Pokémon auction: Highest grade BGS fourth print Charizard in the world for sale in Lichfield, Staffordshire

A SINGLE Pokémon card graded by one system as the best example in the world is coming to auction in Lichfield.

The highest grade BGS fourth print Charizard in existence goes under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, on Monday, September 30, starting at 9.30am.

It is guided £8,000 to £12,000 at auction but could fetch thousands more.

A fourth print Charizard card is itself a rarity in the Pokémon world due to its scarce print run.

But this incredible trophy card has been graded 9 by the respected Beckett Grading Services and has three sub-grades at 9.5 for centering, corners and surface – higher than any other fourth print Charizard in the world.

And it has potential to cross over to a grade 10 with PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) – and the last PSA 10 of this card to exchange hands sold privately for more than £40,000.

The card is being auctioned by Pokémon collector Jon Free, 32, from Great Blakenham, Suffolk.

“The fourth print for 1999-2000 Base Set was printed due to copyright issues around the turn of millennium,” he explained.

“Non-holo fourth print cards were printed worldwide however the holographic cards were only printed in the UK for around two weeks.

“It is worth noting that the Charizard fourth print holo is the only holo card to exhibit slightly altered artwork, with the black stripes behind the Charizard being changed to red – you can compare this to regular unlimited Charizards to see the difference.

“So this is literally the rarest print run of the most well-known set in the world! It is estimated that the first edition print run was over five times larger than the fourth print.”

Jon is one of the world’s largest collectors of fourth print Pokémon cards and has carefully built up his collection over a number of years.

“I’m sad to see this particular card go but sometimes life has to take priority,” he said.

All fourth print Pokémon boxes and packets from the USA and Australia contain only unlimited holo cards, so fourth print holos can only be found in some UK boxes or packs.

Even then it is estimated that only around 20 per cent of UK boxes contain them, making the card the rarest print run of the Base Set.

Jon added: “This can be seen in population reports with there being 484 total fourth print PSA-graded Charizards against 4,229 total first edition Charizards.

“This particular card is the highest grade Beckett fourth print as it has much higher sub-grades than the other two grade 9s.

“It is an extremely good candidate for a PSA 10 crossover, however I believe that it holds more prestige being the highest Beckett.

“Beckett are known to grade more harshly than PSA and because of this there are no BGS 9.5 or 10s in existence.

“There are six recognised PSA 10 fourth print Charizards and around four other PSA 10 Charizards from before they recognised it as a separate print run.

“But the last PSA 10 to exchange hands went for more than £40,000. High end copies are near impossible to own.

“So all in all, this card is a piece of Pokémon history and a niche gem of the most iconic card ever made!

“An absolute must for any serious collector, and a trophy card as the highest Beckett in the world.”

Richard Winterton Auctioneers has become a major destination for Pokémon collectors in recent years, with bidders from across the world competing to reach impressive hammer prices.

In May, a single owner collection of Pokémon totalled £55,270. Highlights included a complete Skyridge master set, which sold for £18,000 to a UK bidder online against fierce competition from a bidder in the room.

Auctioneer Richard Winterton yielded the gavel on the day.

He said: “We are inundated with emails and calls from people wanting to auction their Pokémon, which remains a seriously hot market internationally.

“It’s a privilege to be auctioning Jon’s card, the highest grade Beckett fourth print Charizard in the world, from our base in Lichfield.

“This is the highest value single Pokémon card entrusted to us and we are anticipating a huge amount of interest from all over the globe.

“Once again Lichfield’s place on the international Pokémon map is secured.”

The catalogue for the September 30 auction can be viewed a week before the sale via www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auction-dates.

Viewing in person takes place by appointment on Friday, September 27, and on sale day people can bid online, in the room or by prior arranged telephone bid.

Free valuations of Pokémon and all other types of items can also be arranged by calling 01543 251081 or emailing office@richardwinterton.co.uk.

Home visits for large collections and house clearance quotations are also available.