WHAT: A mint condition Pokemon βPikachu Illustratorβ trading card held by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions created a new world record for the card at auction; it brought $54,070 last November in Beverly Hills, Calf. Originally given to winners of a comic illustration contest in 1998, only 20 to 39 copies of the card were released. Of those, only 10 are graded as top condition.
MORE: In the early 2000s, the card sold for about $23,000. Brought to market after the recent popularity of the Pokemon Go app, this card may herald a rise of renewed popularity for original Pokemon cards; the comics art market certainly hopes so.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Items made to be collectible almost never become big money items: Itβs something out of the blue that becomes a big-ticket item. Pokemon was/is popular, but in the long term, an arcane card awarded to few became a winner.
HOT TIP: Designed by a premier Pokemon graphic artist, the card shows Pikachu holding artistβs tools.
BOTTOM LINE: Collectors value the Pikachu Illustrator card as the most iconic card in the genre.
FYI: PBS has announced summer dates for taping of the hit βAntiques Roadshow.β First-time visits include tapings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Return visits to St. Louis, New Orleans and Portland, Oregon, are also planned.
To find out dates and how to get free tickets, visit www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/ontour or call 1-888-762-3749 before midnight, April 10.
