Auckland Card Show 2025: 10 cards that would steal the show
- Steve
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
At our first show in July 2024, we had some incredible cards come through our doors, including Leaf Trading Cards’ Pop Century 1/1 cards like Clint Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, and a card signed by six Marvel actors including Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, and Chris Hemsworth.
We also saw the guys from Blunt Collections pull some epic basketball cards on the main stage, as well as some incredible Pokémon cards from sets like Cosmic Eclipse. The show even kicked off with a young girl in the crowd getting one of our giveaway packs and walking away with a Celebi V alt art from Fusion Strike just minutes after the show started!
With more businesses and traders attending in 2025 from all over New Zealand and Australia, some looking to buy in a big way as well as trade and sell, what cards do we hope will make their way through the doors of this year’s New Zealand Card Show? We’ve put together a list of 10 cards we know would be a huge hit if they show up.
Wayne Gretzky – 1979 O-Pee-Chee Rookie Card
Wayne Gretzky’s 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee rookie card reached a historic milestone in May 2021 when a PSA Gem Mint 10 copy sold for a staggering $3.75 million at auction, setting a new record for the most expensive hockey card ever sold. This card is considered the pinnacle of sports card collecting, with its rarity and iconic status as the rookie card of "The Great One" contributing to its immense value. Only two PSA 10 copies exist, making it one of the rarest and most coveted items in the world of sports memorabilia. The record-breaking sale highlighted the card’s extraordinary appeal and the growing interest in rare, high-grade sports cards as a significant investment asset.
LeBron James – 2003 Exquisite Rookie Patch Auto (RPA)
LeBron’s Exquisite RPA is the modern-day equivalent of a Jordan rookie, but with luxury baked in. These are true grails that regularly sell for over $1M USD, depending on numbering, patch quality, and autograph condition. If one of these hits the floor at the Auckland Card Show, you’ll know you’re in the presence of one of the hobby’s most important modern-era cards.
Serena Williams – 2003 NetPro Elite Glossy / Autograph Rookie
One of the greatest athlete of all time, Serena's early cards have exploded in value. The Elite Glossy parallels (limited to 100) or on-card autographs are the crown jewels of women’s sports collecting. One recently sold for over $250,000 USD, showing just how serious the demand is. Spotting a Serena grail card at a New Zealand Card Show would be a huge win for tennis fans, women in sport, and serious collectors alike.
Gandalf – 2001 Decipher Lord of the Rings Foil (Signed / Error / Promo)
A nod to Middle-earth, filmed right here in New Zealand. The Decipher TCG has a cult following, and Gandalf cards, especially foil promos, errors, or signature editions, are highly sought after. It’s a cool crossover: fantasy, film history, and trading cards. A grail-worthy Gandalf card on home soil would be a tribute to New Zealand’s place in global pop culture and collecting.
Black Lotus – 1993 Magic: The Gathering (Alpha)
The most powerful, iconic, and valuable Magic card ever printed. The Alpha version of Black Lotus, especially graded 10, can reach over $500,000 USD. It’s not just about power in the game; it’s about mystique. A card with its own mythology, Black Lotus is the centrepiece for any MTG collector.
Pele – 1958 Alifabolaget Rookie (Swedish issue)
A pre-war-style grail for the greatest footballer of all time. The Alifabolaget rookie is a cornerstone of vintage soccer collecting, and its scarcity outside Europe makes it all the more special. High-grade copies are extremely difficult to find, and sales often happen quietly among elite collectors. In a globalising hobby, having one of these appear at the Auckland Card Show would certainly turn the heads of collectors worldwide.
Michael Jordan – 1986 Fleer Rookie
For basketball collectors, there is no equal. This card kicked off the modern sports card boom and continues to rise in stature and price. PSA 10 copies regularly sell for over $250,000 USD, and even mid-grade versions are heavily collected. This is a bucket-list card that never fails to draw a crowd, and seeing one up close in New Zealand would be a big deal for any sports fan.
Jonah Lomu – 1995 Dynaminc Marketing All Blacks Rugby #21
The 1995 Dynamic Marketing All Blacks Rugby #21 card stands as Jonah Lomu's most recognised cards, capturing the All Blacks legend during his meteoric rise following the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Released at a time when rugby cards were not widely collected, this card has become a cornerstone for rugby enthusiasts and collectors alike. Graded examples have fetched notable sums, with a PSA 8 selling for over $260 USD, reflecting its growing value in the sports memorabilia market.
Interest in Lomu's cards has surged, especially after one of these cards in a PSA 10 was auctioned by Goldin, a prominent sports memorabilia auction house. The final price was on auction was an incredible $8,540 US dollars. This unique piece highlighted the increasing demand for Lomu memorabilia and underscored his enduring legacy in the world of rugby.
Charizard – 1st Edition Holo (1999, Base Set, Shadowless)
The most recognisable and desired Pokémon card in the world. This is the card that introduced a generation to the thrill of collecting. There have been many Charizard cards since, and they are always chase cards for Pokémon collectors, but not quite like this. In 1999, this Charizard card was the chase card, and 26 years later, it’s one of the most sought-after cards in the world. A PSA 10 1st Edition version is both nostalgic and investment-grade, selling for upwards of $300,000 USD at peak. Even a raw copy commands serious attention. Seeing one of these hot collectibles at a Pokémon Card Show in New Zealand would be a seriously exciting moment.
Pikachu Illustrator (1998, Japanese Promo)
The card I'm personally hoping to find in a folder one day. The holy grail of Pokémon cards. Awarded as a prize in an illustration contest in Japan in 1998, fewer than 40 copies are believed to exist, and only a tiny handful are graded PSA 10. What makes this card so valuable isn’t just its scarcity; it’s the mythology behind it. It's the ultimate flex piece and a symbol of how far the Pokémon trading card game has come. This card has made headlines in recent years for all kinds of reasons, and it truly would be incredible if we were lucky enough to see one come through our doors at this year’s Card Show.
Tickets are now on sale for Auckland Card Show 2025. Do not miss New Zealand's biggest card show on August 9th & 10th 2025.
