# List of most expensive cards from collectible card games
The most expensive cards from collectible card games (TCGs) are a small group of vintage Pokémon and [Magic: The Gathering](https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-the-gathering) cards that have sold for between roughly $500,000 and $16.5 million at auction or in verified private sales. The record holder is a PSA Gem Mint 10 Pikachu Illustrator, sold for $16,492,000 by [Logan Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/logan-paul) through Goldin Auctions on 16 February 2026, a price [Guinness World Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/guinness-world-records) confirmed as a record not only for a Pokémon card but for any trading card sold at auction.[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/452634-most-expensive-pokemon-trading-card-sold-at-auction) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Most expensive TCG card sold at auction | 1998 Pikachu Illustrator, PSA Gem Mint 10, $16,492,000, Goldin Auctions, 16 February 2026[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/452634-most-expensive-pokemon-trading-card-sold-at-auction) |
| Same card, previous sale | Bought by Logan Paul in 2021 for $5,275,000, then the record for a Pokémon card sold privately[2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad) |
| Most expensive Pokémon card after the Illustrator | "Raincoat Pikachu" artwork by Katsura Fujishima, $8.4 million at auction[3](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/toys-collectibles/imagine-spending-usd8-4-million-on-a-pokemon-card) |
| Most expensive Magic: The Gathering card | Alpha Black Lotus, CGC Pristine 10, $3,000,000, private sale by Pristine Collectibles, April 2024[4](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/647417-most-expensive-magic-the-gathering-card-sold-at-auction) |
| Most expensive Pokémon card at a PSA 9 grade | Pikachu Illustrator with Mike Baker Authenticated Gold Diamond enhancement, $5,000,000, Heritage Auctions, September 2026[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535) |
| Highest non-Pokémon, non-Magic TCG sale | One-of-one Luffy trophy card (One Piece Card Game), $713,700, Goldin Summer TCG Elite Auction[6](https://www.puregrail.com/article/one-piece-713700-trophy-luffy-record-goldin-summer-tcg-auction) |
| Scarcity benchmark | Fewer than 100 Alpha Black Lotus copies exist in PSA 8 or better; only a few dozen Pikachu Illustrator cards are believed to exist[7](https://cardmarks.com/cards/black-lotus) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad) |
## Pokémon records
**Pikachu Illustrator** dominates the list. The card was designed by Atsuko Nishida for a 1998 contest publicized in CoroCoro Comic, where it was awarded as the grand prize of one of the first three illustration contests; only a few dozen copies are believed to exist.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad) • [8](https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/as-pokemon-celebrates-30-years-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-draws-record-1.4-million-to-lead-heritage-s-7.6-million-record-setting-trading-card-games-auction.s?releaseId=5418) Logan Paul bought the only copy graded [PSA 10](https://www.edgepedia.org/psa-10) in 2021 for $5,275,000, added a diamond necklace and custom case, and wore it at [WrestleMania 38](https://www.edgepedia.org/wrestlemania-38) in 2022; the February 2026 resale to venture capitalist A.J. Scaramucci, founder of Solari Capital, closed after 41 days of bidding.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad) • [9](https://e24.no/naeringsliv/i/gk6xA1/verdens-dyreste-pokemon-kort-solgt)
Lower-graded copies of the same card command large sums in their own right. PSA has certified 15 copies at Mint 9, with only one example graded higher.[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535) A PSA Mint 9 sold for $1,406,250 at Heritage in March 2026, a public auction record for the grade.[8](https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/as-pokemon-celebrates-30-years-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-draws-record-1.4-million-to-lead-heritage-s-7.6-million-record-setting-trading-card-games-auction.s?releaseId=5418) Six months later, a Mint 9 carrying a Mike Baker Authenticated (MBA) Gold Diamond enhancement, meaning MBA would consider it worthy of a 9.5, sold for $5 million, the highest amount ever paid for a PSA 9 Illustrator and the second highest auction price for any Pokémon card.[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535)
