RARE FIRST-EDITION Pokémon CARD COULD FETCH £40,000 AT AUCTION

RARE FIRST-EDITION Pokémon CARD COULD FETCH £40,000 AT AUCTION Ultra-rare collectible from 1999 set to grab major attention in UK auction Derbyshire, UK A rare first-edition Pokémon card often described by collectors as the “holy grail” of Pokémon trading cards is expected to achieve a hammer price of around £40,000 when it goes under the hammer at a major UK auction later this week. The card attracting the spotlight is a 1st Edition, Shadowless Base Set Charizard one of the most iconic and sought-after cards from the original Pokémon Trading Card Game released in the late 1990s. Known for its rarity and nostalgia appeal, this particular Charizard was originally sold for just around £2 when Pokémon cards debuted in the UK in 1999.
Only a limited number of such first-edition Shadowless cards were printed, and few survive in excellent condition, making surviving examples especially valuable. The card is a feature lot in Hansons Auctioneers’ Pokémon Day Auction: Celebrating 30 Years of Pokémon, held at the auction house’s Derbyshire saleroom on 27 February 2026. Auctioneer specialist David Wilson-Turner described the card as a “holy grail” for Pokémon collectors and predicted strong bidding on the day.
The Shadowless Base Set represents the very first English language Pokémon card release and is highly prized due to its early Cards graded near “mint condition” particularly those rated around 9 out of 10 are exceedingly rare because most original cards were played with or deteriorated over time.
Collectors and fans today including older millennials with disposable income are driving strong resale prices for Pokémon memorabilia and vintage The Pokémon Trading Card Game, launched in the mid-1990s, has become one of the most lucrative collectible markets in the world, with some rare pieces fetching hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds at auction.
Other early editions and unique Pokémon cards such as ultra-rare promo cards have sold for eye-watering sums, underlining the strong demand for vintage trading cards among global collectors.
A first-edition Shadowless Base Set Charizard card a childhood favourite for many and one of the most coveted Pokémon cards ever printed could command around £40,000 at auction later this month, turning a humble £2 purchase from 1999 into a high-value collectors’ item three decades later.