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Snorlax might spend most of its time sleeping, eating, and blocking roads until someone finally plays the Poké Flute, but Pokémon TCG collectors have never been asleep when it comes to this beloved Generation One Pokémon. Its combination of an instantly recognizable design, laid-back personality, and memorable appearances across the games and anime has made Snorlax one of the franchise’s most popular ‘mons outside the usual Pikachu, Charizard, and Eevee tier. Naturally, that popularity also extends to its cards, especially the rarest and most unusual versions.
That was certainly evident in a recent Fanatics Collect auction, where two ultra-rare English-language Snorlax cards reached astonishing final prices. A PSA 10 Snorlax Lv.X from Rising Rivals led the way at $156,000, while a supremely scarce Tekno Foil Snorlax from Topps Chrome Series 2 added another $27,000 to the feast.
The big eater was not the only Pokémon gobbling up record sales, either. Rayquaza Gold Star, Dark Espeon, Espeon, Politoed, Articuno, and Heracross also reached new highs as graded Pokémon TCG cards continue to shatter records with almost alarming regularity. All eight cards combined to sell for exactly $480,000. Let’s take a look.
PSA 10 Snorlax Lv.X from Rising Rivals: $156,000
Previous Record Sale: $15,000 in August 2025, via eBay
Snorlax might be asleep in the artwork, but bidders were most certainly wide awake for this astonishing PSA 10 copy of Snorlax Lv.X from 2009’s Rising Rivals set. The card reached a staggering final price of $156,000, annihilating its previous public record of $15,000. That represents an increase of exactly 940%, which stands as a stunning achievement in cardboard purchasing power.
Lv.X cards have become some of the premier chase cards from the Pokémon TCG’s Diamond, Pearl and Platinum eras, especially when they feature popular ‘mons and can attain that elusive PSA 10 grade. This Snorlax Lv.X checks both boxes while also occupying the final numbered spot in Rising Rivals at 111/111, adding to its appeal. Still, even those factors do not make a leap from $15,000 to $156,000 look remotely normal. This was not just a new record; Snorlax swallowed the old one whole, took a nap, and apparently asked for seconds – no Leftovers required.
PSA 10 Tekno Snorlax from Topps Chrome Series 2: $27,000
Previous Record Sale: No verified public PSA 10 sale
The second Snorlax card is not technically from the Pokémon TCG at all. Instead, it comes from Topps Chrome Pokémon Series 2, part of the licensed collectible card line that Topps released during the franchise’s original late-1990s and early-2000s explosion. That distinction did little to suppress demand. This PSA 10 Tekno Snorlax reached $27,000 after receiving 24 bids, establishing a major new public benchmark for the card.
Tekno cards were among the rarest parallels inserted into Topps Chrome Pokémon products, and this Snorlax has a PSA 10 population of only 11. That is an exceedingly small supply for any card featuring such a popular Generation One Pokémon.
No previous verified public PSA 10 sale could be located, meaning there is no honest percentage increase to calculate. Still, $27,000 is quite the opening number. The first confirmed benchmark has already placed Tekno Snorlax firmly within serious high-end Pokémon territory.
PSA 9 Rayquaza Gold Star from EX Deoxys: $108,000
Previous Record Sale: $103,275 in June 2026, via eBay
Rayquaza Gold Star from 2005’s EX Deoxys requires little introduction among seasoned Pokémon collectors. It is widely considered one of the defining cards of the entire Gold Star era, combining an immensely popular Legendary Pokémon, its black shiny coloration, and one of the most recognizable card designs from the TCG’s mid-era.
Unlike the other Pokémon TCG cards herein, this copy received a PSA 9 rather than a PSA 10. Apparently, that single missing grading point was not enough to keep it out of six-figure territory.
The card reached $108,000, surpassing a $103,275 eBay sale from June by approximately 4.6%. That is easily the smallest percentage increase on this list, but adding nearly $5,000 to a record that was set only a few weeks earlier still shows how aggressively collectors are pursuing Gold Stars. When a PSA 9 Pokémon card can sell for more than many PSA 10 vintage grails, you know you are dealing with one of the hobby’s true heavyweights.
PSA 10 First Edition Dark Espeon from Neo Destiny: $48,000
Previous Record Sale: $35,123 in June 2026, via ALT
Dark Espeon has always been one of the most desirable holographic cards from Neo Destiny, a set that did not exactly lack desirable cards. Alongside its lineup of Light and Dark Pokémon, Neo Destiny introduced the original Shining Pokémon to English collectors. Those shiny chase cards have helped sealed boxes from the set reach record auction prices of their own, but Dark Espeon has developed an impressive following without needing the word “Shining” in its name.
