The Most Valuable Pokémon Cards of the 2000s: Price Guide and Checklist

Pokémon’s rich history often seems focused on the earliest era of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), which encompasses the latter half of the 1990s. During that time, the concept of ‘Pocket Monsters’ was born, video games were made, and our beloved card game came out, launching a huge global franchise that we still celebrate more than 25 years on. Yet, a lot of the most exciting cards come from 2000-2009, a time when the hobby gained popularity in the US, the mechanisms of the game evolved, and the design of the standard Pokémon card took on new life and excitement.

In this article, we’ll dive into the treasure trove of 2000s-era Pokémon cards and highlight those cards which command the most value and the highest prices in online sales. These expensive Pokémon cards remind us of both the thrill of finding a great card to add to your deck and the nostalgia of the earlier days of the game when it was reinventing itself with each new release coming out. Be ready, though - even though this list isn’t full of Japanese-only cards released in the 1990s, the prices are premium and if you want to snap up a copy of them, you will want to set up a Watchlist on Cardbase to find them at a time when they aren’t peaking in price.

So, without further ado, let’s catch all the most valuable Pokémon cards from the 2000s.

The Most Valuable Pokémon Cards of the 2000s (2000-2009)

Keep in mind that we’re only listing each card one time even when a valuable card has sold multiple times in the same range. This allows us to present a list chock full of Pokémon goodness, without adding the same card over and over again. With that little note, let’s take a look at these wonderful cards in ascending order of value.

15) 2009 Pokémon Japanese Design Promo 2nd Grade Winner Spikey-Eared Pichu - $25,800

Not every day does a drawing by a 2nd Grader go for over $25,000 at auction. That did happen in June 2023, though. The drawing in question was on an official Pokémon card, of course. The so-called “Spikey-Eared Pichu” features the pre-evolutionary version of Pokémon spokesmonster Pikachu and it was drawn by a youngster as part of a contest in Japan sponsored by publishing company Shogakukan way back in 2009. The competition invited children from K-12 grades to illustrate one of the characters from the then-new Pokémon movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life. One winner in each age range got to see their art printed on an official Pokémon card. Of course, the card’s text is all in Japanese since the contest was limited to Japan, but that hasn’t stopped US collectors and investors from seeking out copies for their collections.

The estimate is that less than 100 copies of each winning card exists, making them pretty rare in the world of Pokémon cards. In the case of this particular card, only a handful have been graded, with this being the sole copy to come out a perfect PSA 10 Gem Mint. Thus, the card was poised for a strong sale.

Even so, the impressive $25,800 sale means the rest of these cards are likely to shoot up in price when they show up on the secondary market. Keep an eye out if you’re a fan of unique Pokémon artifacts like this one because this huge sale is likely to inspire more people with the cards to question whether this unique keepsake matters more to them than tens of thousands of dollars. What would you do if you had won this contest when you were a kid?

2009 Pokémon Japanese Design Promo 2nd Grade Winner Spikey-Eared Pichu - $25,800

14) 2001 Pokémon Japanese Shining Charizard #6 - $29,999

This is the first and definitely not the last Charizard on our list. This Japanese version of the Shining Charizard came out in 2001, with its US debut following a year later. While the US version belongs to the Neo Destiny set, this Japanese release was part of the Darkness and to Light set. Plus, the card is simply #6 in the Japanese set, whereas the US version is #107 of 105, meaning it’s a secret or ‘chase’ card of the Neo Destiny set. If you want to learn more about secret cards read our guide about Pokemon TCG Card Rarity.

The artwork depicts everyone’s favorite Fire/Flying type fully-evolved Pokémon with a dazzling holographic shine, making it a stunning and visually appealing card for collectors and players alike. This ‘shining’ version of popular Pokémon was a new feature in this set, so Charizard isn’t the only monster that got this treatment.

While the US release is definitely gaining value, the Japanese version of the card is the one setting records. In December 2022, a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy of this rare card was sold for a thrilling $29,999, well above most of the other sales of lower-graded copies. The combination of the new ‘shining’ concept, the popularity of Charizard, and the attractive artwork all contributed to the high value of this card, which looks to continue to grow as time progresses. Never bet against the Charizard.

