Page 50 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles December 2019
P. 50
Pokémon Card Sets Record, Turns Heads at Philip Weiss
T he Pokémon Illustrator card, a rare promotional Pokémon card graded guide on comic books because one was needed,” Overstreet said. A veteran
“All through the ‘60s I was hoping that someone would put out a price
PSA 9, sold at Philip Weiss Auctions on October 23, 2019 for a record-
breaking $195,000.
coin collector as a youngster, he saw that hobby’s organization and wanted
Despite its official title, Pokémon Illustrator, the card is more commonly it for comics.
known as “Pikachu Illustrator” due to the artwork depicting the yellow electric “I wanted to see a Red Book in comics. I didn’t know if it would ever
Pokémon holding illustration tools. The card was awarded to winners of three happen. I didn’t know if comics would ever become a legitimate collectible
different CoroCoro Comic magazine illustration comics between 1997 and field like coins. I was hoping it would. I was hoping that someone would
1998. These contests invited readers to design their own Pokemon card, and someday put out a guide on comics. I just didn’t know it was going to be me,”
winners were gifted copies of their designed card in addition to one copy of the he said.
Illustrator card. Overstreet said that as he talked with dealers and other collectors, there was
Only 39 copies of the card were ever released, 10 of which are graded in overwhelming support for someone doing a price guide … as long as the
top condition. It is unknown how many beyond those 10 remain in existence. “someone” wasn’t them.
In late 2016, a different copy of the card in the “They all faded out once the work started,” he said. That work involved
same grade sold at Heritage piles and piles of research.
Auctions for $54,970, meaning “I went through every piece of information that I had accumulated up
that the Weiss result more than to that time, which was quite a few years’ worth of material. I had a
triples that. lot of price lists, all the back issues of
“‘Pikachu Illustrator’ has been the RBCC, Bill Thailing’s
top card for years now – just because catalogs, fanzines, and
of its rarity. Weiss Auctions’ result every other bit of
is not likely not to be eclipsed by information I had.
another sale any time soon,” said One price list I got
Carrie Wood, author of The Overstreet from the beginning was
Guide To Collecting Tabletop Games. from Bob’s Book Barn.
The Pikachu artwork featured on They sold everything.
the card was done by Atsuko Nishida, That’s where I got a lot
one of the main graphic artists for of initial information as
the franchise at large. Nishida has to what existed because
contributed designs to the games as well they would list titles,
as the movies and animation in addition issue numbers and very
to her work on various trading cards. Her important dates, which a
first card work was featured in the Team lot of people didn’t list.
Rocket set, and she has since illustrated That was good informa-
more than 400 cards. tion. I began setting up an
“The highest prices in Pokémon Cards index card file for every
have been found in unopened booster title I could find. I would
boxes more recently. Heritage sold an put the information on
unopened Base Set booster box for them,” he said.
$78,000. Huggins and Scott has one in Once compiled, he
their auction ending next week that’s typed up pages and took
currently at $40,000. Last year H&S sold a them to a printer. The
The Pokémon Illustrator card, a rare promotional
box for $66,920. The appeal with these Released in 1970, this CGC-certified 9.2 printer printed them and
Pokémon card graded PSA 9, sold at Philip Weiss
unopened booster boxes is that you’d copy of The Overstreet Comic Book Price then gave them back to
Auctions on for a record-breaking $195,000.
have the chance for multiple pulls of high- Image courtesy of Philip Weiss Auctions Guide #1 sold for $9,000 at Heritage Overstreet, who personally
dollar individual cards, like the Charizard,” Auctions on Thursday, November 15, 2018. folded, collated, and stapled
Wood said. A second 9.2 copy sold at Heritage this past the pages into book from.
August for $4,800.
“The Base Set Charizard is the most-coveted of any of the mass produced Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions In October/November
cards, just because of Charizard’s popularity as a character, and the card itself 1970, the first edition of the
is also especially powerful when playing the game. The Base Set had a few
Guide was released. He ended up doing two printings totaling 1,800 copies.
different printings, and the very first (First Edition, Shadowless) sees the
And five decades later he is amused to admit that he didn’t know he’d have to
highest prices. Heritage has sold a PSA 9 example for $5,040,” she said. do a second edition.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #50 is due in comic shops on
Overstreet Heads Toward Guide #50 July 22, 2020.
