A Signed Kabuto Pokemon Card Sold for $51K
A Pokemon TCG auction held during the first weekend of December resulted in a 1st Edition Kabuto card signed by Kabuto King selling for $51,100. However, the Pokemon TCG auction for the Kabuto card was for a greater cause, as Kabuto King said on social media that all the proceeds from the auction would go to charity.
Known as the Shellfish Pokemon, Kabuto first appeared in Pokemon Red and Blue. Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at level 40 and could originally be obtained by reviving a Dome Fossil at a laboratory on Cinnabar Island. Its counterpart, Omanyte, comes from reviving a Helix Fossil. Kabuto is known for its brown shell, dark underside, and glowing red eyes. In Pokemon TCG, Kabuto first debuted in the Fossil expansion, which released in Japan in 1997 and globally in 1999. Kabuto recently appeared in Pokemon TCG‘s Scarlet and Violet: 151 expansion as a Stage 1 Fighting Pokemon that evolves from an Antique Dome Fossil. Both Kabuto and Kabutops are among the best fossil Pokemon in the series due to their niche use in competitive battles.
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A Signed 1st Edition Kabuto Card Sells for an Unusually High Amount
Kabuto King recently gained notoriety among Pokemon TCG players for sharing their growing collection of 1st Edition Kabuto cards from the Fossil set, with 1,799 Kabuto cards in their collection as of December 5, 2025. With the popularity of the Pokemon TCG remaining as strong as ever, the collector chose to turn their notoriety into support for a cause. An online auction that ran from December 4 to 7 was offering a 1st Edition Kabuto card from Pokemon TCG‘s Fossil expansion that had been signed by Kabuto King. By the end of the auction’s first day, the card had a high bid of $12,400 and ultimately sold for $51,100 on eBay.
Although rare Pokemon cards are known to fetch incredibly high prices on the secondhand market, Kabuto King’s card sold for a much higher rate than usual. Before the auction went live, 1st Edition Kabuto cards in near mint condition sold for about $1 on TCGPlayer. The winning $51,100 was placed by a Twitter user named cards.fun, who subsequently outbid Logan Paul’s $34,700 bid on the 1st Edition Kabuto card. Kabuto King thanked Paul for placing a high bid on the card and for spreading the word on social media.
Kabuto King stated that all proceeds from the card auction were going directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Kabuto King stated that the card would first be sent to PSA for authentication before it was sent to the winner. Additionally, eBay agreed to waive all fees from the Pokemon TCG auction following its conclusion. Kabuto King thanked everyone who participated in the charity auction.
Rare Pokemon Cards Remain a Valuable Commodity
Despite being around for nearly three decades, Pokemon cards continue to be a popular commodity among collectors and fans alike. Unfortunately, Pokemon TCG products remain a consistent target of scalpers looking to make a quick buck. In Japan, the Pokemon TCG expansion Mega Dream ex saw eBay listings for Mega Gengar ex go for nearly $900 before its November 28 release. Given that the listings were before the launch of Mega Dream ex, the sellers did not have the actual cards in hand.
Even though scalpers have made it difficult for Pokemon TCG players to get the cards they want, retailers have taken measures to deter scalpers from buying out a store’s entire stock of cards. Additionally, rumors on social media claimed that Pokemon TCG could bring back fan favorites for the franchise’s 30th anniversary. It remains to be seen if Kabuto and other fossil Pokemon will appear in future expansions.