2001 Pokémon Japanese Shining Charizard #6 - $29,999

13) 2002 Pokémon Legendary Collection Reverse Foil #3 Charizard - $33,600

This is the only autographed card on the list but it belongs here because it sold for a princely sum and it’s also just an amazing card. This Legendary Reverse Foil Charizard card has the signature of none other than Mitsuhiro Arita, the illustrator behind the original drawing of Charizard, easily the most popular Pokémon creature for players of the Pokémon TCG. The art shows Charizard breathing fire in a kind of 3-D image that suits the card well. Mr. Arita’s bold signature in black ink over the distinctive reverse foil explosion of color makes the card pretty useless in a game, but priceless in a collection.

Priceless, sure, but they had to charge something for it when they decided to auction this gorgeous artifact off to the highest bidder. Per the PSA database, this is the only PSA 10 Gem Mint copy they’ve seen, so that extra bit of value and mystique was added to the mix. Although it began the auction with the almost absurdly low beginning bid of $1,500, collectors and investors drove the price up and the card was sold for $33,600 in September 2022. While there are unlikely to be a lot of additional signed copies of this card, even the regular copies should see some lift from this record price paid for this truly beautiful card.

2002 Pokémon Legendary Collection Reverse Foil #3 Charizard - $33,600

12) 2002 Pokémon Trophy Card Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer - $34,100

There are a couple of trainer cards on this list and these prize cards usually are rare because of their association with a single event. The long-winded but accurately-named “2002 Pokémon Trophy Card Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer" card was given as a prize at the similarly-titled tournament in Japan in 2002.

This card's rarity and high value are based primarily on that limited distribution. This card was only given to the top-ranking players in the tournament, making it one of the rarest cards in the Pokémon TCG’s history. Although we have no record of the exact number, it’s limited to be sure.

The card's artwork is a mix of images combined, a common feature for many Trainer Cards that don’t get completely original artwork. Despite this, the card stands out due to its wide gold-colored border, which gives it a premium look. Of course, since this was only released in Japan, the text is in Japanese.

Not a large number have been entered into the grading systems of the professional graders, but this BGG 7.5 NRMT+ copy sold for $34,100 in March 2021. The value will likely increase over time, as has been the case for almost all of these event-specific trainer cards. Oddly enough, No. 1 trainer cards given to the first place trainers from the same event (with almost the same artwork, but extra Pokémon and such) have sold for less. As we know, prices will fluctuate over time for similar cards and one of the best ways to track those trends is to use Cardbase for your collection management since those numbers are built right into the system.

2002 Pokémon Trophy Card Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer - $34,100

11) 2002 Pokémon Holo Mysterious Mountains Crystal Charizard #089 - $40,800

This Crystal Charizard is part of the Japanese Mysterious Mountains expansion set, which is known as the Skyridge set in English-language versions of the game. This version of fan-favorite Charizard comes from the final expansion of the Japanese e-Card Series. e-Cards were a short-lived type of Pokémon card that interacted with an e-Reader peripheral for the Game Boy Advance, which let you access information about the card and sometimes additional features like minigames. Interestingly, this was also the last US release that CCG publisher Wizards of the Coast handled before the Pokémon Company took over distribution in North America.

The art on the card shows an enraged Charizard dynamically positioned for an attack, with flames to its left side, with some of the image showing up behind the text portions of the card. It’s an interesting effect that the Pokémon company used more as the design of the cards developed.

A PSA 10 of this 2002 Pokémon card version went up for sale in October 2022 and sold for $40,800, making it easily the most valuable eCard out there. The US version of the card, from 2003, sold for more than $25,000, too. That’s what we’d expect from our old buddy Charizard, whose fiery presence drives up the price of even the most mundane of cards. Like everything from our dragon monster friend, you can expect the price for this card to rise over time.

2002 Pokémon Holo Mysterious Mountains Crystal Charizard #089 - $40,800

10) 2005 Pokémon Gold Star Holo Rayquaza #107 - $48,598

This unusual card is from the EX Deoxys set from 2005. As part of the third-generation of the Pokémon TCG, many new card types were introduced, including the Gold Star cards. Spoiler alert: You will see more Gold Star cards on this list.

