Hardest To Get Pokémon Promo Cards

The Pokémon Company has released many rarePokémon Trading Card Gamepromo cards over the yr and a handful of them are nearly out of the question to prevail . Ever since its oecumenical debut in 1999 , theTCGhas give out promotional item to raise the Nintendo tabletop game . While manyTCGcollector ’s items such as the infamousBurger King ’s Au Pokémon cardsnever end up being deserving anything , there are a fistful of Pokémon promo cards that are now extremely worthful .

ThePokémon TCGoriginally launched in Japan in 1996 , before making its worldwide debut two years later with the release of the iconic Base Set . The first expansion boast popular Pokémon from the Gen 1Pokémon Red and BlueRPGs . Although thePokémon TCGwould finally become a cultural phenomenon , Nintendo aggressively encourage the new calling card game by giving out promo cards . From pre - release collectibles to prize batting order , there were hundreds of promotional items in theTCG ’s first few old age alone .

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While many of theTCG ’s most worthful wag were released to the public in the 1999 Base Set , some of the game ’s most difficult - to - cut across down collectibles are promo card that were launched in Japan years earlier . The infamousPikachu Illustrator promo cardfrom 1997 , for example , is now selling for century of thousands of dollars due to how obscure it is . Below is a list of the hardest - to - get Pokémon promo card , that most fans will never be able to get their hands on .

In 1998 , Shogakukan magazines held a promotional competition forTCGplayers . Pokémonfans who were able to complete and lapse a handful of mock University tests that were hosted in the publication were invited to attend a limited two - dayPokémoncard case in Osaka , Japan . The player who managed to reach the competition ’s top - ranking bit were then rewarded with a University Magikarp promo notice .

With only a handful of the promo wag give out during the 90s competition , the Japanese collectable has become one of the rarest promotional detail to have ever been released in theTCG.The University Magikarp is so obscure , that there are only fourteen in the entire world known to be grade a pristine ten in quality .

To get more players interested in theNintendo tabletop game , The Pokémon Company debut the uncommon Au star lineup variant in theEX Team Rocket Returns TCGexpansion in 2004 . To capitalize on this , the prescribed Pokémon Players Club offered up a rare Gold Star Umbreon promo card during the 2005 season . While the card was reprinted in the 25th anniversaryPokémon celebration TCGsetin 2021 , the original promo card has become one of the most sought - afterPokémon TCGcollectibles of all time .

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TCGplayers had to earn a staggering 70,000 breaker point by the oddment of the Pokémon Players Club ’s 4th time of year . so as to realise point in time , fans had to attend prescribed consequence , and place in tournaments . Because it was insanely unmanageable for Japanese players to bust up up that many gunpoint in such a short time , the Gold Star Umbreon has one of the lowest populations out of anyTCGpromo card .

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No. 2 Trainer World Championships Pokémon TCG Promos

The No . Trainer card that featureKanto Pokémon Mascot Pikachuholding a prize are some of the most difficultPokémon TCGpromos to come by . The prize cards naturally have a really low population due to only being give out to the first and second - placeTCGplayers at thePokémon World Championships .

The Pikachu trophy promos have become a number of a holy grail item for manyTCGcollectors over the twelvemonth , as the cards just simply do not exist . Those looking to get their hands on the rarified promo batting order will have to find a existence champion willing to give up their hard - earned trophy - which is n’t likely to befall .

In May 1998 , Pokémon rooter were able-bodied to enter a unequalled Mega Battle tournament that was hosted in Japan . The contest had a twirl though , as participants had to lie in of a parent and child duo . Teams that managed to win a series ofPokémon TCGbattles were reinforce with a rarified Family Event trophy promo card which featuredGen 1 Kanto Pokémon Kangaskhan .

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The Kangaskhan Family Event Trophy promo has become extremely try - after , due to its incredibly adorable graphics of Kangaskhan and her baby which sit in the Pokémon ’s sac . Because of the tourney ’s untraditional rules that want both a parent and a tike to introduce together , theTCGpromo was n’t obtained by that many fans .

One of the most unmanageable Pokémon promos to obtain is the Ishihara GX because it was only given out to Game Freak employees . In 2017 , The Pokémon Company surprise its President Tsunekazu Ishihara with a Pokémon card that featured his face on it . The rarified collectable was present to the executive to keep his 60th birthday . Game Freak employees who attended Ishihara ’s natal day celebration were also yield the promo circuit card as a fun political party talent .

Because it was never meant to be sold , theIshihara GX Pokémon cardis one of the scarcestTCGpromos to have ever existed . While trophy and prize circuit card are evenly hard to obtain , the birthday promo is a customs card that was never intended to attain the world . It ’s unknown how many of these cards were actually printed , but it ’s uncommon to see them go up for sales agreement as an existent Game Freak employee would have to be uncoerced to sell the political party talent .

The absolute hardestPokémon TCGpromo visiting card to obtain of all time is Pikachu Illustrator . In 1997 , CoroCoro Comic comic held an officialPokémon TCGIllustrator Artist contest where fans could submit artwork to the Nipponese cartridge clip . Only twenty - three contestants were chosen as winner and were rewarded with the iconic Pikachu Illustrator promo card . While an additional sixteen more card were printed for a second contest , only a smattering of the promotional item were kept good over the yr .

Because so few of the CoroCoro promo in reality outlast , it has become " the " holy grail of the Nintendo tabletop game . In 2022 , aPokémon TCGGuinness World Recordwas even break after YouTuber Logan Paul ante up a astonishing $ 5,275,000 for the only Pikachu Illustrator promo to be graded a ten in the entire populace . As thePokémon Trading placard Gamecontinues to move up in popularity , some of the rare promo circuit card that were released decades ago have now become relics that are nearly impossible to get .

Hardest To Get Pokemon Promo Cards TCG