Not every card in the Pokemon TCG will come from the most valuable expansions or be otherwise noteworthy; after all, there have to be common cards that make the Ultra and Hyper Rares as exciting as they are. Some of Mankey’s best cards are poignant reminders of this fact, as this basic Pokemon rarely receives much attention.
However, every Pokemon is loved by someone, and if you didn’t count yourself among those who love Mankey before reading this, then maybe these cards will convert you into a Mankey fanatic. Some of Mankey’s best cards also come from incredibly popular sets that offer a piece of Pokemon history.
Cards are ordered according to their TCGPlayer Market Price, which you might pay on average for a copy of the (first edition, where applicable) cards below.
Given the age and rarity of these cards, only those with an established market price on TCGplayer are included.
However, sale prices differ depending on the card’s condition, so this market price is just a rough idea of the card’s value.
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Brock’s Mankey: First Edition Gym Heroes (Common) – $1.37
A Rocking Pair
While Brock is known for his iconic Rock-type Pokemon, Mankey makes a surprising appearance as one of his team members in Gym Heroes. While the most expensive Gym Heroes cards tend to focus on iconic Pokemon and trainer combinations, there are also unexpected gems like this Mankey in the expansion.
First Edition copies of this card hold a premium over the Unlimited cards, but the margin isn’t particularly wide considering they’re fairly affordable even in ideal condition. Moderately played (MP) copies can sell for less than a dollar, while lightly played (LP) jumps into the $1.25 range, followed by near-mint (NM) cards commanding up to $4.13.
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Blaine’s Mankey: First Edition Gym Challenge (Common) – $1.38
A Trainer Of Many Types
While Brock was a somewhat forgettable Mankey trainer, Blaine delves into many different areas of the Pokemon world, which is perhaps why he’s featured on the most valuable cards in Gym Challenge. However, even as another first-edition gem, this adorable Mankey moment doesn’t demand much from your wallet.
While there’s not another high NM sale like Brock’s Mankey, Blaine’s version typically sells above $1.30, cementing a slightly higher market price for Blaine’s Mankey. However, if you don’t mind downgrading to an LP copy, you can pick one up for about 75 cents.
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Mankey: Paldean Fates (Shiny Rare) – $1.81
The Shiny Section
Mankey makes its first modern appearance with a superb shiny variation from Paldean Fates, the Scarlet and Violet era’s premium shiny Pokemon set. This “baby” shiny card features the standard shiny star sparkles in the background along with Mankey’s minty green tinge.
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Mankey’s previous highs hit almost $3.95, but unfortunately, this card hasn’t rebounded back to those highs since it saw a huge downturn in mid-2024. However, shiny Pokemon are always desirable, so there’s hope that this card could leapfrog the next card on the list.
Supersize Mankey
While you might not expect fairly recent McDonald’s promos to appear among a Pokemon’s most valuable cards, Mankey’s isn’t particularly expensive, so this promo makes quite a splash among the other most valuable Mankey cards you’ll find.
This card was distributed from October 15 to November 11, 2019, at participating McDonald’s restaurants in the US, with a UK distribution following in early 2020.
If you snagged one of these promos while you were snacking on a Happy Meal or some chicken nuggets, then you might make back the cost of some of that meal, with Mankey trading over the $5 mark in 2024. However, only NM copies command this premium, so you should expect LP and MP copies to each fetch less than two dollars.
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Mankey: Aquapolis (Reverse Holofoil) – $12.66
Another Mint-Tinged Monkey
Aquapolis is beloved as one of the most popular vintage Pokemon sets ever, and most of its cards are incredibly difficult to find, especially in good condition. While this card comes in a common version, its reverse holo is far more sought after, boasting a market price more than four times as much as the standard.
This Mankey flies high above all the other cards in its collection, as moderately played (MP) copies of this card fetch $10.43, while LP rises to $12.49. However, heavily played (HP) cards can provide a nice discount, with sales hovering around $5.95 if you don’t care about the condition.
