The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest Pokemon cards out there, with experts believing only 39 copies exist based on the number of winners from the CoroCoro Comic illustration contests in Japan during 1997 and 1998.[1][2][4] These contests invited young fans to draw their own Pokemon artwork, and the top entries won this special promo card featuring Pikachu holding art tools, marking the winner as an “Illustrator” instead of a regular trainer.[3]
CoroCoro Comic, a popular Japanese kids’ magazine, ran these contests over two years, handing out cards directly to winners at award ceremonies or by mail, never through packs or stores.[1][3] That limited distribution means no more were ever made, tying the total supply straight to the contest winner count, which sources pin at exactly 39.[1][2][4] Some cards have versions like numbered trophy cards (No. 1, 2, or 3 Trainer), but the unnumbered Pikachu Illustrator promos make up the bulk of that 39.[4]
This scarcity drives insane prices today. A PSA 8.5 grade sold for $610,000 recently, doubling from $300,000 just a year earlier, showing how demand keeps pushing values up.[1] Logan Paul grabbed the only PSA 10 version for over $5 million, turning it into a flex piece he even wore at WrestleMania.[1][3] Even a Mint 9 by CGC hit $325,000 at auction, proving high-grade survivors are tough to find among those 39.[4]
For collectors chasing Pikachu Illustrator prices on PokemonPricing.com, that 39-count from CoroCoro archives is the key number to watch. It explains why every sale feels like an event, with the market betting few more will surface from private stashes.[1] Graded copies are tracked closely by PSA and Beckett, but the total believed to exist holds steady at 39 based on those original contest records.[2][6]
