WOTC · 1998

Pikachu Illustrator

Promo · 1998

KEY CARD

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PSA 10 PSA 9 CGC 10 BGS 9.5

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What is Pikachu Illustrator worth?

The Pikachu Illustrator is a Promo 1998 graded card. Based on 3 verified eBay sold listings from the last 90 days, recent graded examples have sold for $500 to $90,000. PSA 7 examples are the most actively traded grade in this sample, with a recent median around $7,750.

Before you buy

Confirm the exact edition and card number, verify the slab certification with the grader, inspect centering and surface quality, then compare recent sold listings.

Grading guides

The Pikachu Illustrator in context

Why collectors care

The Pokemon Illustrator promo is widely considered the rarest and most famous Pokemon card ever made. It was awarded to winners of CoroCoro Comic illustration contests in 1998, with only about 39 copies officially released, and it holds record-setting auction results including a PSA 10 that sold to Logan Paul for over $5 million.

How to identify it

It reads "Illustrator" rather than "Trainer" at the top and carries a pen-nib holo stamp, with artwork by Atsuko Nishida, the original designer of Pikachu. Any purchase at this level should be a graded, authenticated copy with documented provenance; counterfeits and proxies are widespread.

Common mistakes

The overwhelming risk is fakes and reprints sold as genuine. Never treat an ungraded or unauthenticated copy as real, and confirm the grading cert directly with the grader.

Grade considerations

At this rarity, authentication and provenance matter more than the grade number itself. Every legitimate transaction runs through a top grader; treat anything outside that with extreme caution.

Sold price summary

3 verified eBay sales from the last 90 days, grouped by grade.

Source: eBay sold listings
Sample: 3 sales
Window: Last 90 days
Last checked: Aug 7, 2026

How we compile comps →

Grade	Sales	Median	Range
PSA 8	1	$90,000	N/A
PSA 7	2	$7,750	$500 to $15,000

How this summary is built+

Inclusion

All 3 eBay sold (completed) listings we have for this item from the last 90 days, grouped by grader and grade. Asking prices and active listings are never counted.

Outlier handling

Within any grade that has four or more sales, a price below one-third of, or above three times, the within-grade median is set aside before the median is taken. No sales were set aside for this item.

Grade	Sales	Included	Set aside
PSA 7	2	2	0
PSA 8	1	1	0

Shipping and fees

Figures are the sale prices as recorded by the marketplace. They are not adjusted for shipping, taxes, or seller fees, so treat them as sale-price reference points, not net-to-seller or all-in buyer costs.

Provenance

Every sale in this summary traces to an individual eBay listing, shown in the sold-listings table lower on this page. Methodology version 2026.1. Read the full methodology.

Pikachu Illustrator value FAQ

What is Pikachu Illustrator worth?+

Based on 3 verified eBay sold listings from the last 90 days, graded examples have recently sold for $500 to $90,000.

What grade sells most often for Pikachu Illustrator?+

PSA 7 is the most actively traded grade in the current sample, with 2 sales and a recent median around $7,750.

What is the highest median grade for Pikachu Illustrator?+

PSA 8 has the highest median in the current sample at about $90,000. Treat this as a sold-comp snapshot, not a guaranteed sale price.

Is Pikachu Illustrator worth grading?+

For this card, compare the likely raw value, grading fees, shipping, and the median for the grade you realistically expect. Grading usually makes sense only when the expected graded value clears those costs.