Pikachu Illustrator cards are among the rarest in Pokemon history, with only 39 known to exist in total, but zero have ever been graded in Gem Mint PSA 10 condition.[2][4] This makes them the holy grail for collectors chasing perfect condition copies.
The Pikachu Illustrator comes from a 1998 Japanese illustration contest run by CoroCoro magazine. Winners got these special promo cards as prizes, and just 39 were ever produced. Most sit in lower grades due to age, handling over the years, and the challenges of keeping paper pristine for nearly three decades.[2][4]
Gem Mint means a PSA 10 grade, the top score from Professional Sports Authenticator. It requires perfect centering, sharp corners, flawless edges, and a clean surface with no print defects. Even cards pulled fresh from packs rarely hit this mark because of factory variations or tiny imperfections.[4]
No Pikachu Illustrator has reached PSA 10. The best known are PSA 9s, and even those are super scarce. Logan Paul bought one in PSA 9 for over 5 million dollars in 2022, setting a record that shows demand for high grades.[2][3][4] Lower grades like PSA 7 or 8 sell for hundreds of thousands, but Gem Mint stays a dream.
Why so few high grades? These cards are over 25 years old. Early collectors might have played with them or stored them poorly. Plus, the artwork is stunning but printed on standard promo stock that shows wear easily. Grading data from sites like PSA population reports confirm no 10s exist.[1][2]
For price watchers on PokemonPricing.com, this rarity drives wild values. A hypothetical Gem Mint Pikachu Illustrator could smash records, maybe topping 10 million at auction. Track sales of other top promos like Pikachu 214 from the 2024 contest, which hit 137 dollars in PSA 10 recently, to see how grades boost prices.[1]
Collectors hunt ungraded copies hoping for a miracle grade, but history says do not count on Gem Mint. Focus on authenticated PSA 9s or raw cards from trusted sellers for real value plays. Keep eyes on auction houses for any breakthroughs.
