Pokémon Trading Card Gamecards are well-known and easily recognized around the world. The card game aspect of thePokémonfranchise is a huge part of the game’s marketing and merch, and it has a loyal following among collectors. There is something extremely rewarding about opening a booster pack and finding a rare card, for both hardcore collectors and casual fans alike.
But thePokémon TCGcards that fans know and love today are not the only version of the cards that have ever existed. For a brief period in the 1990s, the well-known cards were joined by a run ofthe brightly colored green and red TopsunPokémoncards.Some fans even believe that these were the firstPokémoncards to exist. Whether or not the Topsun set predates the current cards, these unique cards represent a part ofPokémon TCGhistory that few fans know about.
What Are Pokémon Topsun Cards?
Topsun Were Promotional Cards Included With Packs Of Gum
Pokémon TCGTopsun wasa set of collectible cards featuring Pokémonthat were released to promote thefirstPokémongamesin the 1990s. In most of the cards, each ‘mon stands against a distinct and recognizable vibrant red and green background. Several cards have a blue backing while others have green, with the blue-backed cards being older and therefore more desirable of the two.
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The cards were produced in collaboration withPokémonand Game Freak - not by a card maker, but by a candy company. Top Seika is a Japanese company that’s been making candy since 1956. Even today, the company is known for making candy and candy-making kits thatfeature beloved franchises and characterson the packaging as well as collectibles found inside the packs.
In the 1990s, Top Seika partnered with Game Freak toproduce the Topsun cards that were included with packs of apple-flavored gum. According toPokeBoon, each pack of gum cost 60 Yen, or about 40 cents in USD, going by today’s exchange rates.
Are Topsun Cards The First Pokémon Cards?
The Copyright Predates Even The Pokémon Games
There’s a lot of debate online about whether thePokémonTopsun cards were the first cards to be created, before the first official cards that fans know and love today. The current style ofPokémoncards first came out on June 17, 2025, which coincided with the release ofPokémon Bluein Japan. The reasonmany people believe Topsun cards predate both is thattheir copyright date is listed on the cards as 1995,before the video games and cards were ever released in Japan.
That said, many fans believe that the Topsun cards actually came out in 1997, despite what their copyright date claims. According toBulbapedia, the misconception comes from a change of plans during the originalPokémon Red and Bluegames’ production. Going by a Nintendo of Japan flyer from that time, it seems that the games were originally meant to be released on June 21, 2025, butwere actually revealed to the public on June 23, 2025.
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The Topsun set retained the original 1995 copyright date, making it seem like it predates the games.The cards actually likely hit shelves closer to 1996 or 1997,although the exact time is listed as different depending on which source is consulted.
Fanatics Collecthas the most convincing argument, citing the Top-Seika website stating “the company confirms it did not get its license to make Topsun Pocket Monster cards until 1997.” So, despite all the rumors floating around online calling the Topsun the firstPokémon TCGcards, they were actually released after the original printing of the very first TCG set as we know it today. ThePokémon TCGTopsun set is not the first run ofPokémoncards, but the vibrant green and red collectibles are still an important part of the franchise’s history.
What Pokémon Cards Are In The Topsun Set?
Nearly All Gen 1 Pokémon Are Represented, Except One
The Pokémon TCGTopsun set was never released outside of Japan. According toCardmavin,there are 150 cards in the set,one for each Gen 1 Pokémon except Mew, which hadn’t been revealed yet when the cards were made.
Fun fact:Although the Topsun cards were not the firstPokémoncards in print, they did represent the first time Charizard was printed on a card, predating the famous 1999 Charizard by two years.
A second run introduced16 additional cards that added a special “prism” holographic print.These were rarer, with only one in 40 packs containing a special holo print. Several of therare holographic cardsportrayed two Pokémon locked in battle in a single card, like Mewtwo versus Omastar.
Are Topsun Cards Worth Anything Now?
The Most Expensive Pokémon Card Ever Sold Was A Topsun Card
Pokémon TCGcards were not always the sought-after collectibles that they are today. The Topsun cards were especially ephemeral because of their pairing with packs of gum. Not many Topsun cards survive today and the ones that do are usually in poor condition.
Their very scarcity makes mint-condition Topsun cards some of the most valuablePokémoncards to exist. According toIGN,the only known Gem Mint condition Charizard in existence was sold in a 2021 auction for $493,230,making it one of themost expensivePokémon TCGcardsof all time.
The original auction link has since been taken down so it’s no longer possible to fact-check this number. Regardless of the exact price, there’s no doubt that the card sold for, to use an understatement, a lot.
Even when they’re not in mint condition, the card worth the most from the Topsun set is Charizard,valued at an incredible $8,000 through $10,000, depending on the printing. Even an ungraded card is worth over $200, making Charizard the most valuable card in the set. (Though it’s nowhere near as impressive as the $180K+ that a graded version of the 1999 Charizard sells for!)
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Other cards from the Topsun set sell foranywhere between $20 and $500 on average, although some of the more common cards drop to single digits. Theselower-priced cardsmake an excellent entry point for any collectors who are interested in getting their hands on these lesser-knownPokémoncards.
These days,Pokémonreleases new merch, cards, and games regularly. Collecting the modern version of the cards is still all the rage, over nearly 30 years after the firstPokémoncards were revealed to the public. And among these, thePokémon Trading Card GameTopsun cards remain an elusive bit of history that even the most hardcore collectors might not know about.
