Historic CoroCoro Pikachu Sells for $3.3 Million in Private Sale | 2nd Largest Pokémon Card Sold in History
A piece of Pokémon history has sold in an all-cash private sale for $3.3 million, making it the second highest paid Pokemon card ever, behind the iconic PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator.
The $3.3 million private transaction was brokered by Nostalgix, a private collectibles brokerage specializing in high-value cards, comics, art and other collectibles.
This transaction also marks the highest known sale of a CGC graded card, surpassing the $3 million sale of a CGC 10 Pristine Alpha Black Lotus in 2024.
The First Pokémon TCG Card Ever Printed
The story of the Marketing Variation begins with CoroCoro Comic 223.
Ahead of the issue's release, this version of Pikachu was produced and photographed for marketing materials promoting the card that would be included with the magazine. However, the Pikachu ultimately distributed to readers was not this version.
Instead, CoroCoro Comic 223 included what collectors now know as the Glossy Pikachu.
That makes the surviving Marketing Variation particularly significant. It represents the version produced before the publicly distributed Glossy Pikachu, giving it the distinction of being the first Pokémon TCG card ever printed.
Only three copies of the Marketing Variation are currently known to exist. The sale involved in the $3.3 million transaction is graded CGC 8.5.
While the Marketing and Glossy versions look nearly identical at first glance, several noticeable differences separate them. These include the artist attribution at the bottom left, Pikachu's positioning within the artwork, the greenish tint of the card, and the leaf beneath Pikachu's left foot.
The Marketing Variation credits Keiji Kinebuchi, while the later Glossy version credits Ken Sugimori.
Together, these differences provide a rare look at the evolution of the card before the version ultimately distributed through CoroCoro reached collectors.
A Historic Sale for the Pokémon Market
At the highest end of the Pokémon market, condition and rarity tell only part of the story. However, historical significance and a card's place within the origins of the hobby also carry enormous weight.
Three decades after its creation, one of those copies has now sold for $3.3 million.
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