Pikachu Illustrator cards are among the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, with only 39 known to exist in total, and just a handful of those have shown up in media profiles or news stories over the years.
This special card comes from a 1998 illustration contest in Japan run by CoroCoro magazine. Kids entered drawings, and the top 39 winners got these promo cards as prizes. They feature Pikachu in unique artwork by the young artists who won. No more were ever printed, making them super scarce.
Not every one of those 39 has popped up publicly. Most stay hidden in private collections. But a few have made headlines because of big sales or famous owners. For example, YouTuber Logan Paul bought a perfect PSA 10 graded Pikachu Illustrator for over 5 million dollars in 2022. That card got tons of media coverage, from news sites to auction reports.[2][3][4] It is one of the highest graded ones known.
Other Pikachu Illustrators have appeared in media too. Auction houses like Goldin and Heritage have sold them, with details shared online. Reports say only about 13 to maybe 100 exist in estimates, but the real count sticks to those 39 originals.[2] Graded versions by PSA are even rarer to spot in profiles, with just a couple at top grades like PSA 10 getting buzz.
Collectors track these through sales data and grading sites. Prices for ones that surface can hit millions, but most media mentions focus on the top sales. If you are hunting prices, check recent auctions for graded Pikachu Illustrators, though fresh media profiles are rare since owners keep them safe.[1][2]
Spikey-Eared Pichu cards get mixed up sometimes because they are also contest promos, but Pikachu Illustrator stands alone as the holy grail. Keep an eye on grading updates, as a new high-grade one hitting PSA could spark the next big story.[2][4]
