How can you not like Charizard? It was one of the original 151 Pokémon and has remained a personal favorite of many for the last 25+ years. With that, the Charizard Pokémon cards have remained some of the most expensive ever to be released. Also, it’s basically a dragon. Pretty cool, right?
This article then will run through the 25 most expensive Charizard Pokémon cards of today! It will not include Topps despite there being some pretty expensive ones. We will stick to just Pokémon cards for this article.
The prices given will also be their average sold price. If you happen to have one of these, know that it can be quite a bit higher or lower depending on the condition of the one you have.
Also be very weary that the majority of these cards have fake versions floating around in the market. Because of their price tag, scammers (and unknowing sellers) may try to sell off fakes in their place. I’ll call out which ones do below!
Let’s get to it!
#25 – Rainbow Charizard GX #150
~$210
Coming in at #25, the Rainbow Charizard GX is one of the few English modern Charizard’s on this list that’s not a specialty release. It has touched $300 average sold at its peak and has remained a very sought after Charizard since its release in 2017.
This card does have fakes in the market. If you have one or are looking to buy one, make sure to check that it has a textured swirl in the background. This card has a beautiful holo so if your card is flat with no texture, it is unfortunately a fake.
#24 – 1st Edition Dark Charizard #4
~$210
An OG. The 1st Edition Dark Charizard from the Team Rocket set is a true classic. It was the first Charizard to stray from the standard Charizard picture that we all know and love and lives on as an amazing card and art from a very sought after set.
Congrats to those who have one of these bad boys! And if you’re looking to pick one up, know that there are fakes of this in the market as well, so shop carefully!
#23 – Charizard EX #105
~$230
Coming in at #23, the Charizard EX from Fire Red Leaf Green set is a beaut. This set was harder to come across when it was released as Pokémon cards weren’t as popular and it was not printed as much as the original sets.
Because of that, the Charizard from this set remains one of the most expensive. If you haven’t caught onto the trend yet, this card does have fakes as well.
At its peak, this card was $475 raw! Congrats to those who have one in their collection!
#22 – Charizard GX #SV49
~$250
Sporting the same Charizard image as our #25, the Shiny Vault Charizard came out HOT on the market release and has remained an incredibly consistent price since 2021.
This card is the most expensive non-specialty English modern on the list and has remained impressively valuable considering it was only released in 2019.
And regardless of its relatively recent release, it does have fake versions on the market.
#21 – Charizard Staff Promo #SM158
~$290
At #21, the Charizard Staff Promo is the first promo or specialty release Charizard on the list. This card (as its name implies) was only given to select “staff” members who helped release this set.
While some may argue that staff cards are not worth investing in, they are certainly hard to come by nonetheless. More to come on these.
Also, it’s the first card on the list that doesn’t have a fake version. Can we all give a little huzzah?
#20 – Charizard Plasma Storm #136
~$300
The Plasma Storm Charizard was released in 2013 and has been very collectible from the moment it was released. With a unique look and blue color, it definitely stands out in it’s own way on the list.
As you may have guessed, there are fakes of this card. Definitely a unique one to have in your collection!
#19 – Charizard Evolutions Prerelease #11
~$360
While a lot of other Pre-release cards aren’t particularly valuable, this one certainly breaks out from that mold. This was much harder to come by and therefore boasts a pretty impressive value, landing it at #19 on the most valuable Charizard list.
If you have the regular version, it will be worth about $40. The main difference between them is the Evolutions stamp on the right bottom side of the holo. Congrats if you were able to land one of these!
#18 – 1st Edition Blaine’s Charizard
~$400
Another OG Charizard from the incredibly popular Gym Challenge set. This Charizard is a favorite for many and has held an impressive and steady value since the Pokémon explosion in 2020.
There are once again fakes of this card, but from what I’ve seen they are fairly easy to spot.
#17 – Japanese Charizard GX #209 Ultra Shiny
~$440
Showing up as the first Japanese variation of a card on the list, the Japanese Charizard GX has consistently outpaced the value of its English counterpart.
The Japanese versions of modern cards don’t get printed as much and are therefore harder to get a hold of. This is a prime example of that.
More examples of this to come.
