DALLAS, TX.- A PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator sold for $54,970 at the Nov. 18, 2016, Heritage Comics and Comic Art auction. The card was given as prizes to winners of the CoroCoro Comic Illustration Contest that began in 1998, with just 39 copies distributed in three competitions, making it the grail of grails of the Pokémon Trading Card Game collecting hobby then and now. Ten years ago, that price was a headline-worthy sum. Today, it would be a steal.

Another PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator, this one boasting a Mike Baker Authenticated Gold Diamond enhancement to its grade, is the ultimate lot to catch at the Sept. 18–19 Trading Card Games Signature® Auction, which features a superlative selection of graded trading cards, sealed booster boxes, uncut sheets, original artwork and other iconic treasures of the hobby.

The copy is one of 15 certified by PSA with a Mint 9, with only one example graded higher. It is distinguished by its status as the only 9-graded copy to earn the MBA Gold Diamond, which indicates it is exceptional for its grade. PSA grades in whole numbers between 1 and 10, so a card bearing an MBA Gold Diamond means MBA would consider it to be worthy of a 9.5, says Heritage Auctions Trading Card Games Managing Director Jesus Garcia.

“The Gold Diamond sticker shows how nice of a 9 it is,” Garcia says. “The sticker has caught on in sports cards, but it’s relatively new in Trading Card Games.”

With bidding already beyond the million-dollar mark, it’s safe to say nobody will be obtaining this trophy for that five-digit sum that raised eyebrows in 2016.

Another lot goes even further back in the history of the game: the November 1996 issue of Japanese manga magazine CoroCoro Comic, which includes an insert with the very first promotional cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pikachu and Jigglypuff. Both are glossy, setting them apart from the non-glossy versions released the following month in a different magazine.





This PSA Gem Mint 10 Gold Star Charizard 100 from the EX Dragon Frontiers expansion set would be an enviable centerpiece for any serious collector’s assemblage.

“With these cards, you could only pull one out of 72 packs,” Garcia says. “They’re very rare and very hard to find in a PSA 10. This is one of the most sought-after cards in the hobby.”

A complete set of three Gem Mint 10 Pokémon Tropical Mega Battle Promo Phone Cards, featuring consecutive certification numbers, is a rare bird indeed — the legendary birds of the Kanto region, to be exact. These cards were offered to those who did not get an invitation to the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle Tournament but earned stamps each time they battled at the event.

Of the non-Pokémon lots, perhaps none is as exciting as the original art for one of the most popular rare cards from the Urza’s Saga expansion set of Magic: The Gathering. Renowned role-playing game and fantasy artist Ron Spencer painted the terrifying, imposing artwork for the powerful Yawgmoth’s Will card.

“This is a very popular card a lot of players use,” Garcia says. “With Magic: The Gathering cards’ original artwork, the card’s popularity has a lot to do with its value. Some of it has to do with the art itself, but sometimes when a lot of players had multiple copies in their decks because it is a powerful card, that causes the paintings to go up in value, too.”

Other highlights in the auction include, to name just a few:

• A sealed Pokémon First Edition Base Set
• A rare Gem Mint 10 Charizard 3 Legendary Collection reverse holo card
• A PSA Gem Mint 10 Gold Star Mewtwo 103 from the EX Holon Phantoms set