BlowoutCards.com buys headline-grabbing first Pokémon set

You may have seen the headlines, but here's the real scoop.

BlowoutCards.com was the buyer of the $107,010 PSA 10 grade Pokémon 1st Edition set sold via Goldin Auctions this weekend, a sale that generated headlines from around the world -- not just the collecting world -- as the power of Pokémon is well-known. (And it's not just the cherished Charizard card leading the way here, either.)

Among the national news sites writing about this one? Newsweek, CNBC, TMZ Sports, Kotaku, Geek.com and CNET.

BlowoutCards.com is aggressively buying past Pokémon booster boxes and sets -- send an email pokemon@blowoutcards.com if you're selling. Keep reading to see this landmark set in its entirety and for Goldin's take on why the set is (and it is) a key release for a generation of younger collectors.

"For many millennials, the original 1999 Pokémon video/card games remain a staple of their childhood, providing what seems like a lost art in a nostalgic feeling," read the auction listing. "Like trading cards at the lunch table, or virtually via GameBoy's connect cable, it was apparent from the beginning that Pokémon is not only special, but part of a generation.

"Even more impressive is the fact that Pokémon remains popular today and just like Star Wars, is arguably more popular than ever with kids and adults taking part in the different games that the vast World of Pokémon offers. Some argue that it will become as important to modern collecting as the 1986-87 Fleer basketball set [the home of Michael Jordan's Rookie Card] or the 1909-11 T206 [tobacco cards, the home of the million-dollar Honus Wagner baseball card]."

What made this set even more special? Every card is a perfect PSA 10 condition ... not easy considering these cards were made to be played -- and they were.

"While the cards have rounded corners, they are still very difficult to attain in Gem Mint condition. In fact, many cards have population counts below 50 in the aforementioned condition," read the auction listing. "Demand for this set in high-grade continues to grow."

The Charizard card alone has more than tripled at auction from a November 2016 sale of $8,800, according to Goldin, while a previous specimen of this first set in similar condition topped $100,000 back in December 2017.
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