Since 2020, The Pokemon Company has celebrated opening new Pokemon stores with the release of limited edition “Special Delivery” cards for the Pokemon Trading Card Game. The Special Delivery line began with Special Delivery Pikachu in 2020, followed by Special Delivery Bidoof in 2021. The Pokemon Company announced the latest Special Delivery card, Special Delivery Charizard, in July to celebrate opening the newest Pokemon store in the United Kingdom.
Since Special Delivery cards are so rare, they are sought after by many Pokemon TCG collectors. Thus, it’s perhaps not surprising that many people have taken to eBay and other sites to sell their rare cards and codes. And these cards aren’t cheap either, with some sellers asking $150 or more for the collectible cards.
The Special Delivery Charizard features a Charizard in flight, with Special Delivery Pikachu on its back and two mailbags hanging from either hip. It also comes with a version of the unique Happy Delivery ability that lets players select any two item cards from their deck and put them in their hands. While the promotion was active, fans could sign up on the Pokemon Center’s registration page for a chance to receive an exclusive code. Customers can then claim their free Special Delivery Charizard card by redeeming that code with any purchase of $20 or more.
However, many Pokemon Trading Card Game collectors are willing to pay a lot more than $20 for a rare, limited-edition card. Scalpers know this and have taken to eBay and websites like TCG Player to sell their cards for ridiculous prices. The cheapest listing on TGC Player has the card going for $130 plus shipping, with the priciest on sale for an incredible $330. Meanwhile, eBay listings range from the comparatively reasonable $52 to over $400. One listing features an apparent misprint for $1,500.
It’s worth noting that the cards open to bidding have price tags significantly lower than many of the direct purchase options. Thus, the trading cards’ high price may not be indicative of abnormally high demand so much as scalper’s assumptions of how much Pokemon TCG collectors are willing to pay. Some may even be deliberate attempts to inflate the card’s value, which would hardly be unprecedented.
While some might find it strange to drop hundreds of dollars on a rectangle of printed cardboard, rare Pokemon cards sometimes sell for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Special Delivery Charizard probably won’t be breaking those records any time soon, but some sellers are bound to be in for a significant payday.
Source: eBay, TCG Player