CGC Trading Cards® is excited to share the achievement of two major milestones before the end of 2022: more than 2 million Pokémon cards have been graded and nearly 100,000 Magic: The Gathering cards have been graded. Add in the thousands of cards from other games and sets, and CGC Trading Cards has graded well over 2.3 million cards in total.
“These are two important and exciting milestones for CGC Trading Cards,” said Matt Quinn, Vice President of CGC Trading Cards. “We’re thrilled to have helped so many collectors authenticate and grade their cards, and we’re eager to see what the future will bring.”
To celebrate this incredible accomplishment, CGC Trading Cards is sharing some fun facts and Population Report data about the Pokémon and Magic cards that have been graded so far.
Pokémon
Pokémon continues to be one of the most popular trading card games of all time. As of December 2022, the CGC Trading Cards team has certified a total of 2,041,466 Pokémon cards.
According to the CGC Trading Cards Population Report, the Pokémon TCG series with the most graded cards is the Original Series (1996-1999) with 566,205 total cards graded. Of the Original Series, the set with the most graded cards is Base Set – Unlimited – English with 83,935 cards.
Charizard, Pokémon (1999) Base Set Holo is the most commonly-graded card in the Base Set – Unlimited – English set with 7,599 examples in the CGC Trading Cards Population Report.
Meanwhile, the most expensive Pokémon card in the CGC Trading Cards Population Report is Pokémon Illustrator, Pokémon (1998) CoroCoro Comics Illustration Contest Promo. CGC Trading Cards has graded five examples, one of which realized over $650,000 in a recent Goldin auction.
Magic: The Gathering
While Pokémon is immensely popular, Magic: The Gathering is considered one of the most engaging trading card games in the world for its interchangeable gameplay and flexible mechanics. As of December 2022, CGC Trading Cards has certified a total of 97,700 Magic: The Gathering cards.
According to the CGC Trading Cards Population Report, the MTG series with the most graded cards is the First Stage (Golden Age) released from 1993-1996 with a total of 48,515 cards graded. Of the First Stage, the set with the most graded cards is Limited Edition – Alpha (English) with 8,735 cards.
The card with the most certified examples in Limited Edition – Alpha (English) is Mountain (Brown Sky), Magic: The Gathering (1993) with 173 cards.
Meanwhile, the most expensive Magic: The Gathering card in the CGC Trading Cards Population Report is Black Lotus, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition (Alpha). CGC Trading Cards has graded 19 examples, including one that sold in a March 2022 Heritage Auctions sale for $52,800.
The CGC Trading Cards Registry
In addition to grading, CGC Trading Cards has introduced several avenues for collectors to come together and share their collections in the form of the CGC Trading Cards Registry, an online tool that enables collectors to post and share their Pokémon TCG and Magic: The Gathering cards with their fellow enthusiasts. The CGC Trading Cards Registry also allows players to competitively show off their collections and earn points for graded sets.
As of December 2022, the top three collectors in the CGC Trading Cards Registry are:
Joel Mick, with 1 competitive set, 313 cards and 355,229 registry points
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻,with 133 competitive sets, 365 cards and 250,466 registry points
ChaChaMatcha, with 29 competitive sets, 802 cards and 205,747 registry points
CGC Trading Cards began accepting submissions in 2020. At launch, the company only accepted Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards. In just two years, the company has grown into a leading third-party grading service for non-sports cards and has expanded to include grading services for over 30 different TCGs, including Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon Topps, MetaZoo, One Piece, Weiss Schwarz and more.
Are you ready to submit your trading cards for expert authentication, grading and encapsulation? It’s easy! Learn how to submit by clicking here.
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