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Rare Charizard Pokémon Card Already Has $160k Worth Of Bids At Auction

Rare Charizard Pokémon Card Already Has $160k Worth Of Bids At Auction

The card, which is being sold by Goldin Auctions, is a 1999 Base First Edition #4 Charizard

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A rare Charizard Pokémon card has been put up for sale by auction, having already racked up a bid as high as $160,000 (£119,000).

The card, which is being sold by Goldin Auctions, is a 1999 Base First Edition #4 Charizard, which has been certified as a 'Black Diamond' card by MBA (Mike Baker Authenticated).

Goldin Auctions

The auction has just 11 days left to go, and had a minimum bidding price of $50,000 (£37,000) - which may sound like a lot, but actually it's nothing compared to the current bid, having climbed to a six-figure sum of $160,000 at the time of writing.

What's more, Goldin Auctions points out that a similar Charizard card recently changed hands in a private sale for $250,000 (£186,000), so that number could jump higher yet.

"This irresistably cloying 'Charizard' card beckons the observer through magnetic visual qualities that challenge the adequacy of verbal description," the online listing says.

Graded as 'Gold Label Pristine 10' by SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation) 'Black Diamond Label' certified by MBA, Goldin Auctions says this is the 'only example validated by SGC at the company's most prestigious level'.

Goldin Auctions

The auction house - which specialises in sports collectibles - adds: "Here's an extremely desirable, 1st Edition specimen of this key subject, in one-of-a-kind Pristine condition.

"The offered card has been certified by MBA, and its holder bears that company's highly respected and top-level 'MBA Black Diamond' label.

"MBA (Mike Baker Authenticated) is a professional, third-party organisation that assesses and validates the hobby's finest graded cards.

"MBA evaluations provide detailed, objective conclusions that allow the most advanced collectors and discerning investors to identify and obtain the highest calibee pieces from among the industry's very best material.

Goldin Auctions

"The 'MBA Black Diamond' identifier stands as a tremendously important endorsement of this superb 'Charizard' card's peerless status."

Earlier this year, a dad from Sutton Coldfield in the UK discovered his set of Pokémon cards were now worth £35,000 ($44,000).

Nigel Brookes had been given the cards by his mother back in 1999, when he stopped other kids conning his then-seven-year-old brother out of his best cards.

Richard Winterton Auctioneers Ltd

He doesn't even like Pokémon, but as a reward, his mother gifted him a full set in a presentation case.

The dad-of-three said: "Little did I know they would be worth £35,000 now. We have kept them in the family for over 20 years and now they're going up for sale for a collector who will take care of them.

"There are 103 cards in total, they are all in pristine condition and were bought direct from creators 'Wizards Of The Coast' in the US, and are all first edition.

"My daughter Layla loves Pokémon and did try to buy them all of me for £6 - unfortunately that won't cut it, and I'm sure she'll appreciate why I said no in the future!"

Featured Image Credit: Goldin Auctions

Topics: GAMING, Entertainment, News