There’s no shortage of valuablePokémon Trading Card Gamecards out there, but a collection that’s currently up for sale assembles a staggering and highly specific assortment in one place. Ever since theTCG debuted in 1996, collectors have scrambled to assemble unique lineups of rare finds, and most of those cards have appreciated significantly in value over time. The hardest cards to find are often the ones that were never available in stores at all, as some have been awarded for tournament wins or distributed to select individuals.
A current $9 millioneBaylisting contains a collection of everyPokémonWorld Championships Trophy Card, a selection of 67 incredibly limited cards spanning two decades of distribution. From 2003-2012, each championship awarded trophy cards for first, second, and third place, adding fourth place into the mix in 2013 and onward. The seller describes this as a part of the “most complete Pokémon English language card collection in the world"and declares that this particular assortment is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to acquire a “feat that can never be replicated.”
Just How Rare Is This Pokémon Card Collection?
A Truly One-Of-A-Kind Assemblage
The assertion that this collection can never be replicated is a bold claim, but it’s one that actually makes a lot of sense. With only a handful of each Trophy card created for the annualPokémonWorld Championships,rounding up one for every unique design would be exponentially more difficult after the fact. Spending the time to create this collection over the decades isn’t an opportunity that will come again.
The very existence of this collection also dramatically reduces the chance of finding Championships Trophy cards elsewhere. With only three copies printed of many of the cards,this particular collection removes at least a third of those cards' supply from the wild. It’s common for collectors to overvalue their supply, but the massive price tag here actually has some mind-boggling rarity to back it up.
A Listing Only For Serious Collectors
The Audience Here Is Highly Limited
That being said,a $9 million collection isn’t for the faint of heart(or average of wallet). Even the most die-hard fans are unlikely to come close to affording it, let alone being able to justify the purchase. Some wealthy celebrities have placed significant investments in trading card collections before —Logan Paul has spent millions, for example — and that demographic is basically the only feasible audience for the sale.
Whether this collection manages to move at a $9 million price or not, don’t expect to see it pop up at a thrift store any time soon. Maybe all of this collecting business has gotten a little out of hand, and there’s something to be said for the simpler excitement a kid can find in opening a single pack of cards. ThePokémon TCGcommunity unsealed Pandora’s box a long time ago, though, and if any collection is ever going to justify its outlandish price tag, it might just be this one.