**Other Pokémon cards** reach into the millions. A "Raincoat Pikachu" illustrated by Katsura Fujishima sold for $8.4 million at auction, making it the second most valuable Pokémon card behind the PSA 10 Illustrator.[3](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/toys-collectibles/imagine-spending-usd8-4-million-on-a-pokemon-card) A 1998 Trophy Pikachu No. 1 Trainer card graded PSA 9 sold for $3,000,000 on eBay in September 2025, and a Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer in PSA 10 brought $1,769,000 in May 2026.[10](https://www.theorycards.org.uk/record-book/) A Torchic ☆ 108/109 in PSA 10 sold for $2,700,000 on 10 September 2026, the biggest sale on record in one auction-results tracker.[11](https://ultraball.com/market/records) Sealed product also sets records: a First Edition Base Set sealed booster box sold for $750,000 at Heritage in September 2026, the highest amount ever paid at auction for any sealed Pokémon box, and a complete PSA Gem Mint 10 First Edition Base Set sold for $1,218,750 in June 2026.[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535) • [12](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/record-1.2-million-for-psa-gem-mint-10-pokemon-first-edition-base-set-leads-heritage-s-record-7.89-million-trading-card-games-auction.s?releaseId=5497)
## Magic: The Gathering records
**Black Lotus** is the most valuable Magic card. Released in August 1993 in the inaugural Alpha set, its effect, adding three mana of any one color from a single card, was powerful enough that it was later restricted in tournament play.[7](https://cardmarks.com/cards/black-lotus) An Alpha Black Lotus graded CGC Pristine 10, the only such example in CGC's Population Report as of April 2024, sold for $3,000,000 in April 2024 in a private sale by Pristine Collectibles to an anonymous buyer, the record for a Magic card sold privately.[4](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/647417-most-expensive-magic-the-gathering-card-sold-at-auction) • [13](https://www.cgcgrading.com/news/articles/black-lotus-graded-cgc-pristine-10-sells-for-3-million-breaking-record-6OP9n0yEG2sKg6R6s0LVr3/) High-grade supply is thin: fewer than 100 Alpha Black Lotus copies exist in PSA 8 or above.[7](https://cardmarks.com/cards/black-lotus)
The card's auction record has climbed steeply. A PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus sold for $511,100 on eBay in January 2021, up from $250,000 for a PSA 10 in July 2020, and a signed Beta Black Lotus artist proof brought $615,000 at Heritage in 2023.[10](https://www.theorycards.org.uk/record-book/) • [14](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8195114/Antique%20Trader/AT-March2021.pdf) The other seven-figure Magic card is **The One Ring**, the serialized 001/001 copy from the Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, which sold for $2,000,000 in a 2023 private sale.[10](https://www.theorycards.org.uk/record-book/)
## Other games
[One Piece Card Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/one-piece-card-game) cards have begun reaching trophy-card prices. A one-of-one Luffy trophy card sold for $713,700 at Goldin's Summer TCG Elite Auction, an all-time [One Piece](https://www.edgepedia.org/one-piece) record, at an auction that cleared $18 million overall.[6](https://www.puregrail.com/article/one-piece-713700-trophy-luffy-record-goldin-summer-tcg-auction) Its value rests on championship placement and restricted distribution rather than in-game play, a pattern also seen in Pokémon, where cards awarded at official events in quantities of one to a handful outperform graded chase cards in the same category.[6](https://www.puregrail.com/article/one-piece-713700-trophy-luffy-record-goldin-summer-tcg-auction)
## What drives the prices
Three factors recur across the record sales. Scarcity is the foundation: the Pikachu Illustrator exists in a few dozen copies, and the record-setting Black Lotus was the only CGC Pristine 10 known.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad) • [13](https://www.cgcgrading.com/news/articles/black-lotus-graded-cgc-pristine-10-sells-for-3-million-breaking-record-6OP9n0yEG2sKg6R6s0LVr3/) Grade multiplies value, since a single grade step can move a card from five figures to seven; the MBA Gold Diamond exists precisely because PSA grades in whole numbers between 1 and 10 and cannot express a 9.5.[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535) [Provenance](https://www.edgepedia.org/provenance) and story add the rest, as with a card whose first owner's pack opening can be watched on video, or a card worn to a public event by a celebrity owner.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad)
