eBay Releasing 151 Pokemon Collectibles for Huge One-Day Auction

22.02.2024 - 20:23 / gamerant.com / Dominik Bo

eBay will release 151 rare Pokemon cards as part of a newly announced auction set to take place in late February. Called Catch 151, the event promises to offer an opportunity for fans to grab some ultra-rare Pokemon TCG cards and other collectors' items at price points that eBay describes as «accessible.»

While specialized storefronts catering to trading card games collectors do exist, eBay has long been among the most popular destinations for buying and selling Pokemon cards. Many of the most expensive Pokemon cards ever sold have switched hands via eBay, and countless enthusiasts continue to peruse the storefront to fill out their collections on a daily basis.

The storefront has decided to embrace its popularity among the Pokemon fandom in the form of Catch 151, a dedicated event that will see it auction off 151 cards from the original version of the popular TCG, as well as some of the more recent sets. Bidding for each individual item is set to start at a fitting figure: $1.51. Catch 151 will kick off at 12:01am ET on February 27 and conclude exactly 24 hours later. The event will hence be part of Pokemon Day 2024 celebrations.

The complete list of Catch 151 auctions has yet to be confirmed. However, eBay did attach a handful of images to its event announcement, which revealed around 20 cards that will be featured at the auction. Some of the rarest from that bunch include holo variants of the 1st Edition Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard, most of which have been rated as being in mint condition.

At least five Pikachu cards will also partake in Catch 151, including one signed by Mitsuhiro Arita, one of the original Pokemon TCG artists. The rest include a mint-condition Ooyama's Pikachu from 1998 that's normally valued at around $800, as well as the 2020 Special Delivery Pikachu. The ultra-rare Pikachu Van Gogh card will also be among the highlights of the event.

Reflecting on this announcement, eBay Global Collectibles VP Gene Cook revealed that «Pokemon 151» searches on the storefront increased by almost 11,000% in January compared to the same period a year ago, hinting that this phenomenon might have inspired the very name of the upcoming event. As for the trend itself, that uptick in searches was ostensibly driven by the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 151 set. Released in September 2023, the expansion quickly established itself as one of the most highly sought contemporary sets among Pokemon card collectors.

Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) is a collectible and strategy based card game based on Nintendo's Pokemon franchise. Two players face off against one another, battling one Pokemon at a time and attempting to knock them out to claim one of six prize cards. The cards have also become highly collectible