They are usually much-needed reprints for gameplay like Pok é mon TCG's Celebrations' classic cards and don’t command a high price. The Holofoil leaves in the background, in conjunction with the strange nature of its release, make it a valuable collector's item.īlack Star promo cards these days are often mass-produced and not separated out by print run. However, these turned out to be intentional and actually a rare version of the Pokémon card specifically printed for North America to give that market some copies of the Japanese-only promo at the time. The English version of the fan-dubbed “Ivy Pikachu” was actually released in booster packs and for a long time was thought to be a misprint due to its promotional nature. In addition to having black stars next to their type lines, the first edition printings also had a logo across from it denoting their importance and rarity. The Birthday Pikachu card banned from Pok é mon Tournaments is rare, but this version is more so - professionally graded versions of this card in perfect condition often sell on eBay for upwards of $500. Listed on TCGPlayer from one supplier in moderately played condition, the card is going for $467, but this isn’t a completely accurate representation of its market value.
The honor of most sought-after character goes to the First Edition printings of Pikachu. The Most Expensive Black Star Promo Pokémon Card Is A First Edition Pikachu However, for those looking for Black Star promo Pokémon cards with characters on them, there is one that's almost as expensive. Its promotional nature combined with the specific artwork referencing New York City makes this a tough find and an intriguing piece of memorabilia. The Lucky Stadium has the Empire State Building in the background and goes for $747, while the Pokémon Center has original art and goes for $599. Related: Pokémon TCG: Rarest Cards In The Celebrations ExpansionĪccording to TCGPlayer, the most expensive card for sale is the promos for a Lucky Stadium and a Pokémon Center that was given out to fans who attended the grand opening of the New York Pokémon Center. For new collectors looking for the rarest Pok é mon trading cards, some of these cards will be hard to find and even harder to purchase.
In addition, many of these are hard to find and some were given out not during Pokémon leagues, but during one-time-only events like store openings and movie premieres. Each one has a different price based on where they were given out and how many were in circulation, meaning that some are less expensive than others. Due to their low supply, some of these Black Star promo cards have risen in price dramatically and go for hundreds of dollars on secondhand markets.Īs their name implies, these Pokémon cards all have a black star in one of their corners, denoting that they were not given out in booster packs. These cards represented everything from trainer cards to classic Pokémon and showed up in issues of Nintendo Power as well as at screenings of Pokémon: The First Movie.
During the peak of the Pokémon TCG's popularity in the early 2000s, Wizards of the Coast published some special Black Star promotional cards that were given out during events.