Our Pokémon Summer Celebrations sale realised £560,000 across a variety of unique lots from the last 30 years of the TCG franchise
An exceptional PSA 10 Charizard Gold Star #52 (Japanese Dragon Frontiers) has broken previous sales records at the Strand saleroom, selling for £135,000 (including buyer’s premium) as part of our Pokémon Summer Celebrations auction on 31 July 2026.
The overall sale brought in over half a million pounds, capping off weeks of intense market speculation and demonstrating robust global demand across high-grade slabs and vintage sealed products.
The Pinnacle of EX-Era Collecting
With a global population report recording just 81 Japanese 1st Edition examples graded GEM MINT 10 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), the card represents the absolute pinnacle of vintage EX-era Pokémon collecting.
Gold Star Pokémon cards - originally released between 2004 and 2007 - are legendary among hobbyists for their extraordinarily low pull rates and limited production runs. Charizard releases, in particular, remain the blue-chip anchor of the trading card market.
Prior to the sale, private market reports tracked a similar example changing hands for approximately £123,000. However, fierce bidding across both phone lines and online platforms pushed the final hammer total well beyond pre-sale estimates to set a new benchmark for the card.
"We knew from the moment this lot arrived in our London rooms that it was going to capture global attention, but the final result demonstrates just how robust the market remains for museum-grade pop culture grails," says Roy Raftery, Head of Pop Culture at Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s.
"To achieve a record price for a PSA 10-graded Gold Star in our live auction on the Strand shows how seamlessly heritage expertise merges with the modern collectables market."
Key Auction Highlights
The landmark sale formed part of Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s year-long series marking Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Beyond the flagship Charizard, the auction achieved strong totals across sealed vintage product and high-grade slabs:
- Lot 13 (Top Lot): PSA 10 Charizard Gold Star #52 (Japanese Dragon Frontiers) — SOLD £135,000
- Lot 15: PSA 10 Crystal Charizard #89 (Japanese Mysterious Mountains) — SOLD £45,510
- Lot 9: 1999 Pokémon 1st Edition Fossil Sealed Booster Box — SOLD £23,370
- Lot 12: PSA 9 Mudkip Gold Star #107 (EX Team Rocket Returns) — SOLD £17,220
- Lot 21: CGC 7.5 Charizard #4 Shadowless 1st Edition (Base Set) — SOLD £14,760
