Quick answer
CardSpicy indexes the Tropical Tidal Wave (036) — released October 1, 2003 — as the #92 Japanese promo card by recorded PSA 10 value. It carries a recorded PSA 10 value of $2,075.00. It is one of 195 cards CardSpicy tracks individually in this index.
Worlds, events and city launch · No. 92 of 195 by PSA 10 value
Tropical Tidal Wave is card 036, a Japanese promo card, released on October 1, 2003. It sits at No. 92 of the 195 celebration, collaboration and event cards in our index, and is catalogued as an event, championship or city release.

Card facts
| Card | Tropical Tidal Wave |
|---|---|
| Card number | 036 |
| Series | Japanese promo |
| Official set | Pokémon Promo |
| Released | October 1, 2003 |
| Category | Worlds, events and city launch |
| Illustrator | Credited on the card face (Illus.) |
| PSA 10 value | $2,075 |
| Rank in this index | No. 92 of 195 |
What the market says
PSA 10 copies are valued at $2,075. An ungraded copy sits at $400, so the top grade carries a 5.2× premium. A PSA 9 is at $1,631, so the PSA 10 is 1.3× the PSA 9. 31 individual sales are on record for this card, from $400 to $7,600, with a median of $910.
Over the 29 months of monthly market values we hold, the PSA 10 figure has moved from $1,525 (May 2024) to $2,075 — +36.1%, including +1.2% over the last twelve months and -54.9% over the last twenty-four.
What each grade is worth
| Ungraded | $400 |
|---|---|
| Grade 2 | $290 |
| Grade 3 | $322 |
| Grade 4 | $379 |
| Grade 5 | $446 |
| Grade 6 | $557 |
| Grade 7 | $730 |
| Grade 8 | $912 |
| Grade 9 | $1,631 |
| Grade 9.5 | $1,794 |
| PSA 10 | $2,075 |
| BGS 10 | $2,698 |
| CGC 10 | $578 |
| SGC 10 | $1,245 |
Recent recorded sales
| Date | Sale price |
|---|---|
| 2026-01-09 | $400 |
| 2025-06-07 | $400 |
| 2022-05-11 | $900 |
| 2026-09-07 | $987 |
| 2026-03-03 | $910 |
| 2022-09-12 | $646 |
| 2026-07-08 | $912 |
| 2025-11-07 | $800 |
The eight most recent sales of any grade in our record. 31 sales in total.
How many are graded
No PSA or CGC population count is published for this card. The recorded values and sales below still stand; we leave the population out rather than estimate it.
About the artist
We have no illustrator credit we can verify for this card. Either it predates the official Pokémon card database — whose coverage starts with the 2006 DP era — or the credit printed on the card face is not legible in the image we hold. A credit sits beside “Illus.” on the card itself; we have left the name out rather than publish one we cannot verify.
Every illustrator we can verify is listed, with their credited cards in price order, on our illustrator page.
Illustrator credit: none we can verify for this card. We publish the artist only when the credit is legible on the card face or confirmed by the official Pokémon card database.
Where this card came from
Tropical Tidal Wave was released on October 1, 2003, as part of World Championship promo. It carries the card number 036.
Promo cards are not sold in booster boxes. They reach collectors through a specific campaign — a store, a museum, a film, an anniversary or a championship — which is why the printed number is the only reliable identifier: the same Pokémon can appear on dozens of promo cards across the same era, and the number is what separates them.
That is also why this card appears in our celebration, collaboration and event index rather than in a set list: nothing here came out of a booster box.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Tropical Tidal Wave worth?
PSA 10 copies are valued at $2,075, against $400 for an ungraded copy and $1,631 for a PSA 9. That is our most recent recorded market value, not an asking price.
When was Tropical Tidal Wave released?
Tropical Tidal Wave was released on October 1, 2003. It carries the card number 036.
Has Tropical Tidal Wave gone up in value?
Over the last twelve months the recorded PSA 10 value moved +1.2%, from $2,050 to $2,075. Over twenty-four months it moved -54.9%.
How often does Tropical Tidal Wave come up for sale?
31 individual sales are on record for this card, from $400 to $7,600, with a median of $910. Thinly traded cards can go a long time between sales.
How much does the grade change the price of Tropical Tidal Wave?
An ungraded copy is at $400, a PSA 9 at $1,631 and a PSA 10 at $2,075. The PSA 10 figure is 5.2 times the ungraded figure.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Pokémon Card Game official card database — card name, printed card number, series and illustrator credit for 036. This is the source for every identity detail above.
- CardSpicy — every illustrator, card by card, for the artist entry and the count of cards we hold for that illustrator.
- Recorded secondary-market sales for 036 — the value, grade ladder and sale list on this page. Figures are documented results at the dates shown, updated as new sales are recorded.
- CardSpicy — card grading: how it works, for the grade scale used in the table above.
Related reading
- Celebration, collaboration and event cards — the full ranked index
- Every illustrator behind the cards we track, card by card
- Card grading: how to read a PSA, BGS or CGC label
- Why we only sell PSA 10
- The most expensive Pokémon cards, with sale dates and venues
- Pokémon set codes, decoded
Shop cards and protection
- All PSA 10 graded cards
- PSA 10 — Simplified Chinese exclusive — our highest-premium line
- Penny sleeves, 35 PT to 360 PT — 100 per pack, acid-free and PVC-free
- Toploader 3" x 4" rigid card holder
- All card protectors
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