The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, with only about 39 known to exist in total. Experts believe somewhere between 10 and 20 of these ultra-valuable cards sit locked away in private vaults, untouched by the market.[2][4]
This special promo card comes from a 1998 Japanese illustration contest run by CoroCoro magazine. Winners got these cards as prizes, but most stayed hidden or got lost over time. Out of the original print run, Pokemon experts track just 39 copies today. Some have sold at huge auctions, like Logan Paul’s PSA 10 gem that hit over 5 million dollars in 2022.[2][3][4]
Why vaults? Owners of top-condition Pikachu Illustrators know their value keeps climbing. A PSA 9 version sold for around 4 million recently, and perfect PSA 10s are even scarcer.[5] Keeping them sealed in climate-controlled vaults protects against damage from light, air, or handling. This boosts their grade and future sale price for collectors who treat them like gold bars.
Not all vaulted cards are perfect. Some sit in lower grades like PSA 7 or 8, waiting for the right buyer. Market trackers like PriceCharting show no public sales data on Illustrator cards lately, hinting many good ones stay hidden.[1] Private sales happen off the books between big collectors, so the real vault count could shift.
For price chasers on PokemonPricing.com, this means supply stays tight. If a vaulted Pikachu Illustrator hits auction, expect fireworks. Watch grading reports from PSA or BGS for fresh pops, as they signal when hidden gems surface. Raw copies rarely appear, making graded vault queens the real prizes.
