For 26+ years, enthusiasts have turned to eBay for an unmatched selection of Pokémon inventory – from trading cards to toys, video games, movies, and more. And on February 24 at 5pm PST, longtime eBay seller and passionate Pokémon fan, Tomoya Ohno (Shangri-la Inc.) will list his rare, high-value 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card PSA 8 exclusively on eBay. The auction will run for 10 days – closing on March 6 – with a starting bid of $480K.

• Considered the “holy grail” of Pokémon cards, it was given out to 41 winners of the 1997 and 1998 Pokémon Illustrator contests.
• Roughly only 24 Pikachu Illustrator cards have been certified by PSA, to date.
• A 1998 Pikachu Illustrator PSA 7 sold on eBay in Feb. 2021 for $375K – the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold on the marketplace.

In fact, National Pokémon Day (2/27) is quickly approaching – and with new cards and characters constantly being introduced, there is never a lull in enthusiasts around the world turning to eBay:

• Pokémon remains one of the most popular trading cards categories on eBay. 
• Pokémon cards were searched more than 3,000 times an hour on the marketplace in 2022. 
• Top 5 most popular Pokémon cards sold on eBay from 2021-2022 were:

1. Pikachu
2. Charizard
3. Eevee
4. Mewtwo
5. Mew

• Most expensive Pokémon cards sold on eBay to date include:
  • 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Holo Illustrator Pikachu PSA 7 – $375,000 – sold in Feb. 2021
  • 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Holo Kangaskhan #115 PSA 10 – $150,100 – sold in Oct. 2020
  • 2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 BGS 10 – $144,300 – sold in May 2021