Author and publisher Robert M. Overstreet is heading for landmark
in 2020 that few ever achieve, his 50th consecutive annual edition of
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. As things build toward the July 2020 J.C. Vaughn is the Vice-President of Publishing for
release of #50, he’s reflected on the events that brought him to actually start the Gemstone Publishing. Gemstone’s Carrie Wood
Guide in the first place. contributed to this column.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
48
T he Pokémon Illustrator card, a rare promotional Pokémon card graded guide on comic books because one was needed,” Overstreet said. A veteran
“All through the ‘60s I was hoping that someone would put out a price
PSA 9, sold at Philip Weiss Auctions on October 23, 2019 for a record-
breaking $195,000.
coin collector as a youngster, he saw that hobby’s organization and wanted
Despite its official title, Pokémon Illustrator, the card is more commonly it for comics.
known as “Pikachu Illustrator” due to the artwork depicting the yellow electric “I wanted to see a Red Book in comics. I didn’t know if it would ever
Pokémon holding illustration tools. The card was awarded to winners of three happen. I didn’t know if comics would ever become a legitimate collectible
different CoroCoro Comic magazine illustration comics between 1997 and field like coins. I was hoping it would. I was hoping that someone would
1998. These contests invited readers to design their own Pokemon card, and someday put out a guide on comics. I just didn’t know it was going to be me,”
winners were gifted copies of their designed card in addition to one copy of the he said.
Illustrator card. Overstreet said that as he talked with dealers and other collectors, there was
Only 39 copies of the card were ever released, 10 of which are graded in overwhelming support for someone doing a price guide … as long as the
top condition. It is unknown how many beyond those 10 remain in existence. “someone” wasn’t them.
In late 2016, a different copy of the card in the “They all faded out once the work started,” he said. That work involved
same grade sold at Heritage piles and piles of research.
Auctions for $54,970, meaning “I went through every piece of information that I had accumulated up
that the Weiss result more than to that time, which was quite a few years’ worth of material. I had a
triples that. lot of price lists, all the back issues of
“‘Pikachu Illustrator’ has been the RBCC, Bill Thailing’s
top card for years now – just because catalogs, fanzines, and
of its rarity. Weiss Auctions’ result every other bit of
is not likely not to be eclipsed by information I had.
another sale any time soon,” said One price list I got
Carrie Wood, author of The Overstreet from the beginning was
Guide To Collecting Tabletop Games. from Bob’s Book Barn.
The Pikachu artwork featured on They sold everything.
the card was done by Atsuko Nishida, That’s where I got a lot
one of the main graphic artists for of initial information as
the franchise at large. Nishida has to what existed because
contributed designs to the games as well they would list titles,
as the movies and animation in addition issue numbers and very
to her work on various trading cards. Her important dates, which a
first card work was featured in the Team lot of people didn’t list.
Rocket set, and she has since illustrated That was good informa-
more than 400 cards. tion. I began setting up an
“The highest prices in Pokémon Cards index card file for every
have been found in unopened booster title I could find. I would
boxes more recently. Heritage sold an put the information on
unopened Base Set booster box for them,” he said.
$78,000. Huggins and Scott has one in Once compiled, he
their auction ending next week that’s typed up pages and took
currently at $40,000. Last year H&S sold a them to a printer. The
The Pokémon Illustrator card, a rare promotional
box for $66,920. The appeal with these Released in 1970, this CGC-certified 9.2 printer printed them and
Pokémon card graded PSA 9, sold at Philip Weiss
unopened booster boxes is that you’d copy of The Overstreet Comic Book Price then gave them back to
Auctions on for a record-breaking $195,000.
have the chance for multiple pulls of high- Image courtesy of Philip Weiss Auctions Guide #1 sold for $9,000 at Heritage Overstreet, who personally
dollar individual cards, like the Charizard,” Auctions on Thursday, November 15, 2018. folded, collated, and stapled
Wood said. A second 9.2 copy sold at Heritage this past the pages into book from.
August for $4,800.
“The Base Set Charizard is the most-coveted of any of the mass produced Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions In October/November
cards, just because of Charizard’s popularity as a character, and the card itself 1970, the first edition of the
is also especially powerful when playing the game. The Base Set had a few
Guide was released. He ended up doing two printings totaling 1,800 copies.
different printings, and the very first (First Edition, Shadowless) sees the
And five decades later he is amused to admit that he didn’t know he’d have to
highest prices. Heritage has sold a PSA 9 example for $5,040,” she said. do a second edition.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #50 is due in comic shops on
Overstreet Heads Toward Guide #50 July 22, 2020.
Author and publisher Robert M. Overstreet is heading for landmark
in 2020 that few ever achieve, his 50th consecutive annual edition of
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. As things build toward the July 2020 J.C. Vaughn is the Vice-President of Publishing for
release of #50, he’s reflected on the events that brought him to actually start the Gemstone Publishing. Gemstone’s Carrie Wood
Guide in the first place. contributed to this column.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
48