Gold Star Pokémon cards added a new level of rarity (and a restriction to one per deck) to cards that featured Shiny Pokémon with different color schemes than how they usually appear. The Gold Star refers to the literal gold stars that appeared next to the Pokémon's name, indicating that it is a shiny variant with an increased level of scarcity. Rayquaza itself is a Legendary Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon, and its dynamic design and powerful in-game abilities have made it popular among players.

The Gold Star Holo Rayquaza card features a striking holographic illustration of Shiny Rayquaza. The artwork is dramatic and extends beyond the picture frame, a characteristic of Gold Star cards, making it stand out visually. The dimensions of the card, with that claw coming right out of the card at you, remind us of the best comic book and anime art that provides depth and dynamism to still images. It’s among the best-looking cards the Pokémon company has ever produced.

This mix of valuable gameplay aspects, gorgeous art, and rarity have driven up the value of this card. This record price was set in May 2023, when a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy of this 2005 Pokémon card was sold on auction for $48,598. The price on these Gold Star cards keeps rising over the last few years, and there’s no reason to think they will stop. They’re still a good investment, especially if you can find a Hot Deal for any of them via Cardbase.

2005 Pokémon Gold Star Holo Rayquaza #107 - $48,598

9) 2004 Pokémon Ex Team Rocket Returns Holo Gold Star Torchic #108 - $50,000

Torchic is another Gold Star card that was introduced into the game as a ‘chase card.’ This means collectors could expect them to be very hard to find, without even guaranteeing one per box. That’s just one of the many reasons this fiery bird is so incredibly valuable. Additionally, the card is from a limited print run of the Team Rocket Returns set, which has been hard to find for years. The card also features popular Pokémon Torchic in Gold Star form, and this monster has become popular as one of the best cards from the third-generation of Pokémon. Plus, it’s a holo card with whimsical artwork that breaks out of the frame like all Gold Stars do, making the art distinctive and a bit more fun. Fire-type Torchic also evolves into Combusken and then into Blaziken, both of which are some serious battle Pokémon. There’s so much to like about this card, it’s no wonder the price keeps going higher. If only you could play these cards while they are encased in a PSA-graded slab.

Barely over 5% of the graded copies coming into PSA have been graded a perfect PSA 10 Gem Mint rating. Thus, it’s not surprising that, in October 2022, a copy with that stellar rating was sold for $50,000, busting up previous records for this desirable card. Like all the Gold Star cards, the sky feels like the limit on their pricing. Torchic, in particular, seems to be soaring above the rest.

2004 Pokémon Ex Team Rocket Returns Holo Gold Star Torchic #108 - $50,000

8) 2000 Pokémon Topps Chrome Series 1 Tekno Charizard #6 - $60,000

Charizard is back and even though this isn’t a Pokémon TCG card, it’s still everyone’s favorite dragon-but-not-a-dragon-type pocket monster. The Topps Chrome series came out in 2000 for those who were just interested in collecting all the Pokémon without ever playing the game. This “Sparkle Tekno” card has all the colorful trappings of a modern Panini Prizm card and a clean 2000s-style design that makes our buddy Charizard pop nicely.

Even so, the acceleration in price on this non-gaming card has been jaw dropping. While we have a clear record of a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy selling for $60,000 in January 2022, that seems to be a fluke if you factor in similar sales before and after. While many others are graded lower than this pristine copy, you can still find excellent and near mint copies for much less than this record price. Let’s see if the price holds up when another PSA 10 Gem Mint or BGS 10 Pristine copy hits the auction block. Even so, it’s best not to bet against a Charizard increasing in value. Everybody loves this fiery little guy.

2000 Pokémon Topps Chrome Series 1 Tekno Charizard #6 - $60,000

7) 2005 Pokémon Japanese Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trophy - $60,000

Another trainer card from an exclusive event, the 2005 Summer Battle Road card features Mew instead of Pikachu, the nominal character on most award cards. Like most of the Trainer Victory cards, this one looks like a Photoshopped affair with Mew mixed in with a bunch of Pokémon symbols rather than an original piece of artwork, despite an illustrator being named. The text is in Japanese, as the card was exclusively distributed in Japan for that one event.

While over 150 copies were handed out, not many have hit the market. This one did and since it was one of the many graded at a PSA 10 Gem Mint, it managed to sell in December 2021 for a massive $60,000. This shows the market for trophy cards, which you have to earn, continue to pay off for serious Pokémon players.

2005 Pokémon Japanese Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trophy - $60,000

6) 2006 Pokémon EX Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard #100 - $60,221

We have a few incredible Pokémon cards bunched up at the $60,000 range. As usual, Charizard rises above and beats the next one on the list by $65. And why not - this is one of my favorite Pokémon cards ever. This exceptional collectible features the always-popular (in the hobby and on this list!) Charizard in a dark Delta Species form, with Gold Star rarity. He’s breathing fire, flying backwards and you get to see his full form in motion. Plus, as is usual with Gold Stars, this dynamic image is busting out of the frame all over the place. Who wouldn’t want this card to class up their Pokémon card collection?

Lots of people would want it from the looks of the pricing. While some collectors have managed to acquire less expensive copies for just a few thousand dollars, this record sale had a collector paying quite a bit more for a pristine PSA 10 Gem Mint copy. That December 2020 sale topped $60,000 for the card, reminding us that Charizard is the dragon that keeps on giving us more valuable Pokémon cards. The card’s utility in the game is huge, but I think people just like having a dragon in their deck and collections.

2006 Pokémon EX Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard #100 - $60,221

5) 2005 Pokémon Holo Gold Star Espeon #25 - $66,660

The Gold Star series was already full of high-coveted cards but special ones given out as part of the Pokémon Player’s Club have got an extra level of scarcity. In this case, players had a limited time in which to earn 50,000 points to claim this Eevee evolution for their own. There aren’t a lot of them out there and this special way to get them at a Japanese event hasn’t made it easier on serious collectors looking to round them all up into their collection.

With this exclusivity, this Holo Gold Star card is a hot commodity and its value has been on the rise. From ⅓ of that price a couple of years ago, in February 2023, a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for a monumental $66,660. The price is continuing to rise, with another copy on sale now for over $100,000.

This isn’t the only Holo Gold Star card from that Japanese Player’s Club on the list, either. Keep reading to see one that’s trending to an even higher value.

5) 2005 Pokémon Holo Gold Star Espeon #25 - $66,660

4) 2005 Pokémon Holo Gold Star Umbreon #026 - $78,000

This exclusive Japanese 2005 card was part of a set of cards you had to be a member of the Pokémon Player’s Club to obtain. This was one of the most challenging cards to obtain because you had to collect, as it says on the PSA authentication card, 70,000 points to get it. Plus, you had to earn all those points in a rather limited timeframe. Featuring Umbreon, a Dark Evolution of the popular Pokémon Eevee, this special edition item has grown in value and stature due to the difficulty in obtaining one. Exact population numbers aren’t too clear, but it’s definitely a scarce item so this is probably as low a value as we’ll see going forward.

One of the most striking features of this card is the beautiful artwork. The “Gold Star” card features a shiny Umbreon. The holofoil background adds depth to the artwork and makes the Umbreon appear to be glowing. The overall effect is simply stunning and is one of the reasons why this card is so widely admired and desired by collectors.

The Holo Gold Star Umbreon is also one of the rarest cards from the EX era. This era of Pokémon card releases featured a number of highly collectible cards, but few are as rare or valuable as this one. Indeed, in December 2021, a BGS 9.5 Gem Mint copy sold for a massive $78,000.

2005 Pokémon Holo Gold Star Umbreon #026 - $78,000

3) 2006 Pokémon World Championships Pikachu Promo No. 2 Trainer - $110,000

As is usually the case, the beloved character Pikachu graces most Pokémon tournament trophy cards as the official ambassador for the brand. This elusive “Number 2 Trainer” trophy card is an artifact from the Pokémon 2006 World Championships and was exclusively bestowed upon a limited number of competitors at the event. The World Championship, which took place near Disneyland in Anaheim, California in the late summer of 2006, provided Pokémon players the rare opportunity to fight with other world-class trainers and win exclusive rewards like these cards.

