This Week in Collecting: Art Academy Mudkip Sells for $4.88 Million

The short version: Goldin's 2026 Pokémon 30th Anniversary Auction closed on October 25 with more than $28 million in sales. The top lot was a PSA 10 Art Academy Mudkip promo from 2015 that sold for $4.88 million, the highest price yet paid publicly for a Mudkip card.

A month ago, a PSA 10 copy of the same Mudkip sold for $3.72 million at Fanatics and was called the most valuable Mudkip ever. Goldin's result beat that by about $1.16 million. A Trophy Pikachu, the only copy of its card in PSA's census, also crossed $3 million, and two more Art Academy cards hit nearly $1 million each. It was another big week for high-end Pokémon, and another sign that the hobby's money is moving into rare Japanese promos.

What happened

Goldin's 30th anniversary sale wrapped on Sunday, October 25. ICv2 reported the auction brought in over $28 million and produced 18 record-setting sales. Prices include the buyer's premium.

The headliner was the 2015 Pokémon Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Mudkip, illustrated by Daisuke Ochiai and graded PSA GEM MT 10. Goldin's lot title lists the PSA population at 3. It sold for $4,880,000.

Here are the top results, per Auction Report:

1. 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Mudkip (Daisuke Ochiai), PSA 10: $4,880,000
2. 1997 Japanese Promo Gold 1st Place 1st Tournament Trophy Pikachu, PSA 8: $3,080,500
3. 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Sableye, PSA 10: $976,000
4. 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Gourgeist, PSA 10: $976,000
5. 2007 POP Series 5 Gold Star Umbreon, PSA 10: $738,100
6. 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Mudkip, PSA 10: $610,000
7. 1996 Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Mewtwo, PSA 10: $603,900
8. 2007 POP Series 5 Gold Star Espeon, PSA 10: $573,400

Sealed product did well too. ICv2 reported a factory-sealed 2005 EX Team Rocket Returns booster box sold for $384,300.

Why these cards are so rare

Art Academy cards are promotional issues whose artwork came from contest participants, according to Auction Report. They were handed out as promos, and very few have survived in top condition. Three Art Academy cards finished in the top four of this sale.

The Trophy Pikachu is a different kind of rarity. These cards were prizes at Japan's first official Pokémon tournaments in 1997. Before the sale, ICv2 noted that this first-place copy was the only one in the PSA census, and pre-bids had already passed $1 million. It closed at just over $3 million.

How it compares

Mudkip had a wild September. Sports Illustrated reported that a PSA 10 Ochiai Art Academy Mudkip sold for $3,720,000 in the Fanatics September Premier Auction. SI called it "the single most valuable Mudkip collectible of all time by a significant margin." Just days earlier, a PSA 10 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Mudkip sold for $1,020,000 on Fanatics Weekly, per SI. Before that run, no Gold Star Mudkip had sold for more than $70,000.

Go back a little further and the climb is even steeper. Fanatics Collect's results page shows a PSA 10 copy of the Ochiai Art Academy Mudkip sold for $42,000 in November 2024.

Goldin's results add two new data points. The Art Academy Mudkip climbed to $4.88 million. The PSA 10 Gold Star Mudkip, meanwhile, sold for $610,000, well below the $1.02 million paid for a copy in the same grade about a month earlier. Same card, same grade, very different prices. That is how thin the market is at the very top.

For scale, Goldin's February sale set the overall Pokémon record when the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator sold for $16,492,000, according to Auction Report. The Mudkip is not in that range, but it shows that Pokémon's seven-figure club is no longer just Pikachu and Charizard.

The bigger trend

Goldin has spent 2026 running Pokémon sales tied to the franchise's 30th anniversary, and the totals keep climbing. Its Summer TCG Auction closed August 9 with over $18 million in sales and six items above $500,000, according to The Beat. The October sale beat that by roughly $10 million.

The other pattern is where the money goes. The biggest prices this fall have gone to Japanese promos with tiny graded populations: Art Academy cards, tournament trophies and contest prizes. You saw it earlier this month with the Raincoat Pikachu, another Art Academy promo, and you saw it again here. Classic English cards still sell well. The Legendary Collection reverse holo Pikachu and Charizard both brought over $460,000 in PSA 10. But the record headlines belong to the rare promos.

What it means for collectors and resellers

Most of us are not bidding on a $4.88 million Mudkip. These sales still ripple down the hobby, so here is how to read them.

• Grade and population drive the price. A PSA 10 with a population of 3 is a different asset from a PSA 9 of the same card. When a headline grabs you, check the exact grade before you price your own copy.
• One sale is not a market. The Gold Star Mudkip went for $1.02 million and then $610,000 within weeks. Look at several sold results over time, not one spike.
• Use sold prices, not asking prices. Plenty of sellers will list their Mudkips higher this week. Completed sales tell you what buyers will actually pay. If you're not sure what you have, Moe can identify a card from a photo and show recent market value.
• Japanese promos deserve a second look. If you find Japanese promo cards in a lot or a binder, don't lump them in with bulk. Identify them first.

If you are selling into a hot week, put your card in front of as many buyers as you can. Our guide on where to sell collectibles online compares the main marketplaces.

What to watch next

Watch for more PSA 10 Ochiai Mudkips to surface. With a population of just 3 and two seven-figure public sales in about a month, any owner now has a very public price to aim at. Watch Gold Star prices too, since the gap between $1.02 million and $610,000 suggests the market is still finding its level. And watch the auction calendar. With the 30th anniversary year winding down, expect the big houses to keep lining up rare Japanese promos for their next headline sale.

Frequently asked questions

How much did the Art Academy Mudkip sell for?

The 2015 Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Mudkip by Daisuke Ochiai, graded PSA 10, sold for $4,880,000 including buyer's premium in Goldin's Pokémon 30th Anniversary Auction, which closed October 25, 2026.

Is the $4.88 million Mudkip the most expensive Mudkip card ever?

It is the highest public sale we found. In September, a PSA 10 copy of the same card sold for $3.72 million at Fanatics, which Sports Illustrated called the most valuable Mudkip ever. Goldin's sale topped it by about $1.16 million.

How much did Goldin's Pokémon 30th Anniversary Auction make?

ICv2 reported more than $28 million in total sales, with 18 record-setting results. Goldin's Summer TCG Auction in August totaled over $18 million.

What is a Pokémon Art Academy card?

Art Academy cards are 2015 Japanese XY promo cards whose artwork came from contest participants. They were released as promos, and high-grade copies are very scarce.

What is the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold?

The PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, which sold for $16,492,000 at Goldin in February 2026, according to Auction Report.