The 15 Most Valuable Pokemon 151 Chase Cards
Scarlet & Violet – Pokemon 151 is here, and it’s easily one of the best Pokemon packs on shelves right now. With beautiful illustration cards of the original 151 Pokemon, this is going to be a memorable set to say the least.
But which 151 Pokemon cards are the most expensive?
Now that the rare cards pulled from booster packs and products have had time to settle on the market, we have an up-to-date list of the 15 most valuable Pokemon 151 cards.
Update February 5, 2024 – To current Pokemon 151 chase card market prices.
15. Pikachu - 173/165
Market price: $18.25
Although I may regret selling my Illustration Rare Wartortle just a little bit, luckily I held onto this Pikachu. I just couldn’t help but appreciate how cool this artwork is. And it includes Pokemon’s most iconic character, not to mention a lot of other Pokemon from the original 151 Pokemon. This illustration rare has retained value quite well so if you happen to have this one, it probably won’t hurt too much to hold onto it for a while.
14. Wartortle (171/165) – Illustration Rare
Market price: $17.72
Have you ever had that awkward feeling when you sell one of your best pulls from a set, sell it online and expect it to go down in value once the initial hype is up? Yeah…well…sort of wishing I’d held onto my Wartortle from Pokemon 151 right about now. Who would’ve thought that this card would end up being one of the chase cards of Pokemon 151? Although, in hindsight it is a pretty gorgeous card, and more importantly it evolves into the even more beautiful and valuable Blastoise.
13. Blastoise ex – Ultra Rare
Market price: $18.62
The water starter evolution line is well represented in this list of top chase cards from Pokemon 151. While this ultra rare version of Blastoise ex does look pretty cool, it’s got nothing on the special illustration rare version coming up later.
12. Mew ex (193/165) – Ultra Rare
Market price: $21.35
This Mew ex is a pretty cool card, and actually rather beautiful (even if you might not think a pink-on-pink background would work). However, my money is really on the promo version of Mew ex found in the fantastic Pokemon 151 Ultra Premium Collection. Regardless of which Mew ex artwork you prefer, Mew ex is not only a nice looking card, it’s a pretty popular one, and used in a lot of competitive decks, helping drive the value up for this particular card.
11. Charmeleon (169/165) Illustration Rare
Market price: $22.18
If you want to know where the money is at in the Pokemon 151 set, you can’t go wrong with the original starter Pokemon or their evolutions. Despite the fact that Charmeleon is not the most commonly thought of Pokemon (both its basic form and final evolution are far more popular), this card benefits from gorgeous artwork and including a Pokemon that will forever be part of the most iconic evolution line in Pokemon history.
10. Erika's Invitation - 203/165 Special Illustration Rare
Market price: $23.06
Erika’s Invitation Special Illustration Rare has dropped significantly in value since the initial release of Pokemon 151. Since our last update in, it’s continued that downward trend, falling all the way down to tenth place. While we thought it would stay at the very top of this list longer, it’s still one of the most valuable cards in all of Pokemon 151, and a gorgeous card commemorating a very memorable trainer from the original Pokemon games.
At the current price, Erika’s Invitation is a very affordable chase card for players and collectors to add to their Pokemon 151 collection.
9. Bulbasaur - 166/165 Illustration Rare
Market price: $23.91
This card has great harmony with the epic Venusaur Special Illustration Rare further down this list. Although it’s less colorful than that card. Bulbasaur almost gets lost amidst the greenery here in this card, which is probably what the artist intended. After all it is sleeping peacefully here, probably chilling out waiting for a trainer to come by and catch it.
8. Squirtle - 170/165 Illustration Rare
Market price: $25.32
The biggest change that’s happened since the last time we updated this list is that the two other first generation starters have joined Charmander on this list of most valuable Pokemon 151 cards. Those starters are, of course, incredibly popular Pokemon, so it makes sense they would be highly sought after. It doesn’t hurt that their artwork is gorgeous. This Squirtle is particularly beatufiul
7. Alakazam ex - 201/165 –Special Illustration Rare
Market price: $31.65
The biggest surprise so far in the Pokemon 151 singles market just has to be the unusual growth in value for this special illustration rare Alakazam. The artwork is pretty neat, too, with beautiful illustrations that brings to mind the Espeon V Alternate Art from Evolving Skies.
While Alakazam being in this list at all is somewhat historic due to a now lifted ban on Kadabra, it’s great to see how valuable it still is after more than a month of being on the market.
Whatever the reason driving this card’s impressive market value, it’s likely to remain one of this set’s most desirable chase cards.
6. Charmander - 168/165 Illustration Rare
Market price: $32.15
The Charmander Illustration Rare has continued its upward trajectory since the release of Pokemon 151, and is now worth more than it was upon initial release.
While it’s a little surprising that this card is fairing so well, I suppose it shouldn’t be. The card features beautiful artwork, while the solitary vibe brings to mind the Charmander Ash found in the original show (and Red found in the games). It’s possible that this card will continue to fair well on the singles market given its beauty and nostalgic pull.
5. Zapdos ex - 202/165 Special Illustration Rare
Market price: $34.25
For fans of the original Pokemon games, it doesn’t get much better than this. Seeing all three legendary birds soaring through the skies over Kanto is the stuff of Pokemon fans’ dreams, and boy did they deliver in this gorgeous and action-oriented card.
In addition to the collectibility of this card, Zapdos ex is also a playable card competitively, meaning many players will seek to pull this rare Pokemon 151 chase card to add it to their blinged-out deck.
4. Charizard ex - 183/165 Ultra Rare
Market price: $38.45
Hopefully people aren’t getting tired of Charizard yet – we’ve been seeing a lot of it in Pokemon packs lately. However, making it to seventh place on this list of most expensive cards in Pokemon 151 indicates that Charizard remains Pokemon’s most bankable character.
Beyond that, there are a few things interesting about this card continuing to fair well on the singles market. To begin with, it’s now the only ultra rare card to make the top 10. Additionally, its value has actually increased since the Pokemon 151 release date, indicating some good staying power on the market.
3. Venusaur ex - 198/165 Special Illustration Rare
Market price: $41.78
Goodness gracious is this a stellar card or what? It’s the most beautiful card I’ve seen in a long time – with everything from the color scheme to the composition adding up to what should rightfully be one of the most iconic cards of this defining set.
The original starter Pokemon pretty much dominate this list, and rightfully so. They’re among the most popular Pokemon of all time, and their illustration forms do them more justice than perhaps any other cards in history.
2. Blastoise ex - 200/165 Special Illustration Rare
Market price: $44.34
This Blastoise ex is probably our favorite card from the entire set. The cool, minimalistic beauty of this card was incredibly well thought out. To us, it’s the most gorgeous Blastoise card of all time. Right now, the price for this card has dropped considerably, making it a great opportunity for collectors to add an iconic card from an iconic set to their collection.
1. Charizard ex - Special Illustration is the most expensive card in Pokemon 151
Market price: $116.32
After the blinged out, tricked out, Dark type Charizard from Obsidian Flames, this simplistic design is a welcome return to the Charizard we all know and love. In some ways, it seems to be saying “I know I’m going to be the top chase card from this set. I don’t even need to try.”
Charizard ex special illustration rare also has proven to have some staying power – it’s seen a minimal decrease in value since Pokemon 151 came out. While it’s likely to continue to drop in value, this card is likely to retain a good level of value, and will be a great addition to any Charizard collection.
Final Thoughts on Pokemon 151 Most Valuable Chase Cards
This set has not disappointed when it comes to its rarest cards. They are absolutely stunning, and well worth the hunt. Their prices are also not terribly exorbitant. And while they are likely to come down as more packs are opened, Pokemon 151 will undoubtedly be one of the most collectible packs in modern memory.
