Whether you’ve watched the anime, played the games, or have simply been collecting Pokémon cards for years, Magikarp is an undeniable icon. The flopping fish ‘Mon seems adorable yet weak and frail at first glance – but, as we all know, it eventually evolves into a powerful Gyarados. While videogame Magikarp was just a stepping stone to Gyarados, the lil’ red fish has a life of its own in the Pokémon TCG community – and this beautiful Illustration Rare is now worth 300% more than it was a year and a half ago.
One of the cutest Pokémon around, it’s no surprise that this Magikarp is one of the most expensive rare Pokémon cards to crop up in recent years. While mascots like Pikachu, Eevee, and Charizard have been mainstays as Pokémon TCG’s most valuable cards, there are plenty of other ‘Mons that deserve the limelight, and Magikarp’s uselessness makes it an adorable addition to any collection.
Enter Magikarp #203, an Illustration Rare that was released when Paldea Evolved launched in June 2023. As part of one of the more recent Pokémon sets, this Illustration Rare remains one of the major chases of the expansion, despite the fact that Paldea Evolved isn’t one of the best Pokémon packs money can buy.
With the current hype period eating up fans’ budgets on newer boxes, collectors are buying singles of beauties like this instead of picking up boosters for the chase – and as a result, Magikarp #203’s price is surging. In July 2023, the card was only worth roughly $50. Now, that price has shot up to over $200, according to TCGPlayer.
Compared to launch time, you’ll now be paying four times more for the exact same card – and a similar pattern can be observed for a PSA 10 version of the card: it’s shot up from $250 to over $1000. We’ve seen similar price rises for Umbreon VMAX Alt Art and Bubble Mew in the last couple of months, but Magikarp is a fairly surprising example.
If you’re looking to add this beautiful Illustration Rare, the best place to look for it is on eBay US and eBay UK. There are plenty of listings with the card on, so you can have a look at the best sellers and the highest quality cards before picking up Magikarp #203.
Alternatively, despite not being as hyped as some other sets, Paldea Evolved is full of great-looking cards, so you can always opt for some other IRs that you like the look of.
Instead of looking at buying this expensive Magikarp, you could opt to chase cards in the newest Pokémon set – Prismatic Evolutions. While some of these cards are ridiculously pricey on their own, ripping packs open is still a fun experience, and you don’t need the most valuable cards in the world to enjoy the best trading card game in all of its glory.
If you need a refresher on all the other ‘mons around these days, we can remind you with our guide answering the eternal question: how many Pokemon are there in 2025? And make sure to follow Wargamer on Google News, so you can keep up-to-date with the latest Pokémon TCG news, including deals you won’t want to miss.
Source: Wargamer
