Complete First Edition Pokémon Card Set Sells for $1.2 Million at Heritage Auctions, Setting Public Sale Record

Pokémon card collecting reached a new milestone as Heritage Auctions announced that a complete 102 card First Edition Base Set, graded PSA Gem Mint 10, sold for 1,218,750 U.S. dollars.

The set was sold during the Trading Card Games and Manga Signature Auction held by Heritage Auctions, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, from June 26 to 27.

The sale price marks the highest publicly recorded sale for this complete set. The auction also achieved a total of 7,894,456 dollars, surpassing the 7,620,617 dollar total recorded in March 2026 and setting a new all time record for Heritage Auctions’ trading card game auctions.

Pokémon Cards Reflect the Expanding Pop Culture Market

Trading cards have moved beyond the categories of toys and collectibles. In the international auction market, they are increasingly recognized as items of value based on condition, rarity, distribution history, and the cultural influence of the works they represent.

Pokémon cards in particular have become one of the symbolic collectibles of Japanese content that spread globally through games, anime, and manga. Early cards, prize cards distributed at events and contests, and cards in strong condition that have received high grades from third party authentication services are attracting attention not only for nostalgia, but also for their cultural and asset value.

In recent years, global interest in pop culture related items such as trading cards, manga, and games has continued to grow. This auction result shows that recognition of a franchise alone is not the only factor behind market value. Condition, provenance, and distribution volume also play a major role.

Complete 102 Card Set With Highest Grade Is a Major Achievement in Pokémon Card Collecting

The Pokémon First Edition Base Set sold at this auction represents the early era of English language Pokémon cards. It was released in 1999 by Wizards of the Coast. A complete set in which all 102 cards are graded PSA Gem Mint 10 combines exceptional preservation quality with extreme rarity.

PSA Gem Mint 10 is the highest grade on the 10 point scale used by PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, a third party authentication company. The grade indicates that the card is in outstanding condition in terms of corners, surface, printing quality, and centering.

The auction also drew attention for major Pokémon prize cards and trophy cards. The Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator Unnumbered Promo CoroCoro Comic card, graded PSA 8.5, sold for 843,750 dollars, or approximately 138.15 million yen.

A three card trophy set awarded at the 1998 Charizard Mega Battle sold for 875,000 dollars, or approximately 143.26 million yen. The set consists of the Gold No.1 Trainer, Silver No.2 Trainer, and Bronze No.3 Trainer cards. The No.1 and No.2 cards were graded PSA Mint 9, while the No.3 card was graded PSA NM 7.

Fewer than 20 PSA graded copies of each card have been confirmed, regardless of condition, and opportunities for all three cards to appear together at auction are limited.

Jesus Garcia, Managing Director of Trading Card Games at Heritage Auctions, explained, “Completing all 102 cards from the 1999 First Edition Base Set is already a tremendous achievement. Completing the set with every card in the highest grade of PSA Gem Mint 10 is an extraordinary accomplishment. Building this set in top condition requires years of passion, as well as time, money, and patience. This sale result shows that the buyer deeply understood and valued how difficult these cards are to obtain and the effort required to complete this collection.”

Source : ORICON NEWS