1999 Pokemon Japanese Vending Masaki Promo Holo Gengar #94 PSA 10 GEM MINT

In the world of Pokémon, many species evolve only after meeting specific conditions. Some of those conditions include leveling up, getting introduced to special stones, or even through the power of love and friendship. Another group of Pokémon can only evolve by getting traded to someone else. Flashback to the 1990s: Gameboy players needed a friend with another copy of the same Pokémon game and a link cable to trade one of these Pokémon to each other. Haunter served as one of those Pokémon and would evolve into the fan-favorite Ghost-type troublemaker, Gengar. Pokémon took this concept to a new level with the 1999 Masaki Promo. To obtain this card, Pokémon fans had to mail in any copy of the previous evolution—in this case, a Haunter, along with a copy of Bill’s PC during the campaign period. The name Masaki Promo came from Bill’s Japanese name since he invented the in-game PC and trade system. After the promotional period ended, the return featured the promo card for the evolved Pokémon they sent in. Collectors received the Gengar promo in an envelope that held the card in place with a few corner locks and a letter about the promotional campaign. Because of that, many Masaki Promos have corner damage and/or indentations, so collectors rarely find high-grade Masaki cards. Considered one of the holy grail chase cards for Gengar collectors throughout the world, this PSA 10 example of a Masaki Gengar will win approval from legions of followers in this month’s Pop Culture Premier Auction. And for the winning bidder, the wait time to have it in their collection will be significantly shorter than the original promo period.