Goldin just announced its 2026 Pokemon 30th Anniversary auction, and the headliner is already making history. Bidding opens October 15 and runs through October 25, but early bidding on the centerpiece lot has already climbed past $1 million USD (roughly $1.43 million CAD) with the buyer's premium added. That lot is a PSA 8 copy of the 1997 Japanese Promo Gold First Place First Tournament #1 Trophy Pikachu, and it is the only copy of the card in the PSA census.

A trophy with a story

This is not a card anyone pulled from a pack. The Trophy Pikachu was awarded to winners of the first official Pokemon card tournament in Japan back in 1997, long before the game had the global following it does today. Cards like this barely ever surface, which is why even serious collectors mostly know them from photos. Seeing the only PSA graded copy cross seven figures before bidding has even opened tells you everything about where the very top of this market sits right now. For context, a PSA 8.5 Pikachu Illustrator hammered at $843,750 USD (roughly $1.2 million CAD) in Goldin's summer auction, so the Trophy Pikachu is keeping truly elite company.

The rest of the block

The auction is packed well beyond the headliner. Also on the block: a PSA 10 copy of the 2000 Black Star Eevee League Promo, a BGS Pristine 10 Skyridge Holo Gengar (#H9), a 2000 Black Star Holo Venusaur Promo (#13), and a sealed 2005 EX Deoxys booster box. Skyridge holos in top grades have been some of the steadiest climbers of the vintage era, and sealed EX era boxes keep getting harder to find intact, so expect strong numbers across the board when the hammer falls on October 25.

Two markets, one hobby

It is a fun contrast. Modern sealed product from the 30th Celebration has been getting easier to find lately, and prices on a lot of it have cooled off from the early frenzy. Meanwhile the rarest vintage cardboard keeps setting new highs. Both things can be true at once: the everyday market and the trophy market barely touch each other. Most of us will be watching this auction from the sidelines, and honestly that is half the fun. It is a reminder of how deep the history of this game runs, and a great excuse to appreciate the grails from a safe distance. You can browse the lots and register to bid over at Goldin's site if you want a closer look.