore.[2][3][4]
Test Print cards tell a different story. These are super rare proofs from early printing tests before official Pokemon sets launched. The Pikachu MTG Stock Test Proof is a standout example. It shows a chubby Pikachu image printed on the back of an unrelated Magic: The Gathering card from the Portal Three Kingdoms set. Wizards of the Coast used it to check their printers. There’s only one known copy of this Pikachu test print in existence. No others have surfaced despite years of collectors hunting for them. Unlike the Illustrator cards, which had a set number for a contest, test prints were one-offs made quietly in the factory.[2]
Put side by side, Pikachu Illustrator cards outnumber Test Prints by a wide margin: 39 versus 1. That makes the Illustrator feel common by comparison in the ultra-rare Pokemon world. Illustrator cards pop up at auctions now and then, driving prices into the millions for top grades. The single Test Print Pikachu stays a total mystery item, with no sales records or public sightings beyond photos in collector guides. Both types draw big crowds from serious graders and investors who chase anything this limited.
Prices reflect the gap. Recent sales for regular Pikachu promo cards from contests like 2024’s Illustration Contest hover around 15 to 20 dollars in near mint shape. But step up to true vintage rarities like Illustrator, and values explode. Test Prints push even higher in theory due to their one-of-one status, though the Pikachu version has not hit open auction yet.[1][2]
For collectors eyeing these, focus on verified grading from PSA or similar services. Centering, edges, and surface quality decide if a card hits high grades and big bucks. Illustrator cards have sold in grades from 7 up to that famous PSA 10. Test Prints are too few to grade often, but any find would break records fast.[4][2]
