Shining Magikarp

Shining Magikarp is card 66 of 66 in Neo Revelation, released in September 2001, a Rare Shining. It is a Basic Water-type with 30 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Magikarp needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.

Shining Magikarp is an alternate-color print from the late Neo era, a chase rarity pulled at a fraction of the standard holo rate.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

The Pokédex entry printed on Shining Magikarp reads: "An underpowered, pathetic Pokémon. It may jump high on rare occasions, but never more than seven feet."

A water-type fish famous for being almost useless until it evolves into Gyarados. Base Set Common. Sentimental and emotionally significant for many collectors.

Shining Magikarp is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Neo Revelation's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Neo Revelation holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

Neo Revelation produced 1st Edition, Unlimited, Shining prints. For Shining Magikarp, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.

For graded buyers, the holo window on Shining Magikarp is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the water foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.

If you are buying Shining Magikarp, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. For a raw Shining Magikarp above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.