Meowth used Pay Day! It’s super effective!

When we saw the release of 24-karat gold Pokémon cards a few years ago, we thought those had to be among the most expensive cards ever made.

Oh how young and naive we were. 

Recently on an episode of the Japanese TV show Nandemo Kantei-dan (“The Team That Will Price Anything”), they showed off a collection of 31 extremely rare Pokémon cards.

▼ This first clip shows the unveiling and explains that many of the cards are rare promos only given out to winners of certain tournaments.

https://twitter.com/Networks2X/status/1115606368336015362

As a huge fan of the Pokémon card game myself, and the popular card game Magic: The Gathering as well, I know only too well how expensive some cards can get. When I first saw the unveiling I knew it wasn’t going to be some low number like US$1,000 or $2,000.

Maybe all 31 would be worth $10,000. Or maybe, if they were super rare and worth $1,000 each, then perhaps about $30,000 total. But even that would be a lot…

…right?

▼ Here’s the unveiling of the price, if you want to see it yourself!

https://twitter.com/Networks2X/status/1115599208399036423

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Holy crap, it’s 7,685,000 yen (about $68,600)! That’s more than double what I thought would be an extremely high value already.

Thankfully the owner of the collection, Yuya Sato, who is also the owner of a card shop, was there to explain where the value comes from. Here’s a breakdown of some of the highlights:

  • Kanghaskhan — 1,200,000 yen ($10,700) each — These were given as promo prizes to the winners of a parent-child tournament held in Japan. Competitors would split their deck in half, with the parent using one half and the child using the other. There are only a few of these in existence, and this guy has four of them. That’s over half of the collection’s value right there!
  • Lucky Stadium (Beach Version) — 1,000,000 yen ($8,900) — The first two Lucky Stadium cards shown were given to participants in a tournament held all over Japan back in 2000, but the beach version was only given to the winner, along with an invitation to Hawaii.
  • Victory Orb/Victory Ring — 500,000/300,000 yen ($4,400/$2,600) — These two cards were given to the winners of a tournament held in 2003 in Japan.
  • Porygon/Eevee/Trainer Certification Card — 60,000/90,000/40,000 yen ($540/$800/$350) — Given to those who joined the Pokémon Fan Club back in the year 2000.
  • No. 2 Trainer/No. 1 Trainer — 150,000/100,000 yen ($1,300/$890) — Given to the winners of a national Japanese tournament and had the winners’ names printed on them.
  • Shining Charizard/Charizard (Crystal Type) — 60,000/40,000 yen ($540/$350) — These came in regular booster packs back when they were originally released but are still highly sought after.

▼ Here’s another shot of the collection and the price, just so we can all feel
confused, angry, and confused why we’re angry.

Here’s how Japanese netizens reacted to seeing the incredible collection and its even more incredible price tag:

“I had no idea Pokémon cards could be worth so much.”
“Wow, given as a promo at only a parent-child tournament. That’s crazy.”
“I suddenly feel the urge to check the closets at my parent’s house….”
“Oh no! I threw out all my cards years ago. What have I done?!”

Don’t worry, netizen! Chances are you didn’t throw out anything of value. The only things you lost in that trash can were your joyful memories.

Although we do have to say that, as impressive as that collection is, there is one card missing from it: Pokémon Illustrator. Just that one card alone ended auction at… well, we won’t spoil it, but let’s just say it’s a bit more than what we saw here altogether.

Source: Twitter/@Networks2X via My Game News Flash
Featured image: Twitter/@Networks2X