Everyone loves expensive Charizards, cute Pokémon, and Golden and holographic cards. But there are a number of expensive Pokémon cards out there that aren’t any of those things. Not cute. Not shiny. And definitely not golden.
Some of them though? They look cheap but actually hold some serious value.
So regardless of why you are here, let’s give some love to some Pokémon cards that might not get enough. And while some of them may, the value could still certainly impress you.
Let’s jump right in!
Special Delivery Bidoof #SWSH 177
~$225
First on our list is the Special Delivery Bidoof. While it is holographic, it doesn’t look like anything special at first.
Sure, Bidoof getting carried by a Charizard is pretty neat, but you probably wouldn’t guess at first glance that this card is worth several hundred dollars!
The reason for the Special Delivery Bidoof cost is because it was not easy to get upon release. You had to have a Pokémon Center account, express your interest in the card, then happen to receive a code and follow instructions after that.
So while it doesn’t look incredible, it most certainly holds some respectable value!
Poke Card Creator Pack Pikachu #5
~$300
Shiny? No. Adorable? Yes. Valuable? Definitely!
Every card from the Poke Creator Pack was actually made by a child who hand-drew each picture! Kids from 5-15 entered into a competition to draw 1 of 5 Pokémon and the winners got their illustrations made into a card!
There wasn’t a tremendous amount of these released in 2004, so their exclusivity (along with their cuteness) added to the total value.
While Pikachu and the others aren’t shiny and holographic, they most definitely still deserve some appreciation!
Gengar Masaki Vending Machine Card
~$400
This one does break some of the rules slightly as it is holographic at least. That being said, it would be hard to guess that this card was in the neighborhood of $400.
The Gengar Masaki Promo card was not an easy one to obtain. You had to mail in it’s pre-evolution (Haunter in this case) with a Bills PC within a 5 month window between 1998 and 1999. Only then could you get this card sent to you.
While it’s not the cheapest looking card on the list, it’s expense certainly made it worth adding!
Pokémon Center Black Star Promo #40
~$500
Next up is one of two Black Star Promo cards that did not make it to most kids binders. The Black Star Promo Pokémon Center card could only be obtained in New York at the Pokémon Center opening in 2001.
It’s exclusivity is most definitely the reason for its expense. That being said, it doesn’t look like anything special otherwise. It’s not holographic and it’s just a regular old trainer card.
While trainer cards have some great popularity in modern sets, the original vintage sets did not have any trainers that were expensive or hard to get a hold of at all.
Despite that being the case, this card definitely breaks that mold.
Let’s get to our next card…
Lucky Stadium Black Star Promo #41
~$500
The Lucky Stadium Black Star Promo card has the same story as the card above. It was very difficult to get a hold of and left a lot of children’s Black Star Promo collections with an empty number 40 and 41.
On top of that, it once again doesn’t look like anything special. It’s not holographic and is a regular old trainer card.
It is a cool once you know the story though. The Pichu riding a Pikachu riding a Charizard over New York City was created to commemorate the big New York City Pokémon Center opening!
So while it’s not the coolest looking, it has a great story and definitely has the cost to follow!
Eevee [500 Pt. Fan Club] #133
~$500
The Eevee Fan Club Promo card is another that is holographic but doesn’t look like anything that would have any serious value at first glance.
Much like our Black Star Promo cards above though, this one was an exclusive release in Japan. You had to earn 500 points and be a part of the Fan Club to get a hold of this card, which is the reason that it is so valuable.
In doing research for this card, it was incredibly hard to find raw copies of. Almost all of them were graded with PSA 8’s going for around $1200 and PSA 10’s going for $12,000!
Congrats to you if you have this one as part of your collection!
Pikachu [E3 Red Cheeks] #58
~$850
The E3 Red Cheeks Pikachu is actually one of the most expensive Pikachu cards you can buy. It is once again not holographic and actually has a yellow cheeks version that you can pick up for around $20.
The E3 Red Cheeks Pikachu though was once again only obtained through being in a specific place at a specific time (see the trend here)? This card was only available at the Nintendo booth at the E3 expo that only ran for 3 days.
If you didn’t get this card at that point in time, then you would be unable to get it during its original hand-out on those days. Once again doesn’t look like anything too special but is both incredibly pricey and has a great story behind it!
Gold Star Espeon #16 + Gold Star Umbreon #17
~$1,900 & ~$1300
Unlike some of the other cards on this list, the Gold Star Umbreon and Espeon most certainly get a lot of love and appreciation.
These two cards are major chase cards of the POP Series 5 set and are both highly valuable and highly collectible. They are on this list though because they don’t look like anything particularly special.
They are both not holographic despite most other gold stars being holo and are some of the most expensive Eeveelution cards you can buy.
Be careful assuming you or your child have the Umbreon though as the Celebrations set released this card again with a similar but re-done look. Unfortunately that version is only $15 despite it being holographic. Funny how that works.
Victory Ring [Spring Battle Road] Pokémon Japanese Promo
~$3000
Another cheap looking very expensive card, another exclusive event that you had to be at to get it.
What’s even more unique about the Victory Ring card though is you didn’t just have to attend an event. You had to be a top competitor in the event. In this case, you had to be a top 3 competitor in your age group at the regional Japanese Battle Road Spring 2003 tournament!
So while this card won’t be floating around any random persons binder, it most certainly has earned a spot on this list!
Summary
Hopefully you enjoyed the list and learned something new! If there are any cards that you feel should have made the list, please let me know at [email protected]!
Interested in learning about some of the most expensive card sets? I’ve got you covered here!
Interested in some of the Cheapest Charizard cards you can buy? Look no further.
Thanks for reading!