Have you ever wondered just how many Pikachu Illustrator cards are out there for collectors to see? This ultra-rare Pokemon card from 1998 comes from a Japanese illustration contest, where only the top 39 winners got one as a prize. Experts believe around 39 were printed in total, but not all show up in public records or sales.[2][4]
Publicly displayed or graded copies are even scarcer. Professional grading services like PSA track what gets submitted and authenticated. So far, only a handful have surfaced in auctions, sales listings, or collector showcases. The most famous one is the PSA 10 gem owned by Logan Paul, which he bought for over $5 million in 2022 and later put up for auction. That card grabbed headlines and proved its spot as one of the holy grails of Pokemon collecting.[2][3][4]
Beyond that, reports point to just 12 to 13 total Pikachu Illustrator cards that have been graded by PSA or shown publicly through auctions and marketplaces. Some sources say up to around 100 might exist in private hands, but those stay hidden from view, ungraded or tucked away in collections.[2] For example, high-profile sales at places like Heritage Auctions or Fanatics Collect highlight these rare appearances, but they do not flood the market like common cards do.
Why so few in the open? Many winners from back in 1998 might not have known the card’s future value, or they hold onto them without grading. Grading adds proof of condition, which drives prices sky-high, but it also risks damage during shipping or inspection. Recent sales of other Pikachu promos, like the 2024 Illustration Contest version (card #214), go for $15 to $20 in near mint shape, showing how the original Illustrator dwarfs everything else in rarity and demand.[1]
Spotting a public Pikachu Illustrator means watching auction sites or big collector events. Prices for confirmed ones start in the millions for top grades, making it a dream chase for serious Pokemon card hunters on sites like ours. Keep an eye on grading updates from PSA, as any new pop-up could shake up the market.
