Complete Set of 102 First Edition Pokémon Cards Graded Highest by Third-Party Appraiser Fetches $1.21 Million (Approx. ¥199.55 Million), Setting Record for Public Sale

At the "Trading Card Games and Manga Signature® Auction" held by Heritage Auctions (Headquarters: Dallas, Texas, USA) from June 26-27, 2026, a complete set of 102 cards from the "Pokémon 1st Edition Base Set," all receiving the highest PSA Gem Mint 10 grade, was sold for $1,218,750 (hereinafter referred to as "dollars," approximately ¥199.55 million).

This winning bid is the highest price for the set in a public sale. Furthermore, the total amount of winning bids for this auction reached $7,894,456 (approximately ¥1.29256 billion), surpassing the $7,620,617 (approximately ¥1.24772 billion) recorded in March 2026, and setting a new record for Heritage Auctions' trading card game auctions.

*Japanese yen conversion is an approximate calculation based on 1 US dollar = 163.73 yen.

Pokémon Cards Symbolize the Expansion of the Pop Culture Market

Trading cards have transcended their status as mere toys or collectibles, increasingly gaining recognition in the international auction market based on their condition, rarity, provenance, and the cultural impact of the work.

Pokémon cards, in particular, are one of the collectibles symbolizing Japanese content that has spread globally through its connection with games, anime, and manga. Among these, early circulation cards, prize cards distributed at events and contests, and well-preserved cards that have received high ratings from third-party appraisers are drawing attention not only for nostalgia but also from the perspectives of cultural and asset value.

In recent years, global interest in pop culture-related items such as trading cards, manga, and games has been on the rise. The results of this auction serve as a case study demonstrating that not only the popularity of the work but also its condition, provenance, and circulation volume significantly influence its valuation.

The Complete Set of 102 Highest-Graded Cards is an "Achievement" in Pokémon Card Collecting

The "Pokémon 1st Edition Base Set" that was sold this time is the iconic early set of English Pokémon cards released by Wizards of the Coast (Note 1) in 1999. A complete set where all 102 cards have been graded "PSA Gem Mint 10" combines extremely high preservation quality with rarity.

"PSA Gem Mint 10" is the highest grade on a 10-point scale awarded by the third-party grading institution PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator). It indicates that the card's corners, surface, print quality, and centering (Note 2) are in exceptionally excellent condition.

(Note 1) Wizards of the Coast: A US game company known for "Magic: The Gathering," which also developed early English Pokémon cards. (Note 2) Centering: An evaluation criterion indicating how accurately the card's artwork and borders are positioned in the center, both vertically and horizontally.

Jesus Garcia, Managing Director of Heritage Auctions' Trading Card Games department, stated:

"Simply assembling the complete 102-card 1999 1st Edition Base Set is a significant achievement. To then have all of them in the highest grade of PSA Gem Mint 10 is an extraordinary accomplishment. Acquiring these cards in top condition requires years of passion, time, money, and patience. This sale result demonstrates that the buyer deeply understood and valued the difficulty of obtaining these cards and the effort invested in completing this collection."

Pikachu Prize Cards and Trophy Cards Also Fetch High Prices; Manga Titles Including "Weekly Shonen Jump" Debut Issue Also Sold

This auction also saw significant attention on representative prize and trophy cards from Pokémon. The "Pokémon Illustrator Pikachu CoroCoro Comic Unnumbered Promo," graded PSA 8.5, sold for $843,750 (approximately ¥138.15 million).

A set of three trophy cards awarded at the 1998 "Lizardon Mega Battle" event – "Gold No. 1 Trainer," "Silver No. 2 Trainer," and "Bronze No. 3 Trainer" – sold for $875,000 (approximately ¥143.26 million). The No. 1 and No. 2 cards received a PSA Mint 9 grade, and the No. 3 card received a PSA NM 7 grade.

Fewer than 20 PSA-graded items of any condition are known to exist for these cards, and the opportunity to acquire all three together is limited.

Similarly, an Artist Proof Limited Edition (Beta) set of "Magic: The Gathering," a representative card game of the 1990s, sold for $575,000 (approximately ¥94.14 million). This set consisted of all 285 artist proof cards, created for checking artwork finish with blank backs, signed and sketched by the artist. The consignor, who reportedly spent 15 years completing this collection, had the cards evaluated. The rarity of assembling all 285 cards, coupled with the presence of signatures and sketches on each card, contributed to its valuation.

In the manga category, high bids were received for popular titles such as the debut issue of "Shonen Jump" (Note 3), published in 1968, as well as "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" and "Sailor Moon."

(Note 3) Initially published bi-weekly, it was released as "Shonen Jump" rather than the current "Weekly Shonen Jump."

List of Major Winning Bids from the June 2026 "Trading Card Games and Manga Signature® Auction"

● PSA Gem Mint 10 "Pokémon 1st Edition Base Set" Complete 102-Card Set (1999) Winning Bid: $1,218,750 | Approx. ¥199.55 million

● "Gold No. 1 / Silver No. 2 / Bronze No. 3 Trainer" Holo Trophy Card 3-Card Set (1998) Winning Bid: $875,000 | Approx. ¥143.26 million

● PSA 8.5 "Pokémon Illustrator Pikachu" Unnumbered Promo CoroCoro Comic (1998)

Winning Bid: $843,750 | Approx. ¥138.15 million

● Uncut Sheet Pokémon 1st Edition / Shadowless Base Set "Form 7" (1998 Wizards of the Coast) Winning Bid: $375,000 | Approx. ¥61.40 million

● PSA Gem Mint 10 "Pokémon Pikachu Art Academy" Championship Prize Card (2015) Winning Bid: $156,250 | Approx. ¥25.58 million

● Signed & Sketched "Magic: The Gathering Artist Proof Limited Edition (Beta) Set" All 285 Cards (1993)

Winning Bid: $575,000 | Approx. ¥94.14 million

● BGS 3.5 "Shonen Jump" Issue No. 1 Debut Issue (1968) Winning Bid: $37,500 | Approx. ¥6.14 million

● BGS 9.4 "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Vol. 1 First Edition (1987) with Book Cover Grade 9.0 Winning Bid: $22,500 | Approx. ¥3.68 million

● BGS 9.0 "Sailor Moon" Vol. 1 First Edition with Obi (1992) Book Cover 8.0 Winning Bid: $18,750 | Approx. ¥3.07 million

Images and auction results for all items can be viewed at HA.com/7458.

About Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auction company with top-tier online traffic and transaction volume (according to SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). It has offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam, Munich, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Its official website, HA.com, boasts over 2 million online bidding members and allows for retrospective searches of images and detailed information for over 7 million items. Furthermore, by registering for a free online account, users can view past auction results for over 7 million items. (Note: Media representatives are granted reproduction rights by citing the image credits.)

Heritage opened its Tokyo office in 2024, providing support in Japanese for auction participation, consignment, appraisal, and shipping arrangements.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding this press release or the auction.

Contact: [email protected]

Website: https://www.ha.com/tokyo