1998 Pokemon Japanese Tamamushi University Prize Magikarp #129 PSA 9 MINT

For many youngsters, school can feel like an uphill battle. But add Pokémon to the mix, and many kids will come rushing to the classroom. In 1998, Japanese media publisher Shogakukan sponsored an education-themed Pokémon promotion based on the fictional Tamamushi University (known to international Pokémon players as “Celadon University”). In the March issue of its monthly educational magazine for school children, Shogakukan invited readers in grades 1-6 to “attend” Tamamushi University by completing and mailing in various activities and Pokémon-specific quizzes. Trainers who enrolled and scored highly on the monthly exams received various prizes, including Tamamushi-themed merchandise or an in-game Magikarp that knew the Dragon Rage move. However, those who passed the promotion’s “Professor Exams” earned the most coveted prizes. Named after the three tiers of Poké Balls (the “Professor Exam” for the standard Poké Ball, the “Super Professor Exam” for the Super/Great Ball, and the “Hyper Professor Exam” for the Hyper/Ultra Ball), these exams established rankings for Tamamushi University students. As the program’s final and most challenging test, the Hyper Professor Exam fittingly granted students one of the most beloved Pokémon promo cards of all time. Despite not knowing how many trainers would pass the exam, Shogakukan announced it would produce a maximum of 1,000 Magikarp promos for those who earned the Hyper Professor distinction. Of the 21,684 students that took the Hyper Professor Exam, only 198 sixth graders passed the test (and given the exam’s difficulty, most assume even fewer trainers in the lower grades became Hyper Professors). PSA has awarded only 14 examples a higher designation than the PSA 9 offering available in this month’s Pop Culture Premier Auction, so while the winning bidder may have missed enrollment in 1998, they will have some bragging rights when they add this highly coveted Magikarp promo to their collection.