Pikachu Illustrator cards are among the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, with only about 39 known to exist in total, and just a handful of those are unlikely to ever hit the market for sale.
These cards come from a special 1998 illustration contest in Japan run by CoroCoro magazine. Kids entered drawings of Pikachu, and the top 39 winners got these promo cards as prizes. They are not for sale anywhere officially, which makes them super exclusive right from the start.[2][4]
Out of those 39, experts believe only around 13 to 20 have surfaced in the collector world over the years. The rest stay hidden because many winners might not even know what they have, or they hold onto them as keepsakes. Some owners treat them like family treasures and have no plans to sell, no matter the price.[2]
The most famous sales prove how few move hands. Logan Paul bought a perfect PSA 10 graded one for over 5 million dollars in 2022, and he is now planning to auction it off. That leaves even fewer top-condition copies available. Other sales are rare, and prices stay sky-high because supply never grows.[3][4]
What makes some truly unlikely to sell? Private collectors who won them as kids often keep them off the market forever. A few might be lost or damaged beyond recognition. Graded versions by PSA or BGS number just a small group, and owners of those gems rarely let go. For everyday collectors, this means chasing one is like winning a lottery.[2]
Compare this to newer Pikachu promos like the 2024 Illustration Contest #214 card. Those sell often, with recent prices around 12 to 20 dollars for near mint copies and up to 137 dollars for PSA 10s. They trade weekly because thousands exist.[1]
Pikachu Illustrator stands alone in rarity. Its low numbers and no-reprint rule keep most locked away, driving value for the few that do appear. Collectors dream about them, but for many, they remain unsellable legends.
