This Darkrai Pokémon Collectible Would Earn You More Than an NBA Player’s $600,000 Salary

Mon, October 5, 2026 at 2:33 PM UTC

Pokémon cards have entered the uppermost echelon of collectibles in terms of value on the marketplace. It isn’t just the household names, such as Charizard and Pikachu, that are going for millions nowadays.

Present-day Pokémon cards featuring the likes of Darkrai are also garnering millions of dollars worth of intrigue from buyers. Take the 2013 Pokémon Black and White Black Star Promo Team Plasma Box Darkrai, for example.

The 2013 B & W set is quite valuable given how recent it is. The Garchomp at PSA 10 from this set sold for $9,999, while the Empoleon set an all-time record after selling for $7,500.

However, there was nothing that could prepare Pokémon collectors for what was to come in regard to the aforementioned Darkrai.

It is featured on Fanatics Collect and Alt XYZ, with 23 bids and acurrent bid of $700,000. With the 20% buyer’s premium added, the card is at a lofty $840,000.

For context, an NBA player on a two-way contract is set to earn ‘merely’ $678,882 in 2026/27. So, if someone were to sell this Darkrai, they would make more than a professional athlete earns in a whole year.

This card has been rated a 10 by the CGC and is in ‘Pristine’ condition, which further adds to the value it is commanding.

When sold, it will become the most expensive Darkrai card ever sold at auction. The previous record-holder was this same card, the Darkrai BW73 Promo (PSA 10), which sold for $30,500 this past year.

There Are More Recent Pokémon Cards Going For Hundreds Of Thousands

The 2012 Pokémon Japanese Black & White Promo Get Full Art Rayquaza EX #145 PSA 10 has nine bids on Fanatics and is currently going for $156,000. This is after adding in the 20% buyer’s premium.

Another card from more recent times that is on auction is the 2009 Pokémon Platinum Arceus Holo Gengar LV.X #97. This is also a PSA 10 and is sitting at a whopping $168,000 post-buyer’s premium.

While cards from the 1999 base set or ones from the early 2000s do tend to go for more than ones that were released more recently, the latter should not be discounted when speaking about the value of Pokémon cards in the current trading card marketplace.

After all Pokémon cards have seen a 3,200% return since 2004. The S&P 500 returned only 438% over the same period

So perhaps keeping those cards you traded with your friends during recess over two decades ago, despite your parents telling you to get rid of them at the local garage sale, was worth it after all.

This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Oct 5, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred