Record-breaking sale for rare Pokémon card
A rare Pokémon card was sold at auction for $16,492,000, a record amount for such items, which are highly sought after by collectors around the world, AFP reported.
The card, called “Pikachu Illustrator” and featuring the famous yellow character from the Japanese franchise Pokémon, was previously purchased by American YouTuber Logan Paul