I can’t find any record on eBay.
what do they usually go for? And are they more commonly sold on sites or through instagram?
You needed to meet with us at Worlds this year, you would’ve seen a deal go down lol @smpratte . All jokes aside, these usually go down in private and because they are so limited, its a matter of making an offer when they show up or risk not seeing one again… ever again… The trophy market is certainly changing with cross collectors arriving into Pokemon. Scott can probably give you a better idea on that 
.
1 Like
I think this was the most recent semi thorough discussion. A quick forum search pulled it up. There were several numbers thrown around with some being verified private sales figures.
www.elitefourum.com/t/full-art-pikachu-trophy-cards-2014-2016-also-2004-2012/15252/1
Obviously prices have come a long way since then. I have no idea how much that would have affected the prices of such obscure items like these.
I only know of one 3rd place copy that was on auction on eBay a few years back that sold for $3000
I really like how people on here use the term “verified private sales” regarding values and prices… it’s not really verified unless there is evidence…
Anyways, I think the best chance for the Words trophy cards os to contact the winners. It shouldn’t be to hard to find them on Facebook.
I almost put “verified” in quotes as such, but I think it is as close to verification as we can get when it comes to private sales. I mean if you want to get technical about it you really can’t verify 100% anything these days. Even eBay “sales” under sold listings could have never be paid and even ones that were can be returned down the line etc.
3 Likes
I’m still trying to understand your battle with private sales. If you don’t mind me asking, you yourself have a few trophies; where all of these bought on eBay? And second, I never see you answering back with the prices that you yourself paid for these. I’m not looking to have a battle with you over this, but if anything I wonder if you yourself have been on the other side of the argument, in this case, have you acquired trophies privately? If you did, have you instantly shared evidence of how much you paid? I know I haven’t on my end because to be honest, it’s no one’s business. If someone messages me and asks I don’t mind sharing but is not something I plaster on my threads. As a result, any trophy that I have most people have no idea how much I’ve paid but the fact that they don’t know doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
1 Like
Which one was it? And do they all have he same artwork across years?
I agree with everything you said. And yes, I bought most of my trophy cards privately. But the small difference is I am not going around calling out “private sales prices” especially not if I wasn’t any of the two parties involved. I have no problem with private sales but I do have a problem with the fact that people state random “private sales prices” without evidence and everybody just believes it and takes it as granted. It is very very easy to influence prices and market like that which we have already seen in the past few months.
Oh and I am sharing all prices I paid if someone asks me privately 
What you have to understand is that people might not be going to you with this information but they do share it with other collectors here, especially if they trust their advice. I’ll give you a small example. At Worlds this year, most of us that went, spent the weekend hanging out with each other. One of the nights, we had drinks, shared stories about cards and truly had the most fun any Pokemon collector could ask for (keep in mind I’m not a seller). People in that room didn’t know I owned a few trophies and other things. I shared how much I paid for them but I didn’t show them a receipt or my bank statements. These conversations do happen between collectors and if anything, the fact that members share this insight is more of a privilege to the forum. The fact that people have helped the hobby become more visible doesn’t mean they are manipulating the market and finally, if you think these prices are not real and that the sales aren’t happening I’m ready to make offers on several of your trophies. I will offer you last year prices on a lot of them just message me when you are ready!
1 Like
Again, agreed. But you need to wake up and realize that some people are trying to boost prices in order to make a profit.
As long asyou share the prices you paid that’s all fine. But when someone is talking about private deals and wasn’t even one of the 2 parties doing the deal it’s getting shaky.
Great offer. I’ll accept $8.5k for my Trophy Khan. Obviously that’s what it’s worth now lol
Stating a completed sale is not boosting prices, it is self evident. The only price manipulation here is trying to arbitrarily qualify actual completed sale(s). Whether or not that sale feels good to someone is their issue, but a completed sale is in itself.
Oh and for these full art trophies, I am not going to bother stating publicly what I have been offered. If I decide to sell my spare copy, I will post the bank wire, and we can hold hands and go through the 5 stages of grief together.
4 Likes
I understand the frustration with private sales figures. I’ve often found it annoying in the past and I absolutely hate when rumors about values float around arbitrarily. Out of respect, we ought to trust when someone says they personally sold a card for X value if the scenario is plausible. But even so, that simply doesn’t carry the weight a public sale does. No private sale of a PSA 10 1st Edition Base Set Charizard ever carried them into the next echelon of value. It was public auctions. No private sale of a Pikachu Illustrator will ever generate the excitement and attention that the Heritage Auction did which ultimately is what solidified it’s value in the understanding of the wider audience.
But private sales remain a massive part of the hobby in large part because it is immature. Not the people, but the hobby itself hasn’t had enough time to develop. In the future, professional auction houses will be the most lucrative way to buy and sell the high end cards in the hobby and everyone will be satisfied. We will get to enjoy the public records of actual sales and use those for our benefit without having to hold skepticism and buyers/sellers will get to compete equally for the best cards without the constant behind-the-scenes leveraging that goes on now. There are good signs that we are headed that direction at this very moment.
But I do understand the frustration that everyone can feel with the way valuable cards change hands in today’s market. We will all win if we hold out a bit longer.
1 Like