Pikachu Illustrator Leads Goldin's Fall TCG Elite Auction at $400,000

A 1998 Pikachu Illustrator graded TAG NM-MT 8 leads Goldin's 2026 Fall TCG Elite Auction at $400,000 after 19 bids, as of November 13, 2026, per its Goldin lot page. The Pikachu Illustrator auction runs inside a sale of 1,149 lots, 994 of them Pokémon, and extended bidding starts at 10 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, November 29. The only other TAG 8 in Goldin's April lot text sold there for $488,000, and this one already matches that copy's $400,000 winning bid.

The Top Lots Right Now

Current bids before the buyer's premium, from Goldin's lot pages on November 13:

• 1998 CoroCoro Illustrator Pikachu, TAG NM-MT 8: $400,000, 19 bids, TAG score 803
• 1999 Base Set 1st Edition sealed booster box (36 packs): $130,000, 4 bids, with an X-Ray Authority letter
• 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Mudkip #107, PSA 10: $110,000, 16 bids
• 2005 EX Deoxys Gold Star Rayquaza #107 (EU print), PSA 10: $105,000, 12 bids
• 2000 Topps Chrome Pokémon TV Tekno Charizard #6, PSA 10: $80,000, 9 bids, one of 13 PSA 10s per Goldin
• 2006 One Piece Passage to the Grand Line sealed booster case (144 packs): $55,000, 11 bids

Bids move every day, and Goldin adds a 22% buyer's premium on top of the hammer.

Why the Illustrator Leads

The Illustrator Pikachu was a prize for CoroCoro Comic's 1997 and 1998 illustration contests, and the card text tells winners they are now official illustrators. Goldin's lot description says "The total number of officially issued Illustrator Pikachu cards is now estimated to be 41 copies." This copy is graded NM-MT 8 by TAG with a TAG score of 803 (cert Z2538839).

The comparison that matters is the other TAG 8, which Goldin's April lot text called the highest-scoring of the two NM-MT 8 cards in TAG's census. That copy, cert E4450045 with a TAG score of 805, sold at Goldin in April 2026 for $488,000, a $400,000 winning bid plus the 22% premium, as we covered in our TAG grading guide. Higher up the grade ladder, a PSA 9 sold for $5 million at Heritage in September 2026 (our coverage), and a PSA 10 holds the record at $16,492,000, sold through Goldin on February 16, 2026, which Guinness World Records lists as the most expensive trading card sold at auction.

The Gold Star Mudkip Gap

The Mudkip is the lot to watch. A Gold Star Mudkip PSA 10 sold for $1,020,000 at Fanatics Collect in September 2026, and another PSA 10 brought $610,000 at Goldin on October 25, 2026. This copy (PSA cert 41314915) sat at $110,000 on November 13, with extended bidding opening November 29. Goldin's lot text says fewer than 3% of the more than 1,500 copies in PSA's census reached a 10.

The sealed 1st Edition Base Set box is the other big swing. The top public price for one is $750,000, paid at Heritage on September 18, 2026, and this one sat at $130,000 with four bids on November 13.

What It Means for Collectors

Our take: the April sale is the cleanest comp this lot has, because the two slabs are a near match (803 vs 805 on TAG's scale). Early bids at Goldin have not told the final story in 2026. The PSA 10 Illustrator stood at $6.882 million before extended bidding took it to $16.492 million, according to CNN, and Goldin's last Gold Star Mudkip PSA 10 was bid at $85,000 two weeks before its October 25 close and finished at $610,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Goldin's Fall TCG Elite Auction end?

Open extended bidding starts at 10 p.m. Eastern on November 29, 2026 (5 a.m. GMT+2 on November 30), per Goldin's lot pages. After that, Goldin's lot pages list extended bidding in 30-minute intervals, so a lot that keeps drawing bids can close later.

How much is the Pikachu Illustrator bid at?

$400,000 with 19 bids as of November 13, 2026, before Goldin's 22% buyer's premium. The other TAG 8 copy sold for $488,000 with premium in April 2026.

Where to Go From Here

Goldin's Fall TCG Elite Auction moves into extended bidding on November 29, 2026. On the Polkastarter marketplace, real vaulted cards come in Lootbox mystery packs, every Lootbox lists its contents, values, and chances before you open, and new accounts get a free pack at signup.

Details checked November 13, 2026. Bids are current bids before buyer's premium as shown on Goldin's lot pages on that date and will change. Past sales include buyer's premium. Nothing here is financial advice. Polkastarter is not affiliated with Goldin, TAG, PSA, Heritage, Fanatics Collect, The Pokémon Company or the other companies named.

Sources

• Goldin: 1998 Pokemon Japanese CoroCoro Comics Prize Promo Holo Illustrator Pikachu, TAG NM-MT 8 (lot 2), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Holo Illustrator Pikachu, TAG NM-MT 8 (April 2026), sold April 2026, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 1999 Pokemon Base Set 1st Edition Factory-Sealed Booster Box (lot 4), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Mudkip #107, PSA 10 (lot 8), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Mudkip #107, PSA 10 (October 2026), sold October 25, 2026, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 2005 EX Deoxys Gold Star Rayquaza #107, EU print, PSA 10 (lot 5), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 2000 Topps Chrome Pokemon TV Tekno #6 Charizard, PSA 10 (lot 59), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Goldin: 2006 One Piece Passage to the Grand Line sealed booster case (lot 32), live lot, accessed November 13, 2026
• Auction Report: The Goldin TCG Elite Auction Ends November 29, 2026, published November 9, 2026, accessed November 13, 2026
• Guinness World Records: Most expensive trading card sold at auction (overall), sale on February 16, 2026, accessed November 13, 2026
• CNN: Logan Paul's holy grail of Pokémon cards sells for $16.5 million, published February 16, 2026, accessed November 13, 2026