Goldin Opens Pokémon 151 Auction to Celebrate Franchise’s 30th Anniversary

The 151-lot auction includes signed trophy cards, sealed video games, and museum-grade Pokémon collectibles

Goldin, an internationally-renowned auction house known for rare and record-breaking collectible sales, today opened its Pokémon 151 auction, a limited-lot showcase honoring the rarity and historical significance of Pokémon collecting.

This auction comes on the heels of Goldin’s recent landmark Pokémon & TCG Auction, which made history in Pokémon and trading card game (TCG) collecting. Headlined by Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator card, the 2026 Pokémon & TCG auction set the Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card of all time, closing at $16,492,000.

Featuring an array of astounding artifacts, Goldin’s newly-opened Pokémon 151 auction is led by the 1998 Pokemon Prototype Test Holo #009 Blastoise – Magic the Gathering on Reverse – PSA Authentic, standing among the rarest Pokémon-related artifacts ever discovered. Known as “Protostoise,” this collectible is a Pokémon prototype card for the English release of the game by Wizards of the Coast with a Magic the Gathering card back. Sitting at lot #1, this card is the first of its kind ever to be authenticated by PSA.

Another marquee highlight is the 1997-98 Pokémon Japanese Promo 2nd Tournament Trophy Pikachu Gold #1 Mitsuhiro Arita Signed, Sketched Card PSA NM-MT 8, PSA/DNA GEM MT 10. Awarded to the first-place finisher at an official Japanese tournament during Pokémon’s earliest competitive era, the Gold Trophy Pikachu features original artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita, along with his authenticated signature and hand-drawn sketch.

The sale also features the 1999 Pokemon Japanese Promo Secret Super Battle No. 1 Trainer – PSA NM-MT 8, presented to finalists of the 1999 Secret Super Battle tournament in Japan. Distributed strictly by invitation and required for event entry, the No.1 Trainer card represents one of the most elusive and recognizable prizes from Pokémon’s formative competitive years.

Video game collectors will find the 1998 GB Nintendo Game Boy Pokemon Red Version (USA) Sealed Video Game – Made in Japan, Pixelated Rating, Sandshrew Screenshot – WATA 9.6/A++, a highly-graded first printing of one of the franchise’s original North American releases. Pokémon Red helped introduce the series to a global audience and remains one of the most commercially influential titles of the late 1990s.

Additional production-era highlights include the Topps Chrome Pokémon Series 1 Tekno Uncut Sheet, an intact, full production sheet consisting entirely of the supremely scarce Tekno Chrome parallel cards, and a 2000 Topps Chrome Pokemon T.V. Series 2 Factory-Sealed Box (30 Packs), an incredible collectible as the print run for Series 2 is thought to only be 10% of the print run of Series 1 boxes.

The rarities continue with a 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promotional Parent-Child Trophy Holofoil Kangaskhan – CGC PRISTINE 10. The card is from the parent-child tournament, aptly reflected in the illustration featuring the Kangaskhan kangaroo with its child in the pouch, underscoring the heartfelt connection.

Further offerings include the 1997-98 Pokémon Japanese Promo 2nd Tournament Trophy Pikachu Silver #2 Mitsuhiro Arita Signed, Sketched Card PSA NM-MT 8, PSA/DNA GEM MT 10, and the 1997-98 Pokémon Japanese Promo 2nd Tournament Trophy Pikachu Bronze #3 Mitsuhiro Arita Signed, Sketched Card PSA MINT 9, PSA/DNA GEM MT 10.

Anchored by elite graded trophy cards, authenticated artist-signed examples, sealed video games, intact production sheets, and factory-sealed promotional material, the Pokémon 151 Auction reflects the franchise’s evolution from its 1996 origins to a 30-year global entertainment phenomenon.

The Pokémon 151 Auction is open February 20 through March 8, 2026, with extended bidding beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET on closing night.

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 21, Goldin will close its 2026 Winter Vintage Elite Auction, headlined by the newly discovered 1909 T206 Honus Wagner featured in season three of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.

Additional ongoing and upcoming auctions include the Winter Pop Culture Elite Auction, open through February 25, and the Winter Goldin 100 Auction, open through March 7. Goldin’s Music Auction is set to run February 27 – March 18, and the March Elite Sports Auction is scheduled for March 18 – April 11.

Looking towards the summer, the company’s USA 250 Auction, celebrating the semiquincentennial of the United States and headlined by an original Declaration of Independence Broadside, is scheduled to open on May 8. Consignments for the USA 250 as well as the World Cup Auction are currently being accepted; interested parties should reach out to [email protected].

More at Goldin.com.

Author Profile

Al Mega: I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!