What is the Pikachu World Collection?
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By: Oliver Copeland
- Published:
- Last Updated: February 24, 2024
Pikachu fans might already know about the Pikachu World Collection – a 9-card portfolio featuring Pikachus in 9 different languages.
There was one released in 2000, and another in 2010, but both are collectible and sought after by Pikachu collectors.
Pikachu World Collection (2000)
The Pikachu World Collection came out in September 2000 with the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. Like the Olympics, it featured Pikachu cards in 9 languages to celebrate different countries.
Even though people call it a special collection binder, the Pikachu World Collection is actually a single 9-pocket page.
The cards in the collection were reprints of old Pikachu cards, like Base Set Pikachu and Jungle Pikachu, but with a gold foil stamp in the shape of a Pikachu tail and in different languages.
You could only buy the collection in Sydney, Australia, for about a month during the 2000 Summer Olympics, making it rare and expensive to get today.
Pikachu World Collection (2010)
In 2010, a new Pikachu World Collection came out alongside the Japanese set Clash at the Summit. It was only sold at certain Pokécenters. Unlike the first collection, these 9 Pikachu cards were brand new, not reprints.
Each card was made for a different country and has unique art. For example, the American Pikachu has the Grand Canyon in the background. All the cards are holofoils and have gold borders.
There are three different versions of the 2010 Pikachu World Collection:
- English
- Japanese
- Japanese (Green 7-11 exclusive)
The English version is called the “World Collection” and was released in November 2010, after the world championship decks. The 9 Pikachu cards came packaged along with one of the four World Championship Decks.
The Japanese version is the one I have! It is a blue portfolio with nine Pikachu cards all displayed, much like the original from 2000.
The third version is a Japanese-only 7-11 exclusive. As you probably have guessed, it was only sold in 7-11 convenience stores. This packaging is green instead of blue, and the Japanese Pikachu has a green background whereas the non-7-11 version has a blue one.
So in total, there are 19 unique cards belonging to the 2010 Pikachu World Collection.
- 9 English
- 10 Japanese
How Much Are They Worth?
Pikachu cards can be valuable, especially if they are promos. Here’s a quick table with prices pulled from recent eBay sales*
*Prices updated as of February 2024 and are in USD
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
|
Pikachu World Collection 2000 (Sealed) |
$150-200 |
|
World Collection 2010 (Sealed) |
No Recent Sales |
|
Pikachu World Collection 2010 (Sealed) (Japanese) |
$300 |
|
Pikachu World Collection 2010 (Sealed) (Japanese) (7-11) |
$250-300 |
You can pick up each portfolio for around $300, with the 2000 version coming in a little cheaper.
I wanted to add PSA-graded prices too, but they are all over the place.
If you grade the 2010 English set and they all receive a 10, you can probably get $1,500+. But most listings are selling the graded cards individually.
You can check current eBay prices here: (affiliate links)
Final thoughts
The Pikachu World Collection sets are cool, without a doubt. If you see the prices that the sealed set is going for today, it almost seems like it has yet to see a large price increase.
Part of Pokémon card collecting includes predicting price jumps, and we think that this may be one of them.
Since the first two Pikachu World Collections were released ten years apart, it may be time for a third. There is no information on whether or not this could come to fruition, but if it does, the value of the first two sets will likely go up.
However, it isn’t always about monetary value. These Pikachu cards are unique and beautiful in their own way. Any collector would be pleased to possess one or both of these collections.
