Pokémon Cards Dominate the Week’s Biggest TCG Sales
Pokémon once again took over the top five spots in Card Ladder's weekly sales tracking for August 24-30, and the headline result was a new benchmark for the hobby. A 2005 Pokémon EX Deoxys Holo Rayquaza Gold Star #107 in CGC 10 Pristine sold for $1.02 million through Fanatics Premier, becoming the first English-language Pokémon card to top seven figures.
The five highest-selling TCG cards of the week combined for more than $1.85 million, a remarkable total that included two Rayquaza Gold Stars, an autographed Charizard, a Skyridge Gengar, and a Lugia promo. The range of cards on the list showed how much demand remains for rare Pokémon cards across different eras, grades, and special attributes.
No. 5 - 2010 Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Promo Holo Lugia PSA 10
Lugia opened the countdown with a $144,000 sale through Fanatics Weekly. The 2010 holo promo features artwork by Takashi Yamaguchi and shows the strength of demand for top-condition examples of popular Pokémon, even from a comparatively modern release.
While the card is not from a flagship expansion, the PSA 10 grade and the popularity of Lugia helped push it into the week’s top five. The result also reinforced how promo cards can command major prices when scarcity and condition line up with collector demand.
No. 4 - 2003 Pokémon Skyridge Gengar Holo #H9 PSA 10
The fourth spot went to a PSA 10 Gengar from 2003 Skyridge, which sold for $150,000 on eBay. Skyridge remains one of the most important sets from the Wizards of the Coast era, as it was the final Pokémon set produced by the company.
Its holographic cards have become especially desirable, and Gengar is among the most recognizable characters in the franchise. The sale also marked a major jump from a PSA 10 example that sold for $58,889 in April, underscoring how quickly prices can move for elite-condition copies from the set.
No. 3 - 2005 Pokémon EX Deoxys Holo Rayquaza Gold Star #107 CGC 10
The first of two Rayquaza Gold Stars on the list sold for $192,000 through Fanatics Weekly. Released in 2005's EX Deoxys, the card has become one of the most sought-after Gold Star issues in the Pokémon market.
This copy received a CGC 10 Gem Mint grade. Even so, it was overshadowed just days later by another example of the same card in an even higher grade, showing how much of a premium collectors place on condition at the top end of the market.
No. 2 - 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Charizard Mitsuhiro Arita Auto CGC 10
The No. 2 card was a 1996 Japanese Base Set No Rarity Charizard that sold for $348,000 through Fanatics Premier. The card is notable not only for its early Japanese origin and no-rarity status, but also for being signed and sketched by Mitsuhiro Arita, the artist behind the original Charizard artwork.
The card was graded CGC 10, while JSA authenticated Arita's autograph and sketch. That combination of early-era rarity, iconic artwork, and authenticated personalization helped make it one of the week’s highest-profile sales.
No. 1 - 2005 Pokémon EX Deoxys Holo Rayquaza Gold Star #107 CGC 10 Pristine
At the top of the list was the same Rayquaza Gold Star, but in a far more valuable grade. A CGC 10 Pristine example sold for $1.02 million through Fanatics Premier, setting a new record and becoming the first English-language Pokémon card to sell for more than $1 million.
The difference between the two graded copies was dramatic. The CGC 10 Gem Mint example at No. 3 sold for $192,000, while the Pristine copy brought more than five times that amount. The sale produced an $828,000 gap between the two versions of the same card, a striking reminder of how much grading can influence value at the highest levels of the hobby.
The previous record for a Pokémon card was $954,800, set in February by a PSA 10 1999 First Edition Base Set Charizard with provenance from a Logan Paul box break. The new Rayquaza sale moved the market into a new tier and added another major milestone to the Gold Star era.
Why This Week Stood Out
The week of August 24-30 did more than produce a new record. It also highlighted several of the collecting themes that continue to drive the TCG market: iconic characters, early-era scarcity, strong grading, and authenticated signatures tied to important artwork.
Rayquaza led the way with two major sales from the same 2005 Gold Star card, but the rest of the list showed that demand is not limited to one type of collectible. A modern promo Lugia, a Skyridge Gengar, and a no-rarity Charizard all found major buyers, proving that collectors continue to place a premium on condition, rarity, and historical significance.
With Pokémon sweeping all five spots again, the latest Card Ladder data shows a market that remains heavily concentrated at the top end, where elite cards in elite grades can still set records and reshape expectations for what a single trading card can bring.
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