How much is Charizard worth today?

The card

PWCC

My parents laughed when I said my Pokémon cards would be worth something someday, but now in 2022, original, pristine sets of cards are indeed being sold for a ton of money, part of a recent “gold rush” trend on Pokémon cards that has culminated in the biggest sale yet of an OG Charizard.

At the PWCC March Premiere Auction, a 1999 Charizard Pokémon card just sold for a record-breaking $420,000, the most a Charizard has ever sold for, and the third highest for any Pokémon card of all time.

Why so much? Well, this was a special one, it seems. The most special, in fact. Here’s what netted that kind of price:

“The card’s price was buoyed not only by its PSA 10 Gem Mint grade – only 121 PSA 10s exist in the world at the time of the auction – but also by the fact that it is one of the cleanest copies in existence. The card has no visible whitening on the back, appears to have perfect centering, and looks to have no holo imperfections.”

Another reason the price was so high is that because of the 121 PSA 10s in the world, most are owned by serious collectors or celebrities and as such, are not likely to make it to market. So when one actually does, well, you get this kind of ridiculous price.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 17: Attendees compete at the Pokemon European International ... [+] Championships at ExCel on November 17, 2017 in London, England. Thousands of competitors from around the world will attend the Pokémon TCG and Video Game Europe International Championships over three days, the first International Championships of the 2018 season. The competition will feature high Championship Point payouts and a prize pool value of up to $250,000. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)

Getty Images

So, you say, you have a Charizard at home. Can you sell it and buy yourself a house as a result? Prrrrobably not.

There are a zillion different stipulations in terms of what elevates the price to this level. It has to be the right printing, absolutely flawless condition, meaning if you held it in your hand as a kid for more than five seconds before sealing it away, it’s probably not good enough already. Then you have to have the card graded by professionals, and since this has become such a popular trend recently, there’s a huge backlog in that field, and it would take a long, long time to get that certification, whatever grade it ends up being. It’s not impossible, and you could still have a valuable one, but to reach this level, your card would have to be on another plane of existence entirely.

I believe the most valuable Pokémon card in history is still the Pikachu Illustrator card that sold for $900,000, the Japanese card that was a limited edition creation for winners of an art contest, making it exceedingly rare. No Charizard is likely to hit that mark any time soon. Before this, the previous Charizard record was $399,000.

So hey, get yours graded if you want, just…manage expectations.

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Everyone who has collected Pokemon TCG cards dreams of dragging out their old binder and finding a card worth tons of cash. While most Charizard cards may not demand a $312,000 price tag, many of them are coveted by collectors willing to pay exorbitant prices.

Some Pokemon fans may have serious cash hidden away in their closets but not know just how rare their cards might be. When it comes to a Pokemon as popular as Charizard, the prices can be astronomical.

10/10 Charizard GX ~ Burning Shadows - $392.38

Charizard GX

While the card wasn't very useful in competitive fire decks, its rarity and the fact that it features the iconic shiny Charizard on the front made it extremely sought after by collectors when it was released. Now it's still valuable for those trying to collect every version of the fiery dragon or those who just want something shiny to display to show their love of the Pokemon. It just goes to show that not every single Pokemon needs to be perfect in battle to still be loved.

9/10 Charizard ~ Legendary Collection - $399.99

Charizard Legendary Collection

While there are countless stories of people spending ridiculous amounts on the original Charizard card, the majority of card owners don't have them in the kind of mint that demands eye-popping prices. The majority of cards from Base Set 4 have a value of around $355 while those from the original set tend to go for around $223. However, the version of the card with the exact same art from the Legendary Collection tends to pull in a significantly larger sum, making it extra special for collectors who have one.

Special Delivery
Charizard

This may actually be one of the rarest Charizard cards in existence as they were never properly released. While originally teased to be coming out in 2020 as part of a special promotion for fans ordering items from the Pokemon Center in the United States and Canada, the card seemingly disappeared and never officially hit shelves.

However, some must have escaped the Pokemon TCG vault as there have been a few listings of the card which have all sold for over $425. In fact, some value the card at several thousands of dollars due to its unique nature. As Special Delivery Pikachu and Special Delivery Bidoof were also extremely popular and still sell well on the secondary market, it's possible this card is even more valuable than we could possibly imagine.

7/10 Charizard ~ Stormfront - $461.82

Charizard Stormfront

For fans of the original Charizard card, this release was a welcome addition to their collection. It has the exact same moves and ability with the only major difference being slightly updated art. Curiously, they tend to sell for higher prices on average than the original as well. Considering this one was released in 2008 and the other came to the US in 1999, it's interesting to see the newer card have more value among collectors.​​​​​

6/10 Charizard ~ Plasma Storm ~ $518.82

Charizard Plasma Storm

It comes as no surprise that another card featuring a shiny Charizard is coveted by fans. The dynamic art by Ayaki Yoshida is wonderful to look at even if the card doesn't have much use in competitive play. This card in perfect condition can even pull as much as $750 at auction.

CD Promo Charizard

A special promotional CD was released exclusively in Japan on January 1, 1999. It came with some incredible promotional art inside alongside a random selection of promo cards. As the CDs themselves tend to sell for hundreds of dollars when they appear on auction sites, it makes it expensive to even home to receive one of these rare Charizards. Those that do though can make quite a bit of money, with some selling for over $700 on eBay.

4/10 Charizard★ δ ~ Dragon Frontiers - $749.99

Charizard Star Delta

This card not only has shiny Charizard, but it is the only one where the Pokemon is also a Dark type making it truly special. It's also a Basic Pokemon meaning that players didn't even have to even have to go through the lengthy route of evolving before playing it!

As it's a star card, only one was allowed to be in any deck. Despite how few players needed to actually use it competitively if they wanted, people grabbed as many as they could for its epic art and of course, the fact that it was a Charizard.

3/10 Charizard ~ Battle Road Spring - $900+

Charizard Dragon

While the commonly found version of this card in English is also quite valuable at an average of $386, it's the version that released exclusively in Japan that truly brings in the big bucks. These were only available at events that took place back in 2006 and players had to get past the preliminary rounds of tournaments to even get one at all. With how hard these were to come across, they're particularly valued by collectors today.

2/10 Charizard ~ Pokemon Skyridge - $1345.44+

Charizard Skyridge

While this card rarely comes up on the market, it can go for massive prices when it does. A copy sold in 2022 on eBay for over $6,000 and others have sold in the high $5000 range. Even those that lack cards in mint condition still can pull in a lot with this card. As Skyridge was the last set of the game produced by Wizards of the Coast, it makes this card as special as it is rare. Anyone with one of these in their collection from when they were kids should keep them safe.

1/10 Shining Charizard ~ Neo Destiny - $1,399.00

Shining-Charizard-1

Out of all of the shining Pokemon cards, Charizard is by far the most valuable. A first edition version of the card in mint condition has even sold for $15,500! While most may not have it in such pristine edition, even its average sale price is nothing to sneeze at. Seriously, don't sneeze on the card, it's far too valuable!

It was one of the first cards to show off what would eventually be shiny Pokemon and has Charizard in their iconic black glory and every collector who doesn't have it wishes they did.

Next: The Rarest McDonald's 25th Pokemon Cards

How much is a Charizard worth 2022?

Charizard – 2002 English Pokémon Expedition The price of this one rose pretty fast, from $5,000 in 2020 to a whopping $21,000 in 2022.

How much is a Charizard worth 2021?

In 2021, the thirst for vintage Pokémon cards continues: Now, someone's paid $311,800 for a single, holographic Charizard card, as spotted by Nintendo Life. The 1999 first-edition “Shadowless” Charizard, with a “PSA 10 Gem Mint” rating, sold on eBay, through PWCC Auctions, for $311,800 after a long bidding war.

Which Pokemon Charizard is worth money?

Since that record-breaking sale, Shadowless Charizard in Gem Mint 10 condition has continued to be one of the most valuable Pokémon cards of all time, with another sale in January 2021 fetching $300,000. A year later, that record was smashed once again by a PSA 10 Charizard sold in March 2022 for $420,000.

How much is a basic Charizard worth?

Charizard #4 Pokemon Base Set.