2023 was an excellent year for thePokemon TCG. We jumped from Sword & Shield to Scarlet & Violet, which also meant the return of the ex cards. We also saw the last few moments where the VMAX and VSTAR Pokemon ruled over the meta, and we went from the Rapid & Fusion Strike engine to the Ancient and Future Pokemon cards.
Let’s not forget about the World Championship in Yokohama and the significant amount of excellent promos we had, including a collab with McDonald’s. 2023 left us with top-tier cards and a couple of surprises, so let’s take a look at the most valuable cards of 2023.
The price tag slapped on these cards is based on the valuation given bytcgplayer.comandcardmarket.com, and is subject to change depending on several conditions, such as availability, rareness, and relevance in the meta.
10Arceus VSTAR GG70 - Secret Rare - $52.21
The God Of All Pokemon
The list kick-offs with the God of all Pokemon, Arceus VSTAR. This card was released in the Galarian Gallery, a special expansion included in Crown Zenith and dedicated to saying goodbye to the Sword & Shield era.
Aside from being an iconic card of an exalted Pokemon, this one gets a great price asit’s playableand ruled the meta for a long while. It’s no surprise, as Starbirth, its ability, lets you search for two cards on your deck, no matter what. Arceus VSTAR was always there to work as a support; hence, it has a wonderful Galarian Gallery card people are still using nowadays.
9Magikarp PAL 203 - Illustration Rare - $58.08
Splash, Splash, Splash!
Such an iconic Pokemon as Magikarp, with its Illustration Rare card released in Paldea Evolved, deserves to be on this list. This fantastic card, illustrated by Shinji Kanda, is highly valued because of its high collectibility and top-tier illustration.
The card hides many details; Magikarp is in the center of the card, and it’s the only image element that shines. There’s also a Gyarados at the top of the card, with its characteristic enraged face, watching how Magikarp reaches the sky. Then, we have the beautiful waterfall at the back. Everything melts together perfectly.
8Charizard Ex OBF 223 - Special Illustration Rare - $59.56
(Not) A Surprise
We can’t just create a list with the most valuable cards of 2023 without Charizard. The worst thing about this is that this won’t be the last time we’ll see a Charizard card on this list, so be ready for it.
Aside from the Charizard tax and the card’s excellent illustration, the value of this card skyrockets because it’s playable, and it’s a great card to play on any Fire-type-themed deck thanks to its ability, Infernal Reign, which supplies Fire Energy Cards to any Pokemon you like.
7Iron Valiant Ex PAR 249 - Special Illustration Rare - $64.19
Iron Valiant And The Future Gang
Here’s another Special Illustration Rare. In this case, we have Iron Valiant Ex, which was released in the last expansion of 2023, Paradox Rift. Aside from being a very gorgeous card, this one gets good pricing as it’s playable, and it’s a core member of theIron Valiant Ex Deck, one of the best ones in the meta nowadays.
Iron Valiant, combined with Entei V (which saw its pricing increased because of its utility), was a menace during the last quarter of 2023, as it’s a great combination where Iron Valiant gets in charge of setting up damage counters to the opposite cards.
6Giratina VSTAR GG69 - Trainer Gallery Secret Rare - $69.64
The Lord Of The Lost Zone
Originally included in Lost Origin, Giratina VSTAR was undoubtedly one of the best cards you could find. Being able to Knock Out a Pokemon by only attaching a couple of Energy Cards was such a great feature, and dealing 280 with its main attack is totally excellent as well. Better yet,it’s a key part of the Lost Zone engine.
Then, Giratina got a Trainer Secret Rare with a god-like illustration in the Galarian Gallery collection. That’s why it’s so valuable among collectors. Giratina will always be remembered, as well as the Lost Zone, for being a headache to all players, no matter what.
5Iono PAL 269 - Special Illustration Rare - $86.25
A Shocking Addition To The TCG
Cards showing off popular characters like Iono almost always spike in price. It’s a thing in practically every TCG, but Pokemon is often much more influenced by it as people try and get their hands on their favorite trainers. The price will increase even more if the card is heavily playable, as you can see in this case.
Iono is a core part of almost any deck because of its great utility, as it lets you discard your opponent’s hand. This will have a better effect if you are behind in the match, as it lets you and your opponent draw as many cards as both have left in your Prize Cards pile.
4Roaring Moon PAR 251 - Special Illustration Rare - $104.20
Roaring At Your Wallet
Roaring Moon is so high on this list because it’s one of the most dominating cards of the last quarter of 2023; everyone talked about this one when Paradox Rift was released, and for a good reason; it’s like Giratina VSTAR, but easier to play.
Roaring Moon’s Frenzied Gouging instantly Knocks Out your opponent’s Active Pokemon but seriously harms Roaring Moon. Thanks to the many healing items you’re able to add toRoaring Moon Ex’s Deck, you can give Roaring Moon extra options to keep attacking. Overall, it’s a pretty dominating card.
3Charizard Ex MEW 199 - Special Illustration Rare - $119.37
Charizard But With A Cute Belly
Charizard is the most loved Pokemon in the TCG, and this card, which, while playable, is not as good as other Charizard variants, takes the bronze medal. This one gets a high value as it’s special. It’s a beautiful card dedicated to a fan-favorite Pokemon that got released in such a meaningful expansion as 151.
This card goes along with two other cards where you can see a Charmander in the same canyon, staring at the sky. When it evolves into Charmeleon, you can see it standing next to the volcano that you can see in Charizard’s card. These related cards are usually more expensive, thanks to their theme.
2Pikachu With Grey Felt Hat - Promo - $161.35
The Bone Of Contention
Talking about Pikachu With Grey Felt Hat and what it all caused is a bit sad, considering there are always people with sketchy intentions trying to get money out of this beautiful game, stepping over people in the process. This beautiful card has high value thanks to its exclusivity, asit was planned to be a gift to all the visitors of the Van Gogh Museumfor a short time.
Leaving this disaster behind, this card is extremely beautiful, and it’s a great tribute to one of the best artists of all time, as it is Vincent van Gogh. This card also has a fun fact: it’s the first time an English Card uses a non-American word variant, as it is Grey instead of Gray.
1Paradise Resort - Promo - $700
What A Welcome Gift
Yes, that’s its price tag; we didn’t make a mistake. This card was a very exclusive gift given as a welcome kit to all the players of the World Championship 2023 tournament. But that’s not all, as the event staff members also got one of these cards, but with the word “STAFF” written on it, which heavily increases the price.
While it’s not a full art card, it’s still a very cute card as it includes several fan-favorite Pokemon such as Pikachu, Lapras, Fuecoco, Psyduck, Quaxly, and Sprigatito. When people can’t put their hands on a card with their money, you can be sure it will be very expensive. We saw this case with the previous card, and that’s exactly what happens with this one.
