Sports cards, but also anime and cartoon cards, have been known to be sold for large sums of money. Here are the ten most expensive trading cards ever sold and how you could profit from selling cards from your own collection .
9. Crush Card Virus
Yu-Gi-Oh is not only a popular manga series, but also the creator of a collectible card game based on the original series, which is admired and loved by thousands. One of the main characters in the series, Seto Kaiba, referenced this card as an essential piece to his pack, which has further heightened the card's demand. This, combined with the fact that it is given as a prize to high scoring competitors at the Shonen Jump Championship, means that a Crush Card Virus card is sold for no less than € 3,000.
8. Time Walk
Time Walk is a card from the first release of Magic: The Gathering, which is arguably the most successful and popular collectible card game out there. Although this card looks simple with its abstract design, the rarity and the fact that it was banned from competitive play is what makes the Time Walk a winner. The luxury of owning a Time Walk, which allows you to have two consecutive turns, will set you back around €4,000.
7. Armament of the Lethal Lord
The Armament of the Lethal Lord was once put up for sale with an asking price of over a million euros. Although this card is extremely powerful, to the point that it is banned from tournament play, it is unfortunately not worth a six figure sum. The Armament of the Lethal Lord was sold for €9,000 and was also awarded to the winner of the World Championship Series in 2006.
6. No. 1 Trainer
It would not be right to discuss trading cards without mentioning Pokémon. What makes this card so unique is the fact that it does not have any in-game value. The No. 1 Trainer card is the top prize awarded to the winner of the Japanese World Challenge tournaments It allows the holder to skip the regional qualifiers and head straight to the following year’s tournament. For this reason, they are not put on the market very often, but are sold for over €10,000 when they are.
5. The Alpha Black Lotus
The Alpha Black Lotus has sold for €27,000. Although this card has been banned from tournament play, having one commands respect from other traders. Given that it was released in the early days of Magic: The Gathering, only 1,100 cards were created. It is the most expensive card in the history of the game.
4. 1954 Ted Williams
In 1954, Ted Williams was chosen to be the front and back covers of the set of Topps, putting this card firmly on the trading card map. The bold yellow background and the famous signature of the greatest hitter who ever lived is what make the 1954 Ted Williams card so special. Getting your hands on one of these will cost you upwards of €50,000.
3. Pikachu Illustrator
Here we have another appearance from Pokémon. The Pikachu Illustrator, which was sold for around €54,000 is considered the ultimate Pokemon card among traders. As the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold, the Pikachu Illustrator is difficult to get your hands on. Only four are believed to be in circulation, which is why the value of the card is predicted to climb even further over the coming years.
2. Michael Jordan, Basketball, 1986-87 Fleer Rookie Card
The Michael Jordan Fleer Rookie card is considered to be one of the most popular sports trading cards out there. Despite the mass of memorabilia associated with Michael Jordan, the Fleer Rookie card is near the top. People often buy this card as a form of investment. Given the continued popularity, the interest of the card is bound to rise. This card has been known to sell for around €100,000.
1. Honus Wagner 1909-11 T206
The Honus Wagner card is actually more famous than the man himself. This card of the greatest shortstop that ever lived sold for around €3.2 million, breaking all other trading card records. Very few are known to exist and given the price for which they sell, few are sold regularly either.
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Head over to our Trading Card auctions to start or expand your collection. You can also register here to sell a few of your own collectible cards.
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