In February 2026, a single Pokémon card sold for $16.492 million. The Pokémon Trading Card Game turns 30 this year, and the anniversary lands right in the middle of the biggest collecting boom the hobby has ever seen.
The crown jewel is the Pikachu Illustrator, a 1998 Japanese promo handed out to winners of a CoroCoro Comic art contest. Just 39 official copies exist, and only one ever earned a perfect PSA 10 grade. Influencer and boxer Logan Paul bought that card in July 2021 for $5.275 million, then sold it in February 2026 for $16.492 million. Guinness World Records certified it as the most valuable trading card on the planet.
Pokémon's 30th Anniversary Plans
The Pokémon Company is leaning all the way in. Its 30th Celebration expansion arrives worldwide on September 16, the first time a Pokémon TCG set has launched simultaneously across the globe. Every booster pack includes one of 30 different Pikachu foil cards, each drawn by a separate artist. A Pokémon Day 2026 collection is already rolling out with a stamped anniversary Pikachu and a commemorative coin.
Thirty years in, the little pocket monsters that started as a schoolyard trade have become some of the most valuable collectibles in the world. Somewhere, a parent is looking at that shoebox in the closet a little differently.
Hence then, the article about iconic 90s trading card craze turns 30 as its holy grail sells for a record 16 5 million was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Iconic '90s Trading Card Craze Turns 30 as Its 'Holy Grail' Sells for a Record $16.5 Million )
Also on site :