Is a Pikachu Illustrator a PSA 10?

About the Pikachu Illustrator

The 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Pikachu Illustrator is a 1998 Pokémon card from the vintage era. One of the rarest cards in the hobby — only a handful known. Authentication is the biggest concern.

What graders look for

Every grading company — PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC — uses the same four sub-scores: centering, corners, edges, and surface. On this card specifically, watch for:

• Counterfeits (serious authentication risk)
• Surface wear
• Corner softness
• Edge whitening

Pro tip

Authenticate first. Assume any raw Illustrator is suspect until a professional grader confirms it.

Should you send it in?

Before paying grading fees, scan the card with ID Grader to get an instant AI pre-grade across all four sub-scores. If the pre-grade comes back a confident 9.5 or 10, you probably have a submission candidate. If it comes back an 8 with any sub-score below a 9, you likely do better selling the card raw.

Related grading guides

• Is a 1st Edition Charizard a PSA 10?
• Is a Unlimited Base Charizard a PSA 10?
• Is a Rainbow Charizard VMAX a PSA 10?