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Ultra-Ultra-Rare Pokémon Card to Go on Auction

Pokémon card collecting and trading have been common pastimes for 20 years, and many have childhood memories of fierce haggling for holographic cards or tearing through packets upon packets of cards hoping to find a Charizard. It's extremely unlikely, however, that you or anyone you know owns the Holy Grail, the KOH-i-Noor, the Fountain of Youth of all Pokémon trading cards: the Pokémon Illustrator card.

In the Pokémon Card Game Illustration Contest, your drawing has been recognized as excellent. Therefore, you are recognized as an official Pokémon card illustrator and bestowed with that honor.

As the text indicates, this is not technically an official in-game card, but a prize given for winning an art contest held by CoroCoro Comic magazine between 1997 and 1999. Three were held, with a total of 39 winners — meaning that there are at most 39 of these cards in existence. Most likely, though, there are fewer; only ten have been certified by the PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), and many counterfeits are in circulation. One of these certified cards is going up for auction on Heritage Auctions from November 17 to 19; proxy bidding has begun with a starting bid of $340. It's estimated that it could sell for $50,000 (another was sold on eBay for $100,000).

British rapper Jme, meanwhile, had a more reasonable request last year: holographic Charizards in premium condition.

Sources: Game Rant: Sarah Fields, Heritage Auctions and From Japan Blog