This first-edition PSA 10 copy sold for $48,000, topping the previous record of $35,123 set through ALT in June. That works out to a substantial 36.7% increase in only a matter of weeks. Eeveelutions remain among the safest bets for attracting heated bidding, and combining one with the scarcity of a first-edition Neo Destiny holo in a perfect grade is apparently a fine recipe for another five-figure record.
PSA 10 First Edition Espeon from Neo Discovery: $43,200
Previous Record Sale: $38,100 in June 2026, via ALT
Dark Espeon was not the only version of the Psychic-type Eeveelution to set a record during this Fanatics Collect auction. A first-edition PSA 10 Espeon from 2001’s Neo Discovery reached $43,200, surpassing its previous $38,100 high by $5,100. That is a 13.4% increase, which might look almost restrained compared to some of the four-digit percentage explosions elsewhere on this list. In this case, a “restrained” purchase went for more than $40,000.
Espeon and Umbreon have long served as the two biggest chase Pokémon from Neo Discovery, and demand for high-grade Eeveelution cards has only strengthened as the overall Pokémon market has grown. With only 95 copies graded PSA 10, the supply is not exactly equipped to absorb an unlimited number of deep-pocketed Espeon collectors.
PSA 10 First Edition Politoed from Neo Discovery: $38,400
Previous Record Sale: $11,500 in July 2026, via eBay
Politoed receiving the most bids of any card on this list was probably not on many collectors’ bingo cards. Yet this first-edition Neo Discovery holo attracted a whopping 70 bids before settling at $38,400. Its previous public record was an $11,500 eBay sale completed just one day earlier, meaning Fanatics raised the ceiling by $26,900 almost immediately, which represents a 233.9% increase.
Politoed might not carry the universal popularity of Snorlax, Rayquaza, or Espeon, but difficult-to-grade first-edition Neo holos have increasingly become high-end collectibles regardless of which Pokémon they feature. When the available PSA 10 population is sufficiently limited, dedicated set collectors can be just as aggressive as collectors chasing a particular character. Sometimes the market does not need another Charizard to produce a ridiculous price. Instead, a jovial, rain-inducing froggo is all that’s required.
PSA 10 Articuno from Majestic Dawn: $21,000
Previous Record Sale: $1,799.99 in November 2025, via eBay
Like Dialga from the previous group of record-setting Legendary Pokémon cards, this Articuno from 2008’s Diamond & Pearl – Majestic Dawn shows just how quickly once-overlooked mid-era holos can become serious auction pieces. The card’s prior record was only $1,799.99 in November 2025. Less than a year later, this PSA 10 copy sold for $21,000.
That is a gargantuan 1,066.7% increase, the largest percentage jump among the cards herein with an established prior sale. Only 14 copies currently exist in a PSA 10, so this was another example of a popular Pokémon meeting an exceptionally thin supply.
Articuno has always been iconic due to being one of the original three Legendary Birds, but ordinary holographic rares from the Diamond & Pearl era did not historically receive the same attention as Gold Stars, Crystals, or vintage Wizards of the Coast cards. Until now, that is.
PSA 10 First Edition Heracross from Neo Genesis: $38,400
Previous Record Sale: $33,736 in June 2026, via ALT
Rounding out this record-setting group is a first-edition PSA 10 Heracross from Neo Genesis, which finished at $38,400 after receiving 50 bids. The card’s previous high was $33,736 through ALT in June, putting the latest sale approximately 13.8% higher. Like Espeon and Rayquaza, this was more of a meaningful record extension than a market-altering multiplication. Still, the final price is remarkable for a Pokémon that usually resides outside the hobby’s most popular character tier.
Neo Genesis holographic cards are notoriously difficult to preserve in perfect condition, and only 27 first-edition Heracross copies have earned a PSA 10 grade. That combination of condition sensitivity, vintage appeal, and a genuinely tiny gem-mint population can turn even a comparatively underappreciated Pokémon into a nearly $40,000 card.
Graded Pokémon Card Records Are Still Hungry for More
The two Snorlax cards accounted for $183,000 of this auction’s $480,000 total, with Snorlax Lv.X delivering the biggest monetary shock and Articuno producing the largest percentage increase. The rest of the results show that the current graded Pokémon boom is not restricted to Charizard, Pikachu, Gold Stars, or Legendary Collection reverse holos. First-edition Neo holos, Diamond & Pearl-era cards, Topps Chrome parallels, and PSA 9 copies of elite grails are all capable of reaching new highs.
However, these results should not be confused with broad market averages. Most of these cards have extremely low populations and trade infrequently, meaning one aggressive auction can move the public record by an enormous amount. A 1,000% increase does not necessarily mean every copy of a card became worth 10 times more overnight. It does mean that when the right scarce card reaches the right bidders, the ceiling remains almost impossible to predict.
What do you think of these record Pokémon card sales? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the Forum!
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