What is the most expensive Pokemon card right now?

You might be surprised by the answer. Over the last few months, the Pokemon TCG singles market has seen incredible fluctuations with many cards rising to unprecedented values.

But how do you find what Pokemon cards are the most valuable right now?

There are a lot of lists out there of the most valuable Pokemon cards of all time. The problem is, these lists often focus on ridiculously rare, anomaly Pokemon cards that were given out to a select few people. Or, they focus on high level auctions featuring gem mint cards, which can often give a misleading idea of what you can expect your card’s value to fetch if you were to sell it yourself.

To really get at the heart of how much a card is worth, we analyzed the Pokemon cards with the highest market values available from our friends over at TCGplayer as well as from eBay when other market value wasn’t readily available. See the results of these findings via the list of the most expensive Pokemon cards right now below!

#1 Shining Charizard – Neo Destiny is the most expensive Pokemon card

You mean the most bankable Pokemon card on the ungraded market is a Charizard card? Big shocker. However, it might not be the Charizard card you’re thinking of. Indeed it’s the shiny variant of Charizard that collects the highest value right now – going for a whopping $6000+ on the secondary card market.

Charizard features heavily on this list of most valuable Pokemon cards, and for good reason. Besides Pikachu, it is the franchise’s most recognizable Pokemon, and since the beginning has been synonymous with value and rarity in the Pokemon TCG world.

We dig a bit deeper into why this particular Charizard card is so valuable in our list of most valuable Charizard cards. But in summary, it’s the first shining version of Charizard, making it rare and desirable. At the same time, it also hails from a very big time in Pokemon card history, from sets that feature the Johto Pokemon – arguably one of the most popular generations of them all.

#2 Umbreon Star – POP Series 5

Not to be confused to the almost identical Gold Star Umbreon from the respected Pokemon Celebrations set, Gold Star Umbreon is somewhat legendary for its rarity and value. Indeed, the card is so rare it’s hard to actually get current market data around its value, but the eBay market value appears to be around $4000 raw which is pretty darn impressive to say the least.

Apart from being an Umbreon card from the same limited print run as the rest of the Gold Star cards, Umbreon gets the additional edge in value thanks to being from a Prize Pack – one whose print was even more limited than a main card. As these packs weren’t available to the general public at stores etc, very few of these cards are actually around. Added to this card’s desirability is the fact that it is an Umbreon, and everyone knows that Umbreon is the most popular of the very popular Eevee evolutions.

#3 Rayquaza Star

Similar to Umbreon Star, Rayquaza Star is a highly valuable card that’s hard to gauge the actual market value for in its ungraded condition. Previous data from months ago put Rayquaza star put it very close to the top of the list, but since then relatively few of these cards have sold on the market, indicating just how rare and in demand these cards at least on the ungraded level.

Rayquaza Star is another example of an incredibly rare Delta Species Pokemon, although it doesn’t hail from Dragon Frontier. Regularly flying under the radar, it’s easily one of the most valuable Pokemon cards of all time.

As you may have noticed, prices in the Pokemon card market are largely dictated (among other things) by popularity of the Pokemon. Rayquaza is one of the most bankable Pokemon of all, lending in part to the recent popularity of Evolving Skies where it was featured prominently.

#4 Latias & Latios GX – Team Up

Latias & Latios GX.jpg — Market price: $2,590

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The next most valuable card on the ungraded Pokemon card market is the Latias & Latios GX Alt Art card. This card is another anomaly on this list given it came out relatively recently, back in 2018. As for the reason for the high value? Well, the card is certainly rare, and it does feature some very popular Pokemon on it. In addition to that, people probably just really like the artwork, seeing two halves come together into such a meaningful and collectible heart-shaped pose.

#5 Umbreon VMAX – Alternate Art

The epic Umbreon from Evolving Skies is so iconic now it could even be considered up there as one of the most iconic Pokemon cards of all time. Its value is so widely regarded in the Pokemon TCG hobby that for many it’s synonymous with a Pokemon chase.

Just why is this card so valuable?

Some cards have one thing going right for them. Umbreon VMAX Alt Art has a lot of things going for it. It’s got the rarity factor making it a great chase card for collectors, and the popularity making it appeal to a broad audience. But it’s also a beautiful card and a beautiful concept. Who doesn’t want a card showing Umbreon VMAX booping the moon?

It can’t help bring to mind the fact that with this set and with this era of Pokemon TCG, the Pokemon company really did touch the moon – going beyond what anyone before might have thought possible for a 25 year old trading card game originally aimed at children.

The price for this card continues to increase overtime, making it a solid investment for mega card collectors.

See the market price history of this card in our Umbreon VMAX alt art guide.

#6 Shadowless Base Set Charizard

Base set Charizard may be the gold standard in the Pokemon TCG, but in it’s ungraded form it takes fourth place on this list. After some turbulence on the market as of late for this as well as other expensive Charizard cards, the Charizard Base set is back on top as it deserves to be.

And while any base set Charizard is valuable, the most valuable among them is the Base Set Shadowless first edition Charizard. Part of a limited print run that occurred at the very beginning of the Pokemon TCG, these cards are very, very rare in pristine condition, making them arguably the most bankable of all Pokemon TCG investments.

#7 Pikachu Star – Holon Phantoms

Sometimes it’s a little tricky to figure out what exactly makes a Pokemon card valuable. In Pikachu Star’s case, it’s really not complicated at all. The thing that you really need to know in order to understand the runaway success of Gold Star Pikachu is the nature of the original Gold Star cards – a rare form of Pokemon card released during the mid-2000s when Pokemon’s popularity was on a bit of a downward curve.

As hard as it may be to believe today, during this time Pokemon was falling off of its original popularity a bit, meaning print runs for sets that included the now famous Gold Star Pokemon were limited. While pull rates for these cards were relatively good (roughly one in every two booster boxes), that combined with the passage of time, nostalgia, and the original limited print run make for a collection of cards that are among the most desirable and expensive in all of the Pokemon TCG.

With all of that explained, it actually makes sense that Pikachu would be the most valuable of the Gold Star Pokemon outside of the incredibly rare Umbreon. Pikachu is the most recognizable character in the world (arguably), and this fame carries this card to the top.

#8 Vaporeon Star

As we cover yet another Gold Star Pokemon card, it’s also worth noting that (if you haven’t noticed already) the Gold Star Pokemon actually portray their Pokemon in its shiny form. Shiny basically just means alternate coloring, and it’s still a big deal in modern Pokemon TCG sets and chase cards.

Vaporeon is a newcomer to this list, but in general Gold Star Pokemon continue to perform well on the secondary card market, and it’s likely that this demand is slowly eating up the supply of ungraded Gold Star Pokemon cards like the Rayquaza and Umbreon, causing secondary chases like the Umbreon to skyrocket in price.

#9 Lugia Neo Genesis

Neo Gensis hails from an epic era of the Pokémon TCG that is a personal favorite of mine, bringing not only this easily recognizable Lugia card into the fray but also one of my favorite cards of all time: the fantastic Shining Gyarados. Created in the midst of one Pokemon TCG peak, this card doesn’t fetch the value of some of today’s top chase cards. That being said, it’s a card with steady value that should make it a favorite of Pokemon TCG collectors looking for a card likely to hold its value.

#10 Mew Star – Dragon Frontiers

Most Valuable Pokemon Cards.jpg — Market price: $1,700

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And last but not least – another Gold Star Pokemon! And no it’s not the Bubble Mew from Paldean Fates but a much older and just as blue shiny Mew. Gold Star cards are really becoming the gold standard in the Pokemon TCG hobby (pun intended) with a whopping 5/10 cards on this most expensive Pokemon TCG cards list.

Are we amidst a Gold Star Pokemon bubble? Or are these cards really that good?

Whatever the case, one thing is for sure – the hype we’re seeing for contemporary sets drives excitement for these classic cards as well, making it a very good time for Pokemon card value of all different shapes and sizes.

A Few Important Notes on How this List of Most Valuable Pokemon Cards Was Compiled

Condition massively impacts value of a card

The graded card market has its own specific rules for how to asses the potential value of a Pokemon card. The ungraded market, however, can be more open to interpretation. Before purchasing or selling ungraded cards, look at our guide to understand the different conditions of a card, and how those broad conditions affect the value of a card.

What is market value?

Market value is the most accurate way to assess the value of a card. While many sellers will list cards at inflated prices, that won’t influence the market value. Market value is influenced only by the confirmed sales number an actual sold card has fetched. This way, you know what it is people are actually willing to pay for a card, not some arbitrary number being listed online or at an auction with a select group of buyers.

The 10 Most Valuable Pokemon Cards Right Now (2025)