Rare Pokemon card could sell for £250,000 as 'trophy' collectable goes up for auction

Only 39 copies of the Pokemon card were ever made, and experts now predict the collectable will start a bidding war that could exceed a quarter of a million pounds

A rare Pokemon card could sell for £250,000 when it goes up for grabs at an auction.

The Pikachu Illustrator is one of only 39 made by the Japanese firm. It was awarded to the winner and runner-up of a drawing competition in a contest by ­CoroCoro Comics in 1998. It goes on sale at French auction house Aguttes from October 15 to 22.

Collectible card expert Francois Thierry said: "This card is a true trophy, a must-have for the biggest Pokemon enthusiasts. Owning it places them among the world's most unique collections." The Pikachu card is a version of the same one acquired by YouTube superstar Logan Paul for a record £4million in 2021.

The rare Pikachu card isn't the only one that could now be worth a fortune. Research by CSGOLuck suggests Charizard cards top the value charts, with certain versions fetching as much as £5,300.

"While it will come as no surprise to fans of the franchise that Charizard ranked first, it's astonishing to see just how much more valuable the character's cards were in comparison to others," a spokesperson from CSGOLuck said. "The fact that the face of the franchise, Pikachu, has over triple the number of cards in circulation than Charizard demonstrates just how popular and iconic the fire-breathing Pokémon is."

The undisputed champion Charizard dominates the Pokémon card market with an impressive total card value of $21,468.91 (£16,000). The character's iconic status makes each card a prized possession to collectors, but the values of its 62 cards vary dramatically, ranging from $2.86 to an astonishing $7,182.99 (£5,300).

For those wanting to understand their cards' worth, one savvy user on Reddit offered a tip: "Each card is from a specific set. You can most easily identify your card by typing in the name of the card and the set number which is found in the lower left or lower right corner of a card. For example, a base set Charizard holo is 4/102 - if I didn't know this card was from base set I would simply search 'Charizard 4/102'. If you have base set cards, there is a chance they are 1st edition, shadowless, or unlimited."

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