Summary
ThePokemon TCGis home to a plethora of memorable sets. From the TCG’s opening salvo of Base Set to popular releases such as Legendary Collection and XY Evolutions as well as more recent sets such as Evolving Skies and Scarlet & Violet 151, collectors and hobbyists alike have plenty to enjoy when seeking out rare cards.
One of the rarest Pokemon TCG sets of all time is 2003’s Skyridge. This was the last Pokemon set designed by Magic: The Gathering’s parent company Wizards of the Coast, and, as such, it only received one print run – making it among the scarcest sets in Pokemon TCG history. Because of that, many of the most valuable cards found within the set are also among the most valuable of all time. Let’s take a look.
The card prices quoted all come fromPriceCharting’s median sales value over the past calendar year and may fluctuate over time. Many of the cards included herein do not have median values listed on TCGPlayer.com due to their immense scarcity.
10Golem – Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $231.29
One of the most notable traits of some of these Skyridge cards is that several of them are “Crystal Type,” which was a subtype introduced in the set that made ‘mons that would normally be a certain type into Normal types, with the twist being that its type changed depending on what energy you attached to it.
An interesting inclusion among this subset of cards was Golem, the final evolution of Geodude. Featuring absolutely killer art by original PTCG artist Mitsuhiro Arita (who lent histalents to Magic: The Gathering for the first timein the Bloomburrow set) as well as a second attack that requires three different types of energy, it’s no wonder this card is worth over $200 on the secondary market.
9Gyarados – Holofoil Rare
Market Price: $240.63
Gyarados has always been a popular TCG card, dating all the way back to its inclusion in Base Set in 1999. This holofoil Gyarados from Skyridge showcases the truly “atrocious” nature of Gyarados, as its blood-red eyes bore holes into you when looking at this card’s stupendous artwork from Kimiya Masago.
In terms of gameplay, this card had an interesting ability that paid you off for evolving your Magikarp (which is a benefit on its own, really) and its attack’s damage was doubled if it had already taken 70 damage. Great artwork and a widely popular ‘mon combine on this card for a steep price tag.
8Vaporeon – Holofoil Rare
Market Price: $244.70
Somehow, despite a price tag approaching $250, this card did not make the list of themost valuable Eeveelution cards of all time, but seeing as Eeveelutions are among the most popular Pokemon evolutions ever, it’s no surprise seeing Eevee’s water-type Eeveelution here.
Featuring extremely stylized artwork from Naoya Kimura that shows a seemingly mouthless Vaporeon shepherding a tidal wave to a desert oasis, this card’s striking design and scarcity make it highly desirable among fans and collectors.
7Kabutops – Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $269.60
The second appearance (but definitely not the last) of a “Crystal Type” ‘mon on this list, this time it’s the final evolution borne of the Dome Fossil from Pokemon’s Generation One: Kabutops. As a rock/water-type ‘mon, Kabutops had already dabbled in multi-energy attacks, but this version takes it to the next level by including lightning-type energies in this card’s attacks.
Beyond this card’s attacks, the impressionistic artwork (by Atsuko Nishida) is tremendous, and it showcases the truly massive blades that Kabutops has instead of arms. An interesting card for a fearsome and intriguing ‘mon.
6Ho-Oh – Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $353.49
Now we’re getting to the big bucks. As one of the box art ‘mons for Pokemon’s Generation Two, Ho-Oh certainly holds an important place in the lore of the franchise. When it comes to the TCG, Ho-Oh’s first appearance was in 2001’s Neo Revelation, the penultimate set in the Neo series.
Ho-Oh’s second appearance was this fascinating card, which once again boasted the “Crystal” subtype. Another reason why these cards are so expensive is due to having the e-Reader card format, which is divisive but quite rare, though in this writer’s opinion, it only adds to the mystique of these cards – particularly when it comes to legendaries such as Ho-Oh.
5Celebi – Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $377.67
Speaking of legendaries, grass-psychic-type ‘mon Celebi debuted in Generation Two but was only available in Japan through a special event. In fact, Celebi has been unobtainable in any mainline Pokemon game except through events or trades.
Skyridge’s Celebi was also eminently rare, as it was only available as a Secret Rare when the set was released in 2003. As such, this card’s market price teeters close to the $400 range – and with good reason. With colorful Mitsuhiro Arita artwork and, again, the “Crystal” subtype, this card remains one of the chase cards of the set over 20 years later.
4Umbreon – Holofoil Rare
Market Price: $385.52
The10th-most valuable Eeveelution cardshowcases some terrific, moody artwork from Atsuko Nishida and also drives home a point that can sometimes be forgotten when it comes to collecting these cards – the non-foil version showcases the card’s art far better.
However, for this list, the Holo Rare is the one to watch, and its near-$400 price tag puts it just outside the top three.
3Gengar – Holofoil Rare
Market Price: $462.33
Gengar remains one of the most popular ‘mons of all time, likely because it was the first-ever fully evolved ghost-type Pokemon, and it was also competitively viable in the mainline Pokemon games for a long, long time.
Skyridge’s Gengar card is the only card herein that retains a price point between $400 and $500, and it’s easy to see why. Amazingly detailed and intriguing Kyoko Umemoto artwork plus a synergistic Poke-POWER and strong attack make this card a supremely desirable one.
2Charizard – Reverse Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $620.82
The only Reverse Holofoil on this list is for the most well-known Pokemon card subject of all time: Charizard. While it has been regular Holofoils dominating this list, it’s no surprise that the second-most valuable card from Skyridge is a Secret Rare Reverse Holo ‘zard.
Featuring action-packed Kouki Saitou artwork and the aforementioned novelty factor that comes from the “Crystal” subtype, this supremely rare card remains a notable chase card from this era of the TCG – as its sky-high price point indicates.
1Charizard – Holofoil Secret Rare
Market Price: $1,987.50
Not unexpectedly, the top two cards on this list are Charizard variants, and this Holo Secret Rare “Crystal Type” Charizard lands at the top spot – and it also happens to be the most valuable Charizard card of all time.
As mentioned, this set only saw one print run, so a chase card like this normal-type Charizard was always going to command an absolutely astronomical sum. In fact, this card’s median value is more than double that of the far better-knownShadowless Charizard card from Base Set. If you ever cracked this card during Skyridge’s single print run, you’re sitting on a gold mine, and if you get it graded out as a PSA 8, its value skyrockets to a whopping $4,500!
