When it comes to rare Pokemon cards, the Pikachu Illustrator stands out as one of the toughest to find. Experts estimate that only 39 of these cards were ever produced back in 1998 as prizes for a Japanese illustration contest. Out of those, just a handful have surfaced in the collector market, with only about 13 to around 100 possibly still existing in some form today, though many experts stick to the lower number based on known sales and records.[2][4]
That makes the Pikachu Illustrator incredibly scarce. Just a few have been graded by PSA, the top grading service, and one perfect PSA 10 copy famously sold for over 5 million dollars in 2022, grabbed by YouTuber Logan Paul.[2][3][4]
Now compare that to the Base Set Charizard from the original 1999 English Pokemon TCG release. This holo rare was printed in huge numbers as part of the very first big set, with over 100,000 copies made just for the shadowless version alone, not counting reprints or later shadowless runs. First Edition versions are rarer still, but even those number in the thousands that have been graded and tracked over the years. A near-mint one might go for 12,000 dollars, while a perfect PSA 10 can hit 400,000 dollars, but you will find way more of them popping up at auctions and shops.[4]
In simple terms, there are thousands of Base Set Charizard cards out there for collectors to chase, graded and ungraded. Pikachu Illustrator? You are talking dozens at best, with most locked away in private vaults. That tiny supply drives its sky-high prices and holy grail status. If you spot one for sale, it is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Prices on sites like PriceCharting show everyday Pikachu promos moving weekly, but nothing touches the Illustrator’s legend.[1]