A distinction runs through the whole list between public auction results and private sales, which are tracked separately by record keepers and can reach higher figures without public verification.[4](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/647417-most-expensive-magic-the-gathering-card-sold-at-auction) • [11](https://ultraball.com/market/records)
## Market context
The record prices sit inside a fast-moving market. Heritage Auctions' September 2026 Trading Card Games auction totaled $12,182,188, breaking its own record of $7,790,094 set three months earlier, the fifth consecutive Heritage TCG auction to beat the previous total.[5](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535) The Card Ladder index of Pokémon secondary-market card prices rose 145% in the twelve months to early 2026, and dealers report collectors and investors in the United States, the Middle East, and Asia paying premium prices for top cards.[15](https://moneyweek.com/investments/alternative-investments/pokemon-cards-auction-sell-for-millions) For comparison, the most expensive sports trading card sold at auction, a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Dual Logoman Jordan and Bryant card, brought $12,932,000 at Heritage in August 2025, below the Pikachu Illustrator's $16.5 million.[16](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-card-sold-at-auction)
## References
1. [Most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at auction, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/452634-most-expensive-pokemon-trading-card-sold-at-auction)
2. [Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/e4f17184466589e7313b58de734a06ad)
3. [Imagine spending $8.4 million on a Pokemon card, Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/entertainment/toys-collectibles/imagine-spending-usd8-4-million-on-a-pokemon-card)
4. [Most expensive Magic: The Gathering card sold in a private sale, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/647417-most-expensive-magic-the-gathering-card-sold-at-auction)
5. [Gold Diamond PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator Achieves Record $5 Million, Heritage Auctions](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/gold-diamond-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-achieves-record-5-million-at-heritageandrsquo-s-biggest-trading-card-games-auction-yet.s?releaseId=5535)
6. [Luffy Trophy Card Sells for $713,700 at Goldin Auction, PureGrail](https://www.puregrail.com/article/one-piece-713700-trophy-luffy-record-goldin-summer-tcg-auction)
7. [Black Lotus Price Guide 2026, CardMarks](https://cardmarks.com/cards/black-lotus)
8. [As Pokémon Celebrates 30 Years, PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator Draws Record $1.4 Million, Heritage Auctions](https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/as-pokemon-celebrates-30-years-psa-mint-9-pikachu-illustrator-draws-record-1.4-million-to-lead-heritage-s-7.6-million-record-setting-trading-card-games-auction.s?releaseId=5418)
9. [Verdens dyreste Pokémon-kort solgt, E24](https://e24.no/naeringsliv/i/gk6xA1/verdens-dyreste-pokemon-kort-solgt)
10. [The Record Book: the most expensive trading cards ever sold, Theory Cards](https://www.theorycards.org.uk/record-book/)
11. [Record Pokémon card sales, UltraBall](https://ultraball.com/market/records)
12. [Record $1.2 Million for PSA Gem Mint 10 Pokémon First Edition Base Set, Heritage Auctions](https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/record-1.2-million-for-psa-gem-mint-10-pokemon-first-edition-base-set-leads-heritage-s-record-7.89-million-trading-card-games-auction.s?releaseId=5497)
13. [Black Lotus Graded CGC Pristine 10 Sells for $3 Million, CGC Grading](https://www.cgcgrading.com/news/articles/black-lotus-graded-cgc-pristine-10-sells-for-3-million-breaking-record-6OP9n0yEG2sKg6R6s0LVr3/)
14. [Antique Trader, March 2021](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8195114/Antique%20Trader/AT-March2021.pdf)
15. [Gotta catch 'em all! Pokémon cards fetch millions at auction, MoneyWeek](https://moneyweek.com/investments/alternative-investments/pokemon-cards-auction-sell-for-millions)
16. [Most expensive sports trading card sold at auction, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-card-sold-at-auction)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Board, card, and puzzle games › Card games › Collectible and trading card games › CCG industry, publishing, and the collecting market*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license