A 1999 1st Edition Base Set Charizard graded PSA 10 (Gem Mint) has just set a new record for Charizard cards, selling for $550,000 at Heritage Auctions on Dec. 12, 2025. The sale tops the previous high of $420,000 recorded in 2022.
Why is this Charizard Pokemon card so expensive? Well, it’s a mix of nostalgia, extreme rarity, and literally perfect condition of PSA 10, which is itself very rare. PSA has graded 5,325 copies of the card; only 124 have earned a PSA 10, which shows how rare they are. The “1st Edition” stamp also matters: it’s one of the earliest English print runs from Pokémon’s 1999 boom, making top-condition copies especially difficult to find after almost 30 years.
In 2017, the card cost about $20,000. And it went all the way up to 6 figures. Record breakers sometimes happen, but gem-mint Charizard Pokemon cards are super rare, and they rarely change hands. What a rise from a just expensive card to the most expensive Pokemon card. Well, the most costly PSA 10 Charizard 1st edition, that is. What a great time to sell Pokemon cards!
