Unopened Box of Original Pokemon TCG Cards Sells for Over $400,000

An unopened box of first edition Pokemon cards recently sold for over $400,000. The record-breaking sale occurred last week at Heritage Auctions and continues a trend of vintage Pokemon cards selling for big bucks. The sealed booster box contains 36 booster packs, each with 11 cards a piece. Considering that the booster packs have never been handled, it's likely that most of the cards in the box could be graded as near mint, upping their individual value even more. The booster box's $408,000 price tag is $48,000 higher than a similar booster box also sold by Heritage Auctions last year, which indicates just how much the market has exploded over the last year.

Vintage Pokemon cards have become hot items on the secondary market, with cards selling for $300,000 or more. A rare Blastoise card recently sold for $360,000, while a First Edition Charizard card sold for $180,000 in October 2020. One Pokemon fan was even able to pay for medical school by selling off his Pokemon card collection for $80,000. A collection of Charizard cards was also recently traded for a rare "Illustrator Pikachu" card, a transaction estimated at $1 million.

For those who don't have six figures to spend on vintage Pokemon cards, modern-day Pokemon cards are also considered a hot commodity. One of the first Pokemon TCG set of 2021, "Battle Styles," will introduce new mechanics based on Urshifu, the Legendary Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor DLC. A special "Shining Fates" set coming out this year will also feature a Shining Charizard VMAX card which will likely sell for hundreds on the secondary market. The Pokemon TCG will also be re-printing vintage cards in a jumbo form to celebrate the Pokemon franchise's 25th anniversary. More Pokemon TCG news related to the 25th anniversary celebration is also expected later this year.