Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator Sells for $1,006,500 at Goldin

A 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo CoroCoro Comics Holo Illustrator Pikachu has sold for $1,006,500 at Goldin. The card is graded BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 and is one of just five examples of the historic collectible recorded in Beckett’s census, according to the Goldin lot description.

Goldin announced the seven-figure result after the sale, writing on X: “ILLUSTRATOR SALE! Final Sale Price on this 1998 Pokemon Japanese Promos CoroCoro Comics Holo Illustrator Pikachu: $1,006,500.”

The Illustrator Pikachu traces back to a series of art contests held through Japan’s CoroCoro Comic magazine during the early years of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

In November 1997, CoroCoro announced the “Pokémon Card Game Illust Artist Contest,” asking readers to create and submit their own Pokémon card artwork. The magazine revealed three winners in its January issue. Each winner received 20 Pokémon cards featuring their own artwork along with one Illustrator Pikachu card. Another 20 contestants received an Excellence Award that also included a copy of the Illustrator card.

Additional contests followed in May and June 1998, with more copies distributed through various awards. Goldin says Pokémon Trading Card Game co-creator Yuichi Konno later added two more copies to the known total through auction sales.

The total number of officially issued Illustrator Pikachu cards is now estimated at 41, although Goldin notes that it remains unclear whether additional copies could still exist. That extremely small population has helped make Illustrator Pikachu one of the most famous and valuable Pokémon cards in the hobby.

BGS 8.5 Example

The example sold by Goldin received an overall grade of BGS 8.5. Its Beckett subgrades were 8.5 for centering, 9.5 for corners, 8.5 for edges and 8 for surface. Goldin described the front of the card as clean, with crisp colors and a lustrous foil background.

With a final price of $1,006,500, the sale adds another seven-figure result for one of Pokémon collecting’s most recognizable trophy cards.