With the popularity of the Pokémon Trading Card Game at an all-time high, fans are snapping up original Pokémon cards for big money. It isn’t only rare treasures that are valuable, many original or first edition Pokémon cards that may have been gathering dust in your garage could be worth thousands today.
There are numerous Pokémon available and an equal number of Pokémon Trading Cards, ranging from basic Pidgeys to rare and priceless legendary cards. And valuable is an accurate description, with roughly eight tonnes of counterfeit cards seized in China recently – in short, Pokémon cards are a huge business.
Here are fifteen original Pokémon cards worth collecting and holding on to.
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15. Super Energy Removal
Of all the trainer cards that require the user to make a sacrifice, Super Energy Removal is, without a doubt, the greatest. True, nobody wants to waste one of their hard-won energies. Pokémon TCG games rely on well-thought-out strategies, and there is no better way to sabotage your opponent’s strategy than by removing their fuel.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $100
14. 1st Edition Growlithe
Growlithe is a fire-type Pokemon, and will bark or bite to chase away any potential enemies. They are quite friendly and faithful to people though, which is a great trait for any Pokemon to have. The Growlithe possesses a strong olfactory sense, allowing it to smell out any predators around them and their trainer.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $500
13. 1st Edition Dugtrio
Evolved from the Diglett into a trio of Digletts combined into one body, the Dugtrio is a ground-type Pokemon that has immense burrowing abilities. They can burrow up to sixty feet down into the ground and possibly trigger small earthquakes.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $550
12. 1st Edition Dratini
A rare dragon-type Pokemon that lives near the bottom of seas and lakes, Dratini is the base form of Dragonair before it evolves. Thought to be only a myth in the Pokemon world, the Dratini lives in small colonies and continuously sheds its skin due to its large amount of life energy.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $750
11. 1st Edition Lass
Placed in the Trainer class, Lasses are the counterparts of Youngsters (male). They are responsible for training the Pokemon so they can become stronger and evolve into their new forms. Since Lasses are young girls, they will grow up to be Beauties in the Pokemon world.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,000
10. 1st Edition Dragonair
The evolved version of the Dratini, the Dragonair has a few differences from its younger counterpart. The biggest differences are the fins on the Dragonair’s head have now become wings that allow the creature to fly in the water, and crystals on its neck and tail. The crystals allow the Dragonair to discharge large amounts of energy from its body, possibly even changing the weather patterns around the Pokemon.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,400
9. 1st Edition Pikachu (Red Cheeks)
One of the most recognizable Pokemon in the entire franchise, Pikachu is the evolved version of Pichu and will later evolve into Raichu. The red cheeks version of Pikachu is so valuable because this was the original version that artist Mitshuhiro Arita wanted. Later Pikachu’s red cheeks were colored yellow to coincide with his lightning bolt attacks, and now the red cheeks are worth a lot of money.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,500
8. 1st Edition Holographic Ninetales
One of the coolest Pokemon in my opinion comes in the form of Ninetales, which possesses nine tails and golden fur. This Pokemon is highly intelligent and can understand human speech, and is said that each of its tails contains an enchanted power. Ninetales also have the capacity to control its opponent’s mind with piercing red eyes.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $7,500
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7. 1st. Edition Holographic Clefairy
Without the ability to fight, Clefairy dodges its enemies by using stored-up moonlight in its wings to fly away. Known to be extremely shy, the Clefairy will only emerge from its mountain shelter under a full moon, where groups of them come together and dance. The actual high grade Pokemon card for the Clefairy is also quite rare, bringing this card’s value up quite a bit.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $8,000
6. Aquapolis Lugia
Aquapolis originated during the bizarre eCard era of the Pokémon Trading Card game when cards could be scanned into the Gameboy Advance’s e-Reader accessory. While the entire endeavor was a failure, a few of the cards from that era remain quite valuable. Lugia (alternatively dubbed ‘Crystal Lugia’ because of its Crystal Type ability) is Aquapolis’ most valuable card from the set.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $8,000
5. 1st Edition Holographic Mewtwo
Named as one of the best Pokemon of all time and part of the Legendary Pokemon group, this psychic-type will always garner lots of attention. Mewtwo itself is an artificial Pokemon, being created in a lab when a scientist altered its DNA through gene-splicing techniques. Any holographic card of this Pokemon is sure to cost thousands of dollars.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $17,000
4. 1st Edition Holographic Chansey
Chansey is a normal-type Pokemon with short legs, but can still get away from danger quite easily and quickly, making it a hard Pokemon to catch. Using a move called “Soft-Boiled,” Chansey can even help heal other Pokemon, and if a trainer manages to catch a Chansey they receive happiness from this pink Pokemon.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $22,500
3. Blastoise
Blastoise is another heavy hitter, using its power rather than speed to overtake its opponents. The huge turtle was a staple of many children’s collections in the 1990s and is now fairly valued. Due to the character’s popularity among fans, its worth will only continue to climb.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $38,600
2. Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
Only 12 Tropical Wind promo cards were manufactured for the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle, a predecessor to the Pokémon World Championships, making this one of the most precious Pokémon sets available.
In Honolulu, Hawaii, 50 players worldwide competed in the Tropical Mega Battle, a competition for the trading card game. The only way to join was to win a battle in your region and receive an invite, making it an invitation-only event for the world’s finest Pokémon trainers – and the cards presented as prizes were some of the rarest Pokémon cards ever created.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $90,000
1. 1st Edition Charizard
Charizard has long been TCG’s crown jewel. So much so that a shadowless 1st Edition version of the card sold at auction for $220k in October to former rapper Logic. Charizard itself is a fire-type orange Pokemon with wings that can carry it up to 4,600 feet in the air, where it can fly around and look for other Pokemon to battle. Their intense flames can melt any material, but they will never torch a weaker opponent.
- PSA Rated 10 Gem Mint Value: $181,900
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Bottomline on Original Pokemon Cards
Whether you like them or not, there is no denying that original Pokémon cards are some of the most sought-after cards in non-sports card collecting.
Pokémon became a global sensation with a massive fan following due to the video games, television series, and the cards themselves.
Many of the children who grew up with these cards are now adults with the sufficient financial ability to purchase them in mint condition. That trend does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon, as these cards have established themselves as one of the industry’s most popular non-sports sets.