#16 – Shadowless Charizard #4
~$440
Another OG Charizard, the Shadowless Charizard was actually the second English Charizard ever printed, only behind the 1st Edition Shadowless.
Not to be confused with the “unlimited” version, which barely missed the cutoff for this list, the Shadowless Charizard is lacking a shadow along the right side of the holographic and remains one of the most collectible Charizard’s ever printed.
And because this wasn’t printed as much as the unlimited set, the Shadowless Charizard has remained and will likely remain an incredibly pricey card to get a hold of.
#15 – Charizard Legendary Collection Reverse Holo #3
~$460
The Legendary Collection sets reverse holo cards are arguably the coolest holographic cards ever to have been released. And this Charizard is one from that set.
Sporting the same original Charizard picture that we all know and love, it’s hard not to want to add this guy into your collection. Unfortunately though, it is does make this list as a very expensive Charizard card.
It’s worth noting as well that the Legendary Collection Reverse Holos are very “touchy” cards. They scratch and show wear and damage very easily, which makes this VERY hard to get in a PSA 10.
If you do though, this card will out-sell almost everything else on this list. Average PSA 10 sold for this card is $15,000.
And because this holo pattern is so unique, it is an incredibly hard card to make a fake for (though they do exist).
#14 – Charizard Staff #SWSH066
~$460
The #14 spot sports the 2nd Staff Promo Charizard on the list. Once again given to only select “staff” members, this isn’t a card that you will randomly run across in a binder.
This card among the other staff cards on the list was printed pretty exclusively, which makes them very hard to come across. Because of that, it gives them quite a hefty price tag, hence now sporting two spots on this list.
#13 – Shining Charizard #107
~$530
While not quite breaking the top 10, the Shining Charizard from the Neo Destiny set is among the most popular and sought after on this list.
Sporting a very unique holo pattern, the shining cards from this set only had the Pokémon themselves as holo rather than the entire background. The look of these paired with the set not being printed as much put the Shining Charizard from it at an incredibly respectable value.
This card and his big brother (hint hint for later down the list) do have fakes on the market so shop carefully if you’re trying to pick one up!
#12 – Japanese Charizard GX #58
~$550
At #16 this Japanese Charizard GX boasts one of the most expensive modern Pokémon cards in existence. This Japanese Charizard GX far surpasses the English versions value and has remained at a high price since release.
The Japanese version of this Charizard is more expensive once again because of supply. The Japanese sets were harder to come by and therefore are now more expensive.
While the English version does have fakes on the market, the Japanese version does not as of writing this article. If you find any, please send a message through the contact form below!
#11 – Charizard Gold Star #100
~$630
The Gold Star Pokémon cards are some of the rarest and most sought after of any set. And this Charizard sits at the pinnacle of that list.
Despite being just edged out of the top 10, this is still an incredibly valuable and sought after Charizard. Its art was the first for Pokémon to grow outside of the borders (as you can see with the fire and wing) and it’s design remains one of the most unique Charizard cards ever created.
And once again unfortunately, this is a card that does have fakes on the market that look pretty close to the actual card. Be very careful in where and who you buy from on this one.
#10 – Charizard Skyridge Reverse Holo #146
~$630
Coming in at #10 is the Reverse Holo Charizard from the Skyridge set.
Note that there are two different versions of this card as well as the Japanese version (hint hint for later down in the list). While not as expensive (spoiler alert) as it’s regular holographic brother, the reverse holo Skyridge Charizard still makes the top 10 in the list.
At around $600, it’s definitely nothing to scoff at if you find one in your old collection.
#9 – Charizard Evolutions Prerelease Staff #11
~$930
While a lot of these Charizard’s were released in sets for the masses, this one was certainly not one of them. The chance of you randomly finding it in your attic binder then is…. basically 0.
This card was only given to select stores (i.e. staff members) coordinating the Evolutions pre-release tournaments. So without being one of these select stores, you won’t be able to get it initially and had to buy it via another means.
Because of that, it sneaks in at #9 on the list and sells at nearly $1000.
#8 – Japanese Charizard EX Full Art #276
~$930
This is possibly the most interesting art of any Charizard on this list. If a Charizard being grabbed onto by a Venusaur isn’t cool enough, then there is no pleasing you.
