Are YOUR childhood Pokémon cards worth a fortune? Demand for collectibles has soared with rare finds worth as much as £300,000 – but they have to be in mint condition
- The 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan is the most expensive, and rarest card up for sale on eBay – costing £300,000
- In second place is Shadowless First Edition Charizard with price tag of £46,000
- The Shining Charizard also lands in the top 10 with a selling price of £27,500
Many of us have childhood toys tucked away in the loft, unaware that they could be worth a fortune.
If you’re the lucky owner of these top ten Pokémon cards, you may be surprised to hear they could fetch you thousands of pounds each on the second-hand market.
With Pokémon’s 25th Anniversary celebrated this year, UK-based experts at ManySpins.com trawled through hundreds of cards available on eBay to find just how much they could be worth.
The most expensive card currently listed on eBay is the 1998 Holo Parent and Child Tournament Trophy Kangaskhan, at an eye watering cost of £300,000.
The most expensive card currently listed on eBay is the 1998 Holo Parent and Child Tournament Trophy Kangaskhan (pictured), at an eye watering cost of £300,000
Placing second is the Shadowless First Edition Charizard card, currently expected to be snapped up for £46,000 (pictured left) and in third is the 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy, expected to fetch £41,988
| Card | Highest eBay Selling Price | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan | £300,000 |
| 2 | Shadowless First Edition Charizard | £46,000 |
| 3 | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy | £41,998 |
| 4 | Booster Shadowless Clefairy (Holo) | £30,000 |
| 5 | Espeon Gold Sta | £28,891 |
| 6 | Shining Charizard | £27,500 |
| 7 | Magikarp (University Pro) | £26,255 |
| 8 | Rayquaza Gold Star Halo | £21,916 |
| 9 | Articuno Tropical Mega Battl | £12,273 |
| 10 | 1999 1st Edition Venusaur | £7,574 |
Industry experts say demand for Pokémon cards has increased over the last five years as millennials who grew up with the collectibles seek to recapture their childhood. This in turn has driven up the price.
But in unfortunate news for most people who’ve hung onto those cards, they need to be in mint condition in order to be worth a significant sum.
The second most valuable card on the UK market is the Shadowless First Edition Charizard card, currently expected to be snapped up for £46,000.
Not far behind with a selling price of £41,988, and in third place, is the 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy.
Booster Shadowless Clefairy (Holo) and Espeon Gold Star round off the top five most expensive cards, with the highest sale price of £30,000 and £28,891, respectively.
In fourth place is the Booster Shadowless Clefairy (Holo), with the highest eBay Selling Price £30,000
Espeon Gold Sta came fifth, at £28,891, while Shining Charizard (right) placed sixth, and is listed for £27,500
| Country | Most Popular Card | Second Most Popular Card | Third Most Popular Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (£300,000.00) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (£46,000) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (£41,998) |
| USA | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan ($495,000) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard ($100,000) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy ($57,941) |
| Canada | 1998 Halo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan ($629,689.28) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy ($73,707.) | Shining Charizard ($30,000) |
| Australia | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan ($640,735.23) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy ($75,000) | Shining Charizard ($30,000) |
| Spain | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€342,120.27) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€52,458) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (€47,895) |
| France | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€342,120.27) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€52,458.44) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (47,895) |
| Germany | 1999 1st Edition Venusaur (€ 500,000.00) | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€79,000) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€52,458) |
| Austria | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€79,000.00) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€52,458) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (47,895) |
| Belgium | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€409,175.45) | Holographic Shadowless First Edition Chansey (€61,996) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (52,501) |
| Italy | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€342,120.27) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard, Holographic Shadowless First Edition Mewtwo (€52,458) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (€47,895) |
| Netherlands | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€409,175.45) | Holographic Shadowless First Edition Chansey (€61,996) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€52,458) |
| Ireland | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (€342,120.27) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (€56,687) | 1998 Kamex Mega Battle Trophy (€47,89) |
| Poland | 1998 Holo Trophy Parent and Child Tournament Kangaskhan (1,827,883.53zł) | Shadowless First Edition Charizard (1,528,332zł) | Holographic Shadowless First Edition Chansey (276,952 zł) |
Jacob Flood, avid card collector, commented: ‘I’ve always been into Pokémon since I was a child, but in the last five years or so they have become incredibly popular as a collectible because of their nostalgia.
‘As Pokémon cards are 25 years old now, they have become increasingly difficult to source, particularly in mint condition.
A 1st Edition shadowless Pokémon has specifically become one of the most sought after.
‘The highest I would pay for a Pokémon card at the moment is £1,100.’
‘I personally would always be happy to invest in Pokémon cards, particularly PSA cards, as it’s a memory from my childhood that I can keep for years to come as they become more and more historic.’
University Magikarp university promo came in seventh place, with the highest listing fee being £26,255
Rayquaza Gold Star Halo costs £21,916 (pictured, left), while Articuno Tropical Mega Battl is £12,273
In tenth place was 1999 1st Edition Venusaur, which is listed on eBay for £7,574 (pictured)