Rarest Pokemon card ever sells for record-breaking $250,000
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An extremely rare Pokemon card has broken all previous sale records after selling for a whopping quarter of a million dollars.
The card, which was sold on ZenPlus, is the rarest in existence. The 1998 Pokemon Illustrator is so elusive, it’s said that only between ten and twenty exist.
Back in 1998, the card was awarded to winners of a Japanese CoroCoro comic contest. Its design is unique and, despite being a “trainer” card, it reads “Illustrator” instead and is the only known card to have this change.
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It’s also the only item to have a special pen symbol in the bottom right corner, further adding to its mystique and exclusivity.
ZenMarketAdditionally, it features art by Atsuko Nishida, the original illustrator of Pikachu, who is featured prominently in the card’s design. From a competitive standpoint, the card has no benefit to trainers, not that it would be tournament legal to begin with.
Its text reads: “We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokemon Card Game Illustration Contest. Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokemon Card Illustrator and admire your skill.”
According to ZenMarket, the card was sold to an American buyer. Furthermore, it had a Professional Sports Authenticator rating of “Mint 9,” the second-highest possible condition grade.
The Pokemon Company/SyFyMint 9 cards are said to be in “superb condition” with only one minor flaw such as a light wax stain on the reverse, a minor imperfection, or slightly off-white borders.
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Previously, a copy of the card sold for $243,000 in 2019, so this is the first time it has broken the quarter-million mark. With so few copies of Illustrator out in the open, it will be interesting to see just how much the card will sell for in the years ahead, given its absurd rarity and the prestige of owning one.