The trophy card itself features a distinct holographic pattern synonymous with the EX-era of Pokémon cards, a 2006 stamp, and illustrates Pikachu presenting a silver trophy for the number 2 finish in the tournament. This captivating card is the sole copy authenticated by PSA, and it is purported to be one of a mere three globally. The card's rarity and significance position it as a potential keystone for any collection or investment portfolio. The most recent documented transaction of a second-place trainer card in PSA 9 Mint condition occurred during a February 2021 auction, where it was sold for a whopping $110,000. It makes one wonder what a No. 1 Trainer card from this event would fetch.

2006 Pokémon World Championships Pikachu Promo No. 2 Trainer - $110,000

2) 2000 World Summer Challenge No.2 Trainer Toshiyuki Yamaguchi - $137,500

From a Pikachu trainer card to something truly unique - this is a fairly new card to the world, which had never been pictured online much before it showed up for sale at Heritage Auctions this summer. This singular card is from 2000 and was awarded to Trainer Toshiyuki Yamaguchi for winning second place in that year’s World Summer Challenge competition in Japan. These personalized cards were given to the top three players, and it looks like Mr. Yamaguchi finally decided that he’d rather sell the card than keep it.

This super-rare card was graded by CGC 8 as a Near Mint/Mint rating and sold in July 2023 for $137,500, proving that the pandemic-era surge on Pokémon card pricing is certainly not over. Again, we’ll see if this inspires the other winners with their unique cards to finally part with them since they are now so valuable.

2000 World Summer Challenge No.2 Trainer Toshiyuki Yamaguchi - $137,500

1. 2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 - $144,300

While Lugia is no Charizard or Pikachu, it’s just one rung down in terms of popularity. Lugia’s prominence in the early days is partially attributed to its role in Pokémon: The Movie or its appearance on the box of Pokémon Game Boy games of the era. Whatever the case, Lugia has been a Generation II wonder and fan-favorite whose cards routinely command solid pricing. Lugia is both a Flying and a Psychic type of Pokémon, it’s popular in play and is often considered a Legendary creature in some sets. Lugia is also just a great card for the game and a cool looking monster to keep in your deck.

This appearance in the Neo Genesis set probably determined standards for its use. There is a relatively small population of the highest quality copies of this card due to reported printing issues. As a result, less than 50 have been registered through PSA and BGS at their highest rating levels, which surely helped drive the high price this great card commands. In May 2021, a BGS 10 Pristine copy sold for a staggering $144,300. While we’ve seen lower pricing since then, they’ve all been for lower-grade copies. When more of the minty-fresh copies start to hit the market, we can expect Lugia’s record value to soar.

2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 - $144,300

2000s: The Second Age of Pokémon Cards

By the 2000s, Pokémon was already a world-wide phenomenon as a card game and a brand. The movies were doing well, the video games were getting more sophisticated, and the card game designers knew they had to introduce new concepts to keep players interested in the game play. This is why we see so many interesting innovations throughout the decade, like Gold Star cards, Reverse Holos, and more powerful versions of our favorite Pokémon. More was happening than just the game design. The artwork got more dazzling and some releases got more exclusive. Of course, the rarest and best of these cards are now much more expensive, which might just mean your own collection has gone up in value.

Even so, the real joy that many of these cards bring out is a nostalgia-filled journey through time. For collectors, fans, and investors, these cards encapsulate stories of battles won and childhood dreams fulfilled. The value of a card to most collectors is rarely just a price because it involves all those happy memories of being young and trying to ‘Catch 'Em All!’ The power of these pieces of cardboard to transport you back to an earlier day is immense and having them in a collection can give you a charge unlike much else.

We hope our overview of the most valuable cards of the 2000s has inspired a new grail card or acquisition for you, or at least drove a little remembrance of a simpler time when opening new packs was such a thrill and finding a new monster to add to your deck meant the world. Happy collecting to you!