Pokémon collectors, get ready for the chance to own a $15k Charizard Holo Card. Going on right now at Heritage Auctions, you can get your hands on factory-sealed booster packs from the coveted 1999 Pokémon Unlimited Base Set.

You read that right, Pokémon fans; you can buy unopened booster packs from a previously sealed box from 1999. The auction began on June 1 and will be live for two weeks, culminating on June 15. 

Even if you don’t toss your hat into the ring, the real fun will be watching the live event that starts at 1 p.m. CST on June 27. After all the packs have been claimed during the two-week auction, you can stream a live event in which each pack will be opened at Collect-A-Con in Frisco, Texas. 

WHY IT’S SPECIAL

Aside from being a significant line in the Pokémon cards series, what makes this auction so intriguing is the holographic Charizard card. This rare collectible is a holy grail among Pokémon fans, and it has sold for as much as $15,000. It was included as part of the ‘99 Pokémon Unlimited Base Set Booster Packs. This is what is driving many collectors to spend hundreds of dollars on what amounts to blind mystery packs. It’s all for the chance to own that elusive card.

Bidding on these packs is a gamble. Since they are factory-sealed, there is no guarantee that a buyer will walk away with cards that are worth the prices paid. Of course, that is all part of the fun for collectors and speculators. Collecting always comes with financial risks. 

It’s that mystery and risk that will have fans tuning into the live Collect-A-Con streaming at the end of the month. After all the bids are finalized and the tabs have been settled, the real drama begins as each pack is opened in front of an internet audience. Will a pack hold the treasured Charizard holo? You will have to tune in to find out.

A HOT POKE-MARKET 

Even if you decide to hold onto your wallets, the live event should be exciting to watch because these are highly valuable cards. On eBay, individual, unopened packs can sell anywhere from $500 to $750. A factory-sealed box sold on eBay for an astounding $19,999 on May 26. That was after a previous sale netted $20,100 on April 18. Then on May 31, there was yet another sale for an impressive $15,000. Just for an empty Spanish-edition box from this particular set can fetch $500. While not quite as collectible, the English empty box can bring close to $100 on its own.

Like all collectibles markets, having the right piece at the right time makes all the difference. Around 2008, this holo Charizard card was bringing somewhere between $600-$800, according to PSA authentication and grading. It all comes to down to rarity, and the article goes on to explain that the Charizard is among the most difficult cards to pull from a pack. That means that the odds are stacked against the bidders in Heritage’s auction.

Already, Heritage has bids as high as $220, and it only started three days ago as of the time of this writing. Rest assured, this should be a record-setting Pokémon auction.  For some, it will be a small price to pay for the card of a lifetime.

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