Cool Pokémon cards: the best, coolest and cutest cards to collect
What makes a Pokémon card cool is personal, but collectors agree on a few kinds of cards that look better, feel special and hold their value. Here are the best Pokémon cards to collect, and where to find them.
The coolest Pokémon cards right now
- Special Illustration Rares (SIR, or SAR in Japanese). Full-card artwork that tells a small story, often showing the Pokémon in its habitat. They're the most wanted cards in modern sets: see the Mega Gengar ex Special Illustration Rare or the 151 Charizard ex.
- Gold cards. Gold borders and textured foil, and often the hardest pull in a set (gold Pokémon cards).
- Mega Evolution Pokémon ex. The new Mega Pokémon ex of the Mega Evolution sets, such as Mega Greninja ex and Mega Darkrai ex.
Full art Pokémon cards
A full art card's artwork covers the whole card instead of sitting in a frame, usually with a textured surface you can feel. Full arts first appeared in the Black & White era in the early 2010s and have been in nearly every set since, as full art Pokémon, full art Trainers and alternate arts. Japanese full arts are prized for their print quality and colour.
Tag Team Pokémon cards
Tag Team cards show two, and sometimes three, Pokémon together on one card: Pikachu & Zekrom-GX, Mewtwo & Mew-GX and Charizard & Braixen-GX are famous examples. They were printed in 2019, in the Sun & Moon era. In play they're powerful, and the opponent takes 3 Prize cards when one is Knocked Out. Their alternate-art versions are some of the best-loved cards of the era.
Cute Pokémon cards
Cute cards are a collecting category of their own. Pikachu, Eevee and its evolutions, Jigglypuff, Snorlax and Psyduck appear on many of the most popular illustration rares. Japanese Art Rares (AR), which show a single Pokémon in a charming everyday scene, are an affordable way to build a cute binder. The Terastal Festival ex set, built around all the Eevee evolutions, is full of them, and our Pikachu Pokémon cards page collects Pikachu, including this Pikachu ex Special Illustration Rare.
Pokémon pictures: the art on the cards
Every Pokémon card credits its illustrator near the bottom, and many collectors follow favourite artists the way others follow favourite Pokémon. If you're after Pokémon pictures to collect rather than just look at, Art Rares and Special Art Rares are the cards made for the artwork. Show them off in a 9-pocket binder.
Best Pokémon cards for new collectors
- Pick a Pokémon or a set you love, rather than chasing prices.
- Buy the chase card you want as a single: it's usually cheaper than opening packs for it.
- Open a booster box for the fun of pulling cards.
- Protect everything in sleeves and a binder.
Questions
What is the best Pokémon card?
By value, the Pikachu Illustrator, the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold. For collecting today, the Special Illustration Rares and gold cards of your favourite Pokémon are the best cards in each set.
What are full art Pokémon cards?
Cards whose artwork covers the whole card, usually with a textured finish. They've been printed since the early 2010s.
What are Tag Team Pokémon cards?
Cards showing two or three Pokémon together, printed in 2019. When one is Knocked Out, the opponent takes 3 Prize cards.