Heritage celebrates Pokémon 30th anniversary with opportunity to catch PSA Mint 9 Pikachu Illustrator

Thirty years ago today, the phenomenon that would become the world’s highest-grossing media franchise began with the release of a pair of cartridges for the Nintendo Game Boy, Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green. Along with video games, the entertainment juggernaut would eventually include mobile games, movies, home video, toys and, of course, the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In 1999, for about $4, a kid could get a pack of 11. Today, an unopened original Base Set Booster Pack can easily fetch thousands of dollars. And rare cards, such as the Pikachu Illustrator card awarded as the grand prize of one of the initial three illustration contests publicized in CoroCoro Comic, can realize hundreds of thousands or even millions. With only 39 such Pikachu Illustrator cards awarded in those initial contests, opportunities to catch your own “Holy Grail” of Pokémon TCG collecting don’t come along often,