Summary
- Most expensive card in the Base Set (1st Edition) is Charizard worth up to $260,000.00.
- Legendary Collection introduced reverse holofoil prints in 2002 with cards like Charizard worth $15,000.00.
- Skyridge has rare Charizard card worth up to $19,800.00 due to fewer packs made after the Pokemon popularity slowed down.
There are plenty of valuable Pokemon cards out there. With each new set comes new and often highly sought-after cards that most collectors are willing to spend a small fortune to collect. When it comes to valuable cards, the most important thing is condition. If a rare card is in bad shape, then it isn't going to be worth much.
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Determining which sets are the most valuable can be a little tricky since prices tend to fluctuate regularly. This list will go by a combination of the most expensive card in the set and the cost per booster pack in order to reach a rough value for the most expensive sets.
All values on this list were derived from www.pricecharting.com.
8 POP Series 5
A Small Set With Some Big Cards
- Most Expensive Card: Umbreon Gold Star (Up To $5,200.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $650.00
Released in 2007, POP Series 5, just like all of the other POP Series sets, only contains a handful of cards. However, in terms of value per card, this is among the highest value sets in Pokemon history. There are only 17 cards (and six holographic variations) in this set, but out of those 17, eight of them regularly sell for well over $100.00.
Out of this set, there are two main cards that collectors really want. They are Epseon (Gold Star) and Umbreon (Gold Star). These cards sell for between $2,400.00 and $5,200.00, depending on their condition.
7 Team Rocket Returns
A Huge Recent Price Spike
- Most Expensive Card: Torchic Gold Star (Up To $20,500.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $770.00
While this set has been worth a decent amount for many years, it's seen a huge spike in value over the past few months. Released in 2004, this set is seeing a huge spike in value due to a new set released in Japan in 2025 called The Glory Of Team Rocket.
As for the older set, its highest value card is a Gold Star Torchic. PSA 10 copies of this card have sold for more than $20,000.00. For those who have an ungraded copy, they can expect to sell the card for upwards of $1,000.00.
6 Aquapolis
Contains Some Valuable Secret Rares
- Most Expensive Card: Lugia (Up To $3,400.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $995.00
Aquapolis was released in 2003. It was the 15th set of Pokrmon cards to be released by the company, and it is made up of 186 cards, which include some very valuable secret rares. This set was released just before Skyridge, and while it doesn't quite have the same value as Skyridge, there are still more than a few cards that collectors are willing to shell out top dollar for.
This set has a secret rare Lugia, a secret rare Nidoking, a holo rare Umbreon, and more. The chase cards from this set can sell for upwards of $3,000.00 each, depending on their condition.
5 Neo Destiny (1st Edition)
A Set Full Of Shining Cards
- Most Expensive Card: Shining Charizard (Up To $14,200.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $1,300.00
The first print of Neo Destiny is one of the most valuable sets out there. It is filled with special shining cards. These unique Pokemon variants are very valuable. Most collectors are willing to spend quite a lot of money in order to get shining cards in good condition.
The most expensive one in the set is the Shining Charizard. But there are plenty of other valuable cards to collect. Due to the set's popularity, it was reprinted. While the reprints are also very valuable, the 1st edition cards tend to fetch a much higher price.
4 Skyridge
Released After The Pokemon Hype Slowed Down
- Most Expensive Card: Charizard (Up To $19,800.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $1,350.00
Skyridge has become a very popular set. Unfortunately, at the time of its release, the first major Pokemon popularity wave had died down. Because of this, fewer packs were made and sold.
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This is one of the reasons why the cards are so valuable today. Since there aren't as many cards in existence when compared to most of the other entries on this list, they are typically held at a higher value. Also, this set was the last set that was designed by Wizards Of The Coast. Some of the notable cards from this set include Charizard #146, Ho-Oh #149, and Umbreon #H30.
3 Legendary Collection
The Set That Introduced Reverse Holofoil Prints
- Most Expensive Card: Charizard Reverse Holo (Up To $15,000.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $1,500.00
This set, released in 2002, was the first to include reverse holofoil cards. This new type of card became very popular among fans. Due to the popularity of this card variant, the company has kept creating and releasing holofoil cards since the Legendary Collection was released.
While the set is very popular today, it didn't garner much attention back in 2002. Because of this, there are still plenty of unopened packs and boxes. These have become incredibly valuable, with some packs selling for as much as $2,150.00.
2 Base Set
Contains All Of The Most Iconic Pokemon
- Most Expensive Card: Charizard (Up To $8,200.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $410.00
Base Set was the first ever Pokemon card set. There were two printings of this set — 1st edition and a standard Base Set — both of which are highly sought-after. While the set was printed in the late 90s, there are still lots of unopened booster packs out there.
Over the years, collectors have been willing to pay incredibly large sums in order to obtain as many unopened packs as possible. Because of this, there's a high chance of there being some PSA 10 cards hidden away inside packs just waiting to be found. As for current values, anyone lucky enough to find a pristine Base Set Charizard can get up to $8,000.00. That said, as time goes on, this price will likely increase.
1 Base Set (1st Edition)
The Original Pokemon Set
- Most Expensive Card: Charizard (Up To $260,000.00)
- Rough Booster Pack Price: $4,000.00
The first set released contained a first edition stamp on each card. This stamp, while small, significantly boosts the value of Base Set Pokemon cards. Just like all Pokemon sets, there are a fair few cards that aren't worth all that much, but on average, cards from the 1st edition release sell for a hefty sum.
This set is identical to the cards in the previous entry. The only real difference is the 1st edition stamp on the cards. However, there aren't anywhere near as many 1st Edition Base Set packs out there as regular Base Set packs, hence the major price difference.
- Franchise
- Pokemon
- Original Release Date
- October 20, 1996