This card was only only given out in Japan at a Gym Leader Challenge event in September 2016. This card has climbed in Value from September 2022 from $550 to nearly $1000 as of November 2023. Getting a hold of one of these then would be quite a Pokeball on your belt (see what I did there?)
#7 – Charizard National Championships #100
~$1000
While keeping some of the remnants of the E-Reader Sets, the Pokémon Dragon set was actually part of the next EX Ruby & Sapphire set. This Charizard through was only given out to the participants at a Pokémon National Championship (hence the name).
While the original version of this card is nothing to scoff at (~$200), this version is one of the rarest and most expensive Charizard’s on the market.
#6 – Japanese Charizard Expansion Pack No Rarity Symbol
~$1100
Not to be confused with the regular Japanese Charizard, this particular version was from a more exclusive set and is much harder to come across.
The only difference between this and the “unlimited” Japanese Charizard is the missing rarity symbol. This small detail makes it far more sought after and makes it one of the elusive $1000+ Charizard’s on this list.
#5 – 1st Edition Shining Charizard #107
~$1300
At #5 is the rarer big brother of #13. The 1st edition Shining Charizard is a beautiful card and it’s one that you may possibly have in an old binder. Back when Pokémon cards came out, most of them were RUTHLESSLY played and traded, so it will be hard to find in decent shape.
And while the 1st Edition Shining Charizard sits at the most expensive of the Neo Destiny, set, any of the shining holos from that set will be worth a pretty penny.
This card does have fakes out in the market, so please do due diligence when buying it.
#4 – Charizard Skyridge #146
~$1,400
The Skyridge Charizard is one of the best looking Charizard cards ever made (in my humble opinion). It is the most expensive card from one of the most expensive card sets ever made.
Pokémon cards weren’t selling quite as well so there wasn’t a lot of these being printed at the time of release. Add that to the fact that they are really great and unique looking cards and bam, #4 most expensive Charizard on the market.
This one like most of the others do have fake versions on the market. The fake have a blue hue and match the picture above EXACTLY. The real ones will have more of a white holo pattern.
#3 – Japanese Shining Charizard #006 / Darkness to Light
~$1,450
A lot of Japanese Pokémon cards don’t tend to outperform their English counterpart, especially in the vintage sets. Interestingly enough though, these next two do.
Coming in at #3 is the Japanese Shining Charizard from the Darkness to Light set. This card was once again not printed nearly as much as its English counterpart and is incredibly hard to get a hold of today.
As you can see, you’ll have to shell out some serious cash to get one of these. If you have one then know you have one of the most expensive Charizard cards in existence!
#2 – Japanese 1st Edition Charizard Mysterious Mountains #089
~$1,750
While the US version of this card doesn’t fall too far behind, the Japanese version (known as Mysterious Mountains rather than Skyridge) does have an edge up on price.
As a matter of fact, this Japanese Charizard had a record sale in 2022. A PSA 10 version of this card sold for $40,800! If you’re lucky enough to have one, then hats off to you.
#1 – 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard
~$2,000
The holy grail of Pokémon cards. The original 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard. As far as sold eBay listings are concerned, $2k is the average sold and will get you a pretty beat up version of this card. Back in 2021, this card raw sold on average for nearly $5k!
If you’re looking for anything decently nice, you will easily be spending upwards of $8k+ to get your hands on one of these bad boys. And if you want one in perfect condition? In 2022, a PSA 10 version of this card sold for $420,000.
It should be no surprise then that there are a LARGE number of fakes of this card in the market. Check out my other article on fakes if you’re considering one as I cover this card and a lot of its fake versions.
If you’re a serious collector though, this is THE card to have. Congrats if you happened to dig one out of your parents attic.
If you have one of these or any card on this list and are wondering if you should grade it, check out my other article on Pokémon card grading!
Summary
There you have it! The 25 most expensive Charizard cards of today. Congrats if you have any of them.
If you’re interested in selling one of the above or a collection of cards, send me an email at [email protected]!
Need a little more Pikachu in your life? I have a very similar list on just that!
Want to know about the real and fake gold Pokémon cards in the market? Check it out here.
Can you make money selling Pokémon cards? Read all about it here!
Thanks for reading!