Pokemon cards and the trading card market as a whole are currently seeing a rise in popularity and demand like has rarely been seen before. People are desperately trying to get their hands on some of the franchise's most valuable cards to either bolster their collection or turn it for profit down the road. And, many of those people are specifically hunting for the most valuable Charizard cards.
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Among the many Pokemon out there, Charizard is widely considered the Holy Grail when it comes to trading cards. With so many cards featuring the popular Pokemon, it's good to know which ones can fetch a pretty penny.
Updated on August 3, 2021 by Jerrad Wyche: Charizard continues to be the most valuable and sought-after single Pokemon in all facets of the popular trading card game. That doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon and the value of the Fire-type Starter goes up as each year passes. It's the luckiest of pulls when opening packs and is the key attraction for viewers of unboxings on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.
Vivid Voltage Promo ($850)
Promo cards in the Pokemon Trading Card game, as well as all other trading card products, will always have built-in value simply due to them being a limited release. That's the case with this $850 Charizard promo for the Sword & Shield sets of cards, promoting Vivid Voltage.
This card in particular wasn't just a promo but was for staff working the prerelease event. Because of that specification, it means there were even less of this Charizard Pokemon card printed than the normal run of promos that everyone at prerelease events are entitled to for showing up and/or participating.
FireRed/LeafGreen ex ($1,000)
A good number of the more valuable Charizard Pokemon cards are hard to obtain simply due to most of the ones in good condition already being owned by collectors. That doesn't mean that you can't get your hands on some amazing finds in 2021 and beyond, though.
The Charizard ex card from the FireRed & LeafGreen set can be purchased at a current market price of $1,000 for the bold. It can also be found in less than a stellar condition for under $200 if that's a bit more manageable.
1995 Japanese Topsun Holofoil ($2,000)
The old-school Pokemon cards are known by fans for their distinct design and the classic art featured on the cards. One thing Americans weren't familiar with, though, was the horizontal full art cards Japanese fans had access to. Among them was this 1995 Japanese Topsun holofoil that featured stunning Charizard art in front of a glimmering and fiery foil backdrop.
Those who managed to get it PSA 10 graded are now sitting on a card that can sell on average for around $2,000 or so. It can't be overstated how unique this card looks.
Team Up Black Star Staff Prerelease ($2,000)
Promotional cards are a tough thing to look at in the realm of collecting cards are they're often very rare due to the limited printing of them. The Charizard that was featured as a Team-Up Black Star set card had a promotional staff version that was given to members who helped hold the prerelease event for the release of the set.
Alongside it were Gyarados, Machamp, and Mewtwo, which were at different various locations. The Charizard version of the promo can fetch a little over $2,000, provided it is PSA 10 grade.
2002 Reverse Holographic Legendary Collection ($6,500)
When reverse holographics first entered the Pokemon scene, kids couldn't handle how amazing the alternate design was. The reverse holographic version of Charizard from the 2002 Legendary Collection set added a whole new layer of cool to the already popular Base Set design of the beloved Fire-type starter from the Kanto region.
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Its highest selling price for a PSA 10 graded version of the card went for a solid $6,500, which may sound like a lot of money but doesn't come close to everything else ahead of it on this list. That may seem like a lot of money, but in terms of Charizard card value, it's on the middle-to-low end.
EX Dragon Frontiers Holographic ($9,000)
The introduction, or rather reveal, of shiny versions of Pokemon, provided an additional level of Pokemon hunting. Fans were now looking to obtain the alternate color versions of their favorite creatures. To no one's surprise, Charizard ended up having one of the coolest shiny forms as it went from orange to black (though it was originally purple).
The 2006 card from the EX Dragon Frontiers set featured a holographic shiny Charizard. It sold for an astonishing $9,000, which isn't surprising considering the card was PSA 10 graded and featured a black Charizard.
2003 Skyridge Holographic ($12,000)
Skyridge is a Pokemon set that was released in 2003 and is likely one many people forget about. It featured some fantastic artwork for beloved Pokemon and Charizard's card was a shining example. It's been sold for around $12,000 on average, provided the card is graded at a 10 via PSA.
This card is unique for several reasons as the holographic card was Colorless as opposed to the typical Fire-type Charizard was always associated with. The art itself alone is worth admiring, even if you can't afford the card yourself.
2002 Holographic Legendary Collection ($12,500)
This card may look familiar, as the Charizard featured in the Legendary Collection is simply a reprint of the base set card with a new medal emblem on the middle right of the card. Those who happened to not only own this card but get it graded at PSA 10 had the pleasure of fetching over $12,500 from collectors.
The card itself isn't that valuable, but the price tag gets raised significantly when the quality of the card is added into the equation. There currently happens to only be 10 of these graded at PSA 10 in existence.
1996 Japanese Holographic ($13,000)
Many kids growing up in the 90s in the United States had a unique fascination with Japanese culture thanks to things like Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, and Sailor Moon. This meant that, on the playground, Japanese Pokemon cards were easily more valuable than their English counterparts.
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A PSA 10 graded version of a 1996 base set Charizard can fetch close to $13,000. Outside of the text difference, the Japanese version of the base set card had a slightly different layout pattern when it came to the energy symbols attached to moves.
Shining Charizard 1st Edition ($22,000)
Earlier, we discussed the introduction of shiny Pokemon and how it simply made Charizard cooler. In the 2002 NEO Destiny 1st edition set, there was a card titled Shining Charizard that captured the black-scaled iconic Pokemon in all of its elegance and stoicism.
A PSA 10 graded version of the card has sold at its highest for around $22,000. The NEO Destiny set was the last one that the card manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast, used the 1st edition logo for on any of their Pokemon products — an interesting legacy for an equally interesting trading card.
1999 Holographic Shadowless ($25,000)
Reading the title of this entry, some readers may be wondering what shadowless means. It refers to certain prints of cards that lack the shadow design element to many parts of the card's design. For all intents and purposes, it's an added level of rarity and uniqueness.
The 1999 shadowless Charizard was part of a printing following the 1st edition cards and was rather scarce. It may not be the most expensive Charizard card, but a PSA 10 mint condition version has sold for upwards of $25,000, and as the years go on, its value will continue to steadily increase.
1999 Holographic 1st Edition ($36,000)
Sitting at #1 on this list is probably the card that most people clicked on this article to find. A PSA 10 mint condition version of the 1999 holographic 1st edition Base Set Charizard is the actual Holy Grail of Charizard cards and Pokemon cards in general.
There is no rarity symbol for "extremely rare," but in terms of tangible cards, this takes the cake. It's sold for as high as $36,000, which is likely one of the largest transactions ever for a single rectangle of cardboard covered in brilliant artwork. This is easily the most expensive Charizard card.
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