Magikarp & Wailord GX SM166 PSA 10 sells for $37K

2019 Magikarp & Wailord GX Tower Splash GX Box SM166 Sells for $37,210 in PSA 10

On May 18, 2026, Goldin sold a 2019 Pokémon Sun & Moon Black Star Promo Magikarp & Wailord GX from the Tower Splash GX Box, card #SM166, graded PSA GEM MT 10, for $37,210.

For a modern promo card, that is a serious result. Let’s break down what this card is, why collectors care, and how this sale fits into the broader market for Pokémon promos and tag team GX cards.

Card basics: what exactly sold?

• Year: 2019
• Game/Brand: Pokémon TCG – Sun & Moon era
• Set/Release: Black Star Promo from the Towering Splash GX Box
• Card: Magikarp & Wailord GX – Tag Team
• Card number: SM166 (Sun & Moon Black Star Promo checklist)
• Type: Black Star Promo (boxed product exclusive, not from regular boosters)
• Characters: Magikarp and Wailord as a Tag Team GX
• Rookie / key issue? Not a rookie in the sports sense, but a notable early Tag Team promo and a recognizable, meme-friendly pairing
• Grading company: PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)
• Grade: GEM MT 10 (PSA’s highest standard grade for pack‑pulled cards)
• Attributes:
  • Standard promo version from the Towering Splash GX Box
  • No serial numbering, no autograph, no patch
  • English language release

This card was originally available only by purchasing the Towering Splash GX Box, a sealed product that included the Magikarp & Wailord GX promo, an oversized version, and booster packs. Over time, loose promos from boxes often pick up surface and edge wear, which makes high‑grade examples more attractive to condition‑focused collectors.

Why Magikarp & Wailord GX matters to collectors

1. Tag Team era nostalgia

The Tag Team GX mechanic was one of the defining features of the late Sun & Moon era. These cards paired two Pokémon on a single oversized GX card with powerful attacks and high HP. For newer collectors, Tag Teams are often the gateway point back into modern Pokémon; for active players and collectors from 2018–2020, they mark a very specific, nostalgic window.

Magikarp & Wailord GX is among the more distinctive Tag Teams:

• Magikarp is one of the hobby’s most recognizable “joke” or meme Pokémon.
• Wailord is a fan favorite for its sheer size and quirky design.
• Together, they make a card that stands out even among other Tag Teams like Pikachu & Zekrom or Reshiram & Charizard.

2. Promo status, not a pack pull

This SM166 is a Black Star Promo, meaning it was distributed through a box product rather than in regular booster packs. That matters because:

• Condition is often worse out of the box – cards can be loosely packed or shifted in plastic, leading to whitening and edge wear.
• Supply is tied to sealed box print runs rather than to booster case ripping.

While it is not a short‑print in the strict sense, high‑grade promos tend to be less common than their main‑set counterparts of similar popularity.

3. Sun & Moon era and ultra‑modern context

This card sits in the ultra‑modern window (roughly mid‑2010s onward). Ultra‑modern Pokémon is characterized by:

• High interest in condition rarity (how many perfect‑grade copies exist)
• A clear split between casual copies and graded, investment‑grade examples
• Strong nostalgia cycles forming around Sun & Moon as Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet generations age in

Collectors who grew up or came back during Sun & Moon often remember Tag Teams as their “home base,” which helps promo Tag Teams like this stay in the conversation.

Market context and price levels

Understanding this $37,210 result

The Goldin sale at $37,210 is extremely strong for a non‑serial‑numbered, non‑textured, English Black Star Promo from 2019, even in PSA 10. Within Pokémon, that price tier is usually reserved for:

• Vintage grails (early WotC holos in top grade)
• Trophy, prize, or limited distribution cards
• Key modern chase cards in low populations (e.g., rare alternate arts, low‑pop full arts, or early ex/gold stars)

Magikarp & Wailord GX SM166 is not in those structural categories, which puts this sale at the very top of its expected range for a standard promo Tag Team.

Recent sales and comps

In the hobby, “comps” (comparable sales) are past realized prices for the same or very similar cards used for context. For this Magikarp & Wailord GX Black Star Promo, historically you’ll find:

• Raw copies (ungraded) typically selling in the low double‑digit range, depending on condition.
• Mid grades (PSA 8–9) trading at modest premiums over raw, often driven more by casual collectors than high‑end buyers.
• PSA 10 copies of many Sun & Moon Black Star promos usually landing in the low to mid hundreds of dollars, with a smaller subset in the low thousands for especially popular characters or very low pop cards.

Against that general backdrop, a $37,210 sale for this specific PSA 10 copy is an outlier and squarely in the “headline” category rather than a typical comp. That doesn’t invalidate the sale; it simply highlights that this is not the normal range most collectors will encounter for this card.

If you’re using this result as a reference point, it’s worth cross‑checking multiple marketplaces and auction houses for:

• Other PSA 10 SM166 sales in the months before and after
• Sales of related Magikarp & Wailord GX versions, such as alternate art printings or Japanese counterparts
• Broader Sun & Moon Black Star promo PSA 10 price bands

That wider view usually paints a more stable picture of what most copies trade for, with this Goldin auction sitting at the top end of the observed spectrum.

Population and grade scarcity

PSA’s population report (often shortened to “pop report”) shows how many copies of a given card have been graded at each grade level. For ultra‑modern promos, pops can climb quickly once the hobby focuses on a card, but the distribution across grades still matters.

For a boxed promo like SM166, typical patterns include:

• A meaningful chunk of submissions landing at PSA 9 due to light edge or surface issues from packaging.
• A smaller but still healthy number of PSA 10s.

In other words, a PSA 10 is not necessarily ultra‑scarce, but it still represents the best available condition and attracts the highest bids from collectors who care about perfection.

Why this sale matters beyond one card

1. Strength of the Magikarp “lane”

Magikarp, despite being intentionally weak in the games and anime, has become a cult favorite. High‑grade or unusual Magikarp cards (vintage, promos, and crossovers like this Tag Team) consistently draw attention.

This sale reinforces a pattern already visible in the market:

• Strong demand for offbeat, character‑driven cards that resonate beyond pure competitive play value.
• Continued willingness of some collectors to pay up for their favorite character or era, even when the card isn’t structurally rare.

2. Continued interest in Sun & Moon Tag Teams

Tag Team cards occupy a unique lane:

• They are modern enough to feel accessible and affordable in most cases.
• They are already old enough to be nostalgic for a large group of current collectors.

A high‑visibility auction like this keeps Tag Team cards in the spotlight, which can influence how collectors revisit the era — not as an afterthought between XY and Sword & Shield, but as a defining moment in Pokémon’s ultra‑modern era.

3. Lessons for newer collectors and small sellers

For those just getting into graded promos and high‑end sales, this result offers a few practical takeaways:

• Single record sales are not the full story. Always check multiple recent comps across marketplaces. One standout auction can sit far above the pack.
• Condition and grading matter. The spread between raw, PSA 9, and PSA 10 can be large, especially for beloved characters.
• Character and theme count. Not all promos are equal; cards that capture fan‑favorite or meme‑worthy pairings (like Magikarp & Wailord) tend to age better than generic releases.
• Auction venue can influence outcome. High‑visibility houses like Goldin aggregate serious bidders. That can push standout examples above the quieter, day‑to‑day market.

None of this guarantees future results, but it helps frame how and why a 2019 Black Star Promo like SM166 can realize a five‑figure price in top grade.

Final thoughts

The 2019 Pokémon Sun & Moon Black Star Promo Magikarp & Wailord GX #SM166 in PSA GEM MT 10 achieving $37,210 at Goldin on May 18, 2026 is a strong, attention‑grabbing data point for:

• The enduring appeal of Magikarp as a character
• The growing nostalgia around Sun & Moon Tag Team cards
• The importance of condition and auction venue in the ultra‑modern Pokémon market

For collectors, this sale doesn’t redefine what every SM166 is “worth,” but it does highlight how specific combinations of character, grade, and timing can produce marquee results. If you’re building a Sun & Moon promo set, chasing Tag Teams, or simply picking up Magikarp cards that make you smile, this auction is a reminder that even box promos can become serious centerpieces in the right context.

At figoca, we track these kinds of sales to help you understand the story behind the numbers — not as predictions, but as reference points as you build your own collection, at any level.