The Pikachu Illustrator card stands as the rarest Pokémon card ever made, with estimates placing the total number of existing copies between 20 and 39. These cards were given out as prizes in a 1998 Japanese contest run by CoroCoro magazine, where kids drew illustrations to win them.[1] Not every one of these cards has a fully tracked story, but several stand out because collectors and grading companies like PSA have documented their paths over the years.
Take the PSA 10 version owned by Logan Paul. He bought it in 2022 for over $5 million, and it’s noted as the only known card in that perfect grade, making its history unique from the start as a contest prize turned celebrity treasure.[3][1][5] Then there’s the PSA 9 Mint copy that sold for $4 million on eBay in 2024. Seller smpratte called it the most documented Pikachu Illustrator out there. It showed up in a 2017 SMR magazine article and even became the main image on Bulbapedia, proving its long public trail from contest winner to auction star.[1]
Experts peg the print run low because the contest was small, and many winners might not have kept or graded their cards. While the exact count of cards with known histories is tough to pin down, at least a handful like these have clear records through sales, grades, and media mentions. This scarcity drives prices sky-high, with each documented copy fetching millions when it hits the market. For collectors chasing prices on PokemonPricing.com, knowing these histories helps spot fakes and value real gems.[1][3] Other Pikachu Illustrators pop up less often, but their stories often trace back to those original Japanese kids who entered the drawing contest decades ago. As more get graded or sold, we learn bits about their journeys, but the full list stays mysterious due to the hobby’s underground roots. Prices reflect this, with top-condition examples leading all Pokémon sales records.
