Accelerated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pokemon card market has been on the rise over the past few years. Just the same as the sports card market, there are both old collectors and new entrants to the hobby that are driving it to new heights.

While the majority of Pokemon cards are low value, that doesn’t hold true across the board. That’s especially true if you have a Pokemon “Pikachu” Illustrator Unnumbered 1998 card.

Late last year, a PSA Mint 9 version of this card sold for $840,000 at auction. Yes, you’re seeing that right: $840,000.

There are only 39 of these cards in existence, as they were released in a very limited number during a handful of CoroCoro Comics illustrations events in 1998. So, while it’s unlikely that you have one of these cards hidden away, you never know what you’ll find as you scour your collection.

And if the PSA Mint 9 sale isn’t enough to excite you, consider this: a PSA Mint 10 sold in a private sale for $5.275 million. This alone shows you why it’s so important to consider condition when buying Pokemon or sports cards. In this case, the difference is roughly $4.4 million.

There’s never been a better time to be a Pokemon collector. Pull out your collection and check the value of your cards. You may not have a “Pikachu” Illustrator Unnumbered card, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth anything. Good luck!

Four Sales is the leading estate sale company in Virginia, DC and Maryland. For the past 40+ years, Four Sales has conducted over 3,000 estate sales in Virginia, DC and Maryland. Four Sales estate sales headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia with regional offices in Charlottesville, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland.