Pokémon TCG: Magikarp - Top 10 Most Expensive Cards

Pokémon collectors are always on the prowl for popular Pokémon like Pikachu, the face of the franchise, and Charizard, the face of the Ash Ketchum anime series. Many Pokémon from Kanto are also quite popular collection items.

Among them is Magikarp. This Pokémon conquered many hearts because it references a real-life hobby: catching rare fish for showcases and competitions.

Without further ado, let's explore the most expensive Magikarps in Pokémon TCG.

10 - Magikarp & Wailord TAG TEAM-GX (Sun/Moon: Team Up - Full Art - 160/181)

Our list starts with a TAG TEAM card. It was considered a joke when it was released and has never been relevant in competitive settings. It occasionally showed up in some Expanded decks at the time and was usually "just another card to fill your collection folder or page". Up until 2020, it was relatively cheap.

With time, though, some content creators started to "hype up" Pokémon TCG, particularly during 2020, and TAG TEAM cards started to become more expensive. When Illustration Rares became popular at the end of Sword & Shield because of Trainer Galleries and at the beginning of Scarlet & Violet, regular versions and rarer versions like Full Arts, Rainbow Full Arts, and Secret Arts started to become more expensive as well.

Price: US$120.

9 - Shining Magikarp (Sword/Shield Japanese (s8a-P): Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition - 010/025)

This is the Japanese anniversary Magikarp from the Celebrations set, part of the Sword & Shield block. This set reprinted some iconic Pokémon TCG cards.

Shining Magikarp is a popular collection item for collectors and investors, particularly for those that enjoy cards in Japanese, the franchise's mother tongue.

Price: US$125.

8 - Magikarp & Wailord TAG TEAM-GX (Sun/Moon: Team Up - Rainbow Full Art - 183/181)

Like Magikarp & Wailord-GX TEU 160, this is a "Rainbow Full Art", one tier above "Full Art", from the Sun & Moon block.

Price: US$130.

7 - Magikarp (X/Y: Promo Cards - 16/17)

This promo card was given out in a special box called Shiny Mega Gyarados in Europe, October 2016.

Because it was a limited product released exclusively in Europe, it has become consistently more expensive since 2016.

Price: US$135.

6 - Magikarp (e-Card Series: Pokémon Web - Tamamusi University - Japanese Card Promo, 1st Edition)

This card was released exclusively in a Japanese event hosted by Shogakukan, a subsidiary of Shueisha, one of the biggest publishers in the entire country. It is known for its many popular titles, including Pokémon.

The event, called "Celadon University Campaign", was held in 1998. It was structured as a festival in Celadon, the city from the Pokémon titles (where Erika's Gym is). Anyone participating would have to complete tasks described in a promo Shogakukan magazine. Those that completed all tasks would get a "Pokémon Professor" certificate and a copy of this Magikarp. Evidently, it is extremely rare.

There were two versions of it: one classic version and an "e-Card" version, a reprint.

Price: US$350.

5 - Magikarp (Scarlet/Violet: Paldea Evolved - Illustration Rare - 203/193)

This card is this expensive because of the artist behind it: Shinji Kanda, who also illustrated Giratina V LOR 186. Thanks to their psychedelic artistic style, this Magikarp became quite popular among collectors.

Price: US$372.

4 - Shining Magikarp (Wizards of the Coast Era: Neo Revelation, 1st Edition - 66/64)

This is a classic shiny Pokémon from the "Neo" era. These cards weren't too playable, but they stood out for their aesthetics and collectible value. This still rings true today.

It has been quite valuable since the 2000s.

Price: US$500.

3 - Magikarp & Wailord TAG TEAM-GX (Sun/Moon: Team Up - Secret Full Art/Alternative Full Art - 161/181)

As we mentioned above, this is a "Secret Full Art", the highest rarity in the Sun & Moon era. Furthermore, it was drawn by Kouichi Ooyama, a classic Pokémon artist.

Its cartoonish style is often hit or miss with fans, but no one can say it doesn't make it a lot more special to collectors.

Price: US$1,000.

2 - Pretend Magikarp Pikachu (X/Y: Japanese Promo Cards - 150/XY-P)

During the X & Y era, the Pokémon Company released a promo line of cards featuring Pikachu dressed as other iconic Pokémon, including Magikarp. This artwork, created by Kouki Saitou, quickly became a favorite because of its cute style and Pikachu's commercial appeal.

Today, it is nearly impossible to find this card ungraded by companies like PSA or Beckett.

Price: US$3,159.30.

1 - Magikarp "CoroCoro/Pokémon Snap" (CoroCoro Promo Card/CoroCoro Best Photo Contest 1999)

This card has a dark history. In 2022, a YouTuber called smpratte found this card in their personal collection and uploaded a video called "The Only Known Snap Magikarp - $136,000 Pokémon Card". According to him, it was sold in Japan for about 5 million yen, or US$136,000 at the time.

It is still nearly impossible to find this card for sale now, and it might have become even more expensive.

Price: US$130,000.

Magikarp & Wailord TAG TEAM-GX (Sun/Moon: Team Up - Promo Card - SM166)

Price: US$90.

Magikarp (e-Card Series: Skyridge - Reverse Holofoil - 075/144)

Reverse Foil

Price: US$123.

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Thank you for reading, and see you next time!