Should You Grade a Pikachu Illustrator?
The Pikachu Illustrator, given only to winners of Pokémon illustration contests in 1997–1998, is the most valuable Pokémon card ever made. A PSA 10 sold for $5.27 million in 2022.
If you somehow have one of these cards, the grading decision is not about ROI — it is about authentication and provenance. Any genuine copy should be graded.
Why Authentication Matters More Than Grade Here
With fewer than 40 known copies in existence, any ungraded Pikachu Illustrator is viewed with significant skepticism. PSA grading provides authentication, provenance documentation, and dramatically increases buyer trust — regardless of the grade assigned.
Even a PSA 3 or PSA 4 copy of a genuine Pikachu Illustrator is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The grade matters at the margin, but authentication is the primary value driver.
If You Think You Have One
Confirm provenance first. The card was only distributed to contest winners in Japan through CoroCoro Comic. Any copy needs clear chain of custody documentation to be credible. Then submit to PSA through their high-value submission process.
Do not buy one raw without authentication. There are counterfeits in the market and only PSA (or BGGS) grading definitively confirms authenticity.
For Everything Else, Check the ROI First
For the other 99.9% of Pokémon cards, the grading decision is about math and condition. CardSnap helps you run those numbers.
Check any card: https://getcardsnap.com
Final Takeaway
If you have a genuine Pikachu Illustrator: grade it. No ROI math needed.
If you think you might have one: authenticate before anything else. The raw secondary market for unverified copies is treacherous.