Another Record Pokémon Sale, Pikachu Market is on Fire
The GemRate reports continue to show record demand for graded Pokémon cards, and now a PSA 10 1998 Japanese Promo Bronze 3rd Place 3rd Tournament Trophy Pikachu card has just set a new record. The card sold for $1.769 million through Goldin Auction on May 18, 2026. With the sale, this is the XYZ's highest Pikachu sale of all time, behind only three [or two] Pikachu Illustrator sales.
This Trophy Pikachu sale comes just after a BGS Black Label Mega Gengar sold for $85K on May 8, marking the highest sale ever for a modern Gengar card.
This Bronze Trophy Pikachu had already tipped into the million-dollar territory with nearly three weeks of bidding remaining and 35 active bidders pushing the price up to $1.1 million by late April.
So far, 2026 appears to be on pace to break the record for the number of million-dollar card sales, with this Trophy Pikachu sale being the 19th single-card sale over $1M and the fifth Pokémon card to cross the million-dollar mark.
Why this Pikachu Card is So Special
For starters, this card received a GEM MT 10 grade by PSA, and it's the only copy out of five to receive a grade higher than an 8. This Trophy Pikachu comes from a razor-thin print run tied to the 1998 Japanese Kamex Mega Battle tournament. Only the top three finishers in their respective divisions were awarded these ultra-rare Trophy Pikachu cards.
🏆 NEW RECORD! The All-Time Highest Public Sale for any Trophy Pikachu! 🏆
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) May 18, 2026
Final Sale Price on this 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Bronze 3rd Place 3rd Tournament Trophy Pikachu - PSA GEM MT 10 - MBA Gold Diamond: $1,769,000
Email Sell@Goldin.com to consign your Pokémon… pic.twitter.com/4AOwF4vODH
Arita Artwork & Autograph
The image of a beaming Pikachu hoisting a bronze trophy against a sparkling background is the work of legendary Pokémon artist Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita's artwork appears on many of the most iconic first-edition Pokémon cards, including Venusaur (#18), Gyarados (#6), and Charizard (#4).
The 1996 Japanese Base Set Holo Charizard with no rarity symbol is one of just a handful of Pokémon cards to fetch over $1 million. A PSA 10 copy, signed by Arita, sold in March 2026 for $1.23 million.
The day after the $1.23 million autographed Charizard sale, a PSA 9 Bronze 3rd Place Trophy Pikachu that was also signed by Mitsuhiro Aritaand and included a sketch of Pikachu sold for $189.1K, which now looks like a steal compared to the most recent PSA 10 sale.
Highest Pikachu Silver and Gold Trophy Sales
The record sale for a Silver 2nd Place Trophy Pikachu was a PSA 10 that sold for $444K on September 6, 2023. Also, in December 2023, a set featuring all three Trophy Pikachu cards (Gold, Silver, and Bronze), each graded PSA 8, sold for $794.2K.
And earlier this year, on March 6, 2026, a PSA 8 Gold 1st Place promo Pikachu card sold for $982.1K, which now stands as the second-highest price ever paid for a trophy Pikachu card.
Pikachu Electrifies as Pokémon Market Soars
The Pikachu market is up 170% year-over-year according to Card Ladder.
As shocking as it sounds, that figure is actually trailing the red-hot Pokémon market, which is up 176% year-over-year. With demand for elite Pokémon cards exploding and Trophy Pikachus becoming increasingly untouchable, this record sale may only be the beginning.
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Conor is a leading sports collectibles writer and market analyst with more than 100 published articles covering sports cards, Pokémon, auctions, investing trends, and hobby culture. A lifelong collector who entered the hobby in the early 1990s, Conor’s expertise centers on vintage and modern basketball cards, basketball icons, and iconic Boston sports memorabilia tied to legends like Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz.