Rare Pokémon Phone Card Sells for $2.25 Million, Tops TCG Sales

A rare 1997 Pokémon phone card sells for $2.255 million, leading five Pokémon collectibles sales totaling $5.35 million, including a $1.38 million Charizard.

Two rare 1997 Pokémon phone cards sold for a combined $2.74 million, leading this week's top TCG sales. | Fanatics via Card Ladder

Pokémon collectors delivered another remarkable week of sales, with the five highest TCG-related transactions combining for $5,353,000. That's a significant jump from last week's $3.98 million total.

This week's results feature two rare Japanese Pokémon phone cards: a seven-figure 1st Edition Charizard and another Art Academy Pikachu. Pokémon once again swept all five spots, although two of the biggest sales weren't traditional trading cards.

Here are the Top 5 TCG sales for October 17–24, 2026, counting down from No. 5, with sales data courtesy of Card Ladder.

5. 1997 Pokémon Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Phone Card Misty & Pokémon CGC 9

1997 Pokemon Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Phone Card Misty & Pokemon CGC 9 | Fanatics via Card Ladder

One of the more unusual entries in this week's rankings is a 1997 Japanese Pokémon telephone card featuring Misty and Pokémon characters. Graded CGC 9, the card sold for $482,000 through Fanatics Buy Now on October 23.

Unlike traditional Pokémon trading cards, these collectible phone cards were rare promotional items. Their connection to Pokémon's early popularity in Japan makes them an interesting alternative for collectors looking beyond the familiar TCG releases, and they still command big bucks.

And as we'll see at No. 1, this wasn't the only telephone card attracting serious attention.

4. 2002 Pokémon Legendary Collection Reverse Holo Charizard #3 PSA 10 

2002 Pokemon Legendary Collection Reverse Holo Charizard #3 PSA 10 | Fanatics via Card Ladder

Charizard makes the countdown with a 2002 Legendary Collection Reverse Holo #3, graded PSA 10, which sold for $576,000 through Fanatics Weekly on October 18. The Legendary Collection is especially recognizable for its distinctive reverse holographic design, which gives these cards a very different appearance from traditional holos.

Last week's rankings included a 19-card Legendary Collection holo lot, all graded PSA 10, that sold for $960,000. This week's result highlights the demand for a single gem-mint Charizard from the same release.

3. 2015 Pokémon XY Art Academy Competition Lily-Chan Pikachu #25 PSA 10 

2015 Pokemon XY Art Academy Competition Lily-Chan Pikachu #25 PSA 10 | Fanatics via Card Ladder

Art Academy Pikachu returns to the rankings for another week. A 2015 XY Art Academy Competition Pikachu featuring artwork by Lily-Chan, graded PSA 10, sold for $660,000 through Fanatics Weekly on October 18. These unusual promotional cards originated from a Pokémon-themed art competition, giving collectors artwork that differs from traditional set releases.

Last week's top sale was another Art Academy Pikachu, featuring artwork by Y. Fujishima, which brought in $1,037,000 through Goldin. The continued appearances of these cards demonstrate the growing interest in Pokémon collectibles with distinctive artwork and unusual origins.

2. 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Charizard #4 PSA 10 

1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard #4 PSA 10 | Fanatics via Card Ladder

One of Pokémon's most recognizable cards returned to the seven-figure club this week. A 1999 Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Charizard #4, graded PSA 10, sold for $1,380,000 through Fanatics Premier on October 23. The card remains one of the hobby's most iconic Pokémon collectibles, combining the popularity of Charizard with the appeal of the original English-language Base Set.

While collectors continue to chase unusual promotional cards and obscure releases, this sale shows that the original Charizard still commands extraordinary prices in gem-mint condition.

1. 1997 Pokémon Japanese CoroCoro Phone Card 2 Million Copies Gift Pocket Monsters PSA 10 

1997 Pokemon Japanese Corocoro Phone Card 2 Million Copies Gift Pocket Monsters 1 PSA 10 | Fanatics via Card Ladder

The week's biggest sale wasn't a traditional Pokémon trading card. A 1997 Japanese CoroCoro telephone card commemorating the magazine's two-million-copy milestone, graded PSA 10, sold for an astonishing $2,255,000 through Fanatics Buy Now on October 23.

The early promotional collectible dates to Pokémon's formative years in Japan, when the franchise was rapidly building the following that would eventually make it a worldwide phenomenon. Its unusual format and link to Pokémon's early history distinguish it from the more familiar trading cards that typically dominate these rankings.

And with another 1997 Japanese telephone card reaching $482,000 this week, collectors have two notable sales to consider from a category that rarely receives the same attention as traditional Pokémon cards.

Another Sweep for Pokémon Sales

For another week, Pokémon claimed all five spots in our TCG sales countdown, this time combining for more than $5.35 million. The two Japanese telephone cards accounted for $2,737,000, more than half of the week's total.

From early promotional collectibles to a classic 1st Edition Charizard and competition-designed Pikachu artwork, the results illustrate just how many different corners of Pokémon collecting are attracting high-end buyers.

And this week, it was a telephone card—not a traditional TCG card—that led them all.