Goldin Pokémon 30th Anniversary Auction: Art Academy Mudkip Sells for $4.88 Million
Goldin's 2026 Pokémon 30th Anniversary auction on October 25, 2026 logged 18 record sales, led by a PSA 10 Mudkip at $4.88 million.
A 2015 Japanese promo, not a Charizard or a Pikachu, now owns the top spot at Goldin's 2026 Pokémon 30th Anniversary auction: a PSA GEM Mint 10 Art Academy Mudkip sold for $4.88 million on October 25, 2026, in a sale that, according to reports, totaled over $28 million. The Mudkip is the kind of card that makes a Pikachu look like the supporting act.
Goldin Pokémon 30th Anniversary Auction Results
The sale logged 18 record-setting sales in total.
Top Lots: Mudkip, Trophy Pikachu, and Art Academy Cards
Only two cards reached seven figures. The headline results were:
- PSA GEM Mint 10 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Daisuke Ochiai #XY-P Mudkip: $4.88 million, winning bid including buyer's premium.
- PSA 8 1997 Japanese Promo Gold 1st Place 1st Tournament #1 Trophy Pikachu: over $3 million, winning bid including buyer's premium.
- PSA GEM Mint 10 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Sableye and Gourgeist: $976,000 each, just under $1 million.
The Art Academy promos are the story here: three of the top results come from the same 2015 Japanese XY promo line.
Sealed Product: 2005 EX Team Rocket Returns Box
A factory-sealed 2005 Pokémon EX Team Rocket Returns box sold for $384,300.
What it means for collectors
- A PSA 8 Trophy Pikachu passing $3 million shows that a lower grade did not stop a 1997 tournament promo from reaching seven figures.
- TCGKing's take: the Art Academy results suggest that scarce Japanese promos in top grades are being treated as blue-chip cards, not curiosities.
The auction lands in a week when Pokémon cards reportedly made up 46% of PSA's stolen list, a reminder of how much value now sits in single cards.
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