Think back to the shoebox in the closet, the binder your kids begged you to buy, or the cards you traded on the playground. Maybe you have heard that old Pokemon cards are worth a fortune. Well, some of them truly are. But before you start counting your riches, the latest numbers tell a more careful story about what is really selling for big money.
According to a report from UltraBall, a Pokemon price tracker, published October 20, 2026, there have been 525 sales of $100,000 or more so far this year. The report covers January 1 through October 16, 2026, and the sales added up to $162.3 million. That is a lot of money for pieces of cardboard.
The Headline Sale
At the top of the list is Logan Paul’s PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, which sold for $16.49 million at Goldin on February 16. UltraBall’s report says that sale led the year’s six-figure Pokemon card sales.
It was not the only seven-figure sale. According to the report, 19 sales passed $1 million this year. The report notes that the prices include buyer’s premiums, which are the extra fees added to the winning bid, and that the figures track public sales.
Here Is The Catch
Now for the part that matters if you are hoping to cash in a shoebox. Of those 525 sales above $100,000, the report says 406 were PSA 10s. That means more than three out of every four of these big sales were cards that received the top grade from the grading company PSA.
What does a PSA 10 mean? Grading companies examine a card, give it a score for its condition and seal it in a protective case. PSA grades on a scale that tops out at 10, and a 10 is the best a card can get. A card that earns it is essentially in outstanding shape, with very little wear that anyone can find.
By simple math, that leaves 119 of the 525 sales that were not PSA 10s. So top grades did not account for every big sale, but they made up the large majority of them. In plain terms, the biggest prices are going to rare cards in standout condition, and the grade matters a great deal.
It helps to remember how buyer’s premiums work. When a card sells at a big auction, the winner pays the final bid plus an additional fee, so the total price is higher than the hammer price. That is why UltraBall points out that its figures include those premiums. If you are comparing a headline number with what a seller might actually pocket, the two will not be the same.
It also helps to know that rarity and condition work together. A scarce card in poor shape may still bring something, and a common card in perfect shape may bring something too, but the real jaw-dropping prices tend to need both. The report shows clearly how heavily the top end leans on the top grade.
What This Means For Your Old Cards
If your cards spent years in a backpack, a rubber band or a shoebox, they may have the kind of wear that keeps a card well away from the top grade. Corners get rounded, edges get white, surfaces get scratched and creases show up. Those things can pull the value down sharply. Many ordinary cards from the 1990s and 2000s are common, and common cards in rough shape usually are not worth much.
That does not mean you should toss them. It means you should look before you dream. Here is a simple approach:
- Gather and sort. Pull out all your cards and set them aside before you do anything else. Do not throw anything away yet.
- Look at the condition. Check the corners, edges, surface and any bends. The cleaner the card, the better its chances.
- Handle with care. Hold cards by the edges, and keep them out of damp places and direct sunlight. Protective sleeves are inexpensive and help.
- Look up recent sales. Check what the same card has actually sold for, not just what sellers are asking. Asking prices and sale prices can be very different.
- Consider grading only for promising cards. Grading costs money, so it makes the most sense for cards that look sharp and are known to be in demand.
- Be wary of anyone offering a quick payout. If a buyer will not tell you what a card is worth, get another opinion before you sell.
Keep The Excitement In Perspective
The stories about record sales make for great headlines, and it is fun to imagine that a forgotten box is hiding a jackpot. The numbers show that a sale above $100,000 is possible, and they also show how much the sales depend on rare cards in the best possible condition. The 406 PSA 10s in this group are the stars, and they are a tiny slice of all the Pokemon cards out there.
So go ahead and dig out those old cards. Enjoy the trip down memory lane and find out what you have. Just keep your expectations in check, treat the cards gently and let the facts, not the headlines, tell you what your collection is worth.
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