Pokémon - 1 Graded card - Pikachu 101966126 Limited edition - PSA 8 - Sun & Moon

2018 Pokémon SM Black Star Promo – Champions Festival #SM148
WORLD 18-CHAMPION variant | PSA 8 NM-MT | Cert. 101966126

A very rare card that was issued exclusively to the winners of the Pokémon World Championship 2018 in Nashville... not the participant version, not the staff version, but the Champion variant! The PSA population of this variant is worldwide only 4 copies.

- What sets this card apart

The Champions Festival card was handed out at the Pokémon World Championship 2018 in several editions to participants, staff, Top 32, Top 16, Top 8, finalists, and champions. Each round had its own stamp. The Champion variant is by far the rarest, especially because champions almost never part with their card.

This slab is explicitly labeled as the Champion variant, both on the card and on the PSA label:
2018 POKEMON SM PROMO CHAMPIONS FESTIVAL WORLD 18-CHAMPION #SM148 and the PSA Certificate of course can be verified via:

https://www.psacard.com/cert/101966126/psa

Note: the previously mentioned regular Worlds 18- and Staff-prints exist in hundreds of copies and typically change hands for around $150 to $400. Those prices do not apply to this unique Champion variant.

- Illustration

Stadium card illustrated by Naoki Saito, featuring Pikachu, Oricorio, Meloetta and more at the Worlds festival grounds — the same illustration as the participant version, distinguished only by the CHAMPION designation / gold stamp.

- Condition and authentication

Grading service: PSA
Grade: 8 NM-MT
Certificate number: 101966126 (verifiable on psacard.com)
Slab: original, sealed and undamaged
Photos show both sides of the holder, with close-ups of the CHAMPION text and the label

- Market context

The automatically generated PSA estimate for this variant is $3,493 (range $1,624–$5,723, but the reliability of this price is low). The low reliability has a simple cause: there are hardly any transactions to base the estimate on. This isn’t a promo with an extensive price history; it’s a tournament trophy that rarely leaves the winner’s hands. Just take a look at what a card from an earlier year costs!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267760660500?_skw=Champions+Festival+pokemon&itmmeta=01M2SYBWXMQBPFA2ASB0QGV9V9&hash=item3e57c77014:g:NJoAAeSwFLNqhCVr&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAABAGfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBu6mOJviMxGXTE%2F9%2BTkZx3HI23oRpsmDPv3RtobjCgB7jhAirM8mik8Xq2Kj%2B%2B3N8OqVwgNkumz4dIfe1fOuKymYC%2FQWvDyHCMliYgBvYrFQZjRfFkeLKeNV8ZqsnEV15EoOEkiJxBI9RUJciSIDKfKMwR3TVDgZ%2Fy5xGfTn7rUZ0EpZBP6U2qlheuSJ9mxTY%2F%2BVO8xwKGup8RnBgFSZKGGi5%2Fv2w53bOMzQZySS1cncydwVeeEA2fNUVGxtphjm1YvvzP0XC%2BscBth9%2BWcXnUZQVm3DKTWC44kVt7l%2FB9d9TVbf8DMGrB9xzrzbNNCQ8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9LQr76WaA

- For whom

Genuine collectors, Pokemon tournament players and enthusiasts who’d rather own one true unicorn than ten so-called rare promos.

- Shipping and inquiries

Fully insured shipping with tracking, slab protected in a hard case.