Extremely Rare CGC-certified Test Print Blastoise Realizes Over $200,000

Ultra-rare cards certified by CGC® Trading Cards, including a Pokémon Test Print Blastoise, achieved amazing results in a Trading Card Games Signature Auction presented by Heritage Auctions on November 7, 2021. Bidding was energetic as collectors competed to own some of the rarest cards from the Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering franchises.

The top individual card in the sale was a Blastoise Pokémon (1998) Test Print (Gold Border) #009/165R with Magic: The Gathering Back graded CGC 6.5 (lot 36108), which realized $216,000. Featuring Blastoise on the front with a Magic back, this fascinating combination is the result of Wizards of the Coast (WotC) attempting to create English Pokémon cards in the 1990s. Currently, only six of these rare test print cards have been authenticated by the experts at CGC Trading Cards. Details about the forensic analysis used to authenticate these cards is found here.

Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Test Print (Gold Border) Foil with Magic: The Gathering back from 1998 graded CGC 6.5. Realized: $216,000 Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, some of the rarest cards sold were giveaways from the 2002 Tropical Mega Battle Tournament. Realizing $108,000 was a complete set of the recently graded 2001/2002 Pokémon VS Tropical Mega Battle set (lot 36077). Certified in July, the English 30-card deck has a grade range of CGC 5.5 to CGC 8.5.

A 30-card Pokémon deck from the 2002 Tropical Mega Battle with grade range of CGC 5.5 to CGC 8.5. Realized: $108,000 Click images to enlarge.

Included in the elusive deck are two particularly interesting cards: a Tropical Breeze graded CGC 6.5 and a corrected Clair’s Mantine graded CGC 5.5. For more information on this special deck, please click here.

Another rarity, which sold for $32,400, was a Pokémon (2000) Lucky Stadium Japanese Unnumbered Promo graded CGC 8.5 (lot 36246). This desirable card was also printed for the Tropical Mega Battle tournaments that took place in Hawaii from 1999 to 2001. Top Pokémon competitors from all over the world were invited and each was presented with a copy of this card.

Lucky Stadium Promo from the Pokémon (2000) Tropical Mega Battle Promo set graded CGC 8.5 Realized: $32,000 Click images to enlarge.

Other CGC-certified highlights in the sale included:

• a Charizard Pokémon (1999) Base Set First Edition 4/102 Holo graded CGC 9 (lot 36113) that realized $19,200
• a Blastoise Pokémon (1999) Base Set - Shadowless 2/102 Holo Error graded CGC 5 (lot 36119) that realized $13,200
• a Charizard Pokémon (1999) Base Set First Edition 4/102 Holo graded CGC 8 (lot 36144) that realized $9,000
• a Blastoise Pokémon (1999) Base Set - First Edition 2/102 Holo graded CGC 9.5 (lot 36109) that realized $8,100
• a Timetwister Magic: The Gathering (1993) Unlimited Edition Rare graded CGC 5.5 (lot 37011) that realized $4,920
• a Mox Jet Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition (Beta) Rare graded CGC 5.5 (lot 36002) that realized $4,920
• a Mox Emerald Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition (Beta) Rare graded CGC 5 (lot 36001) that realized $4,560

All prices realized include the buyer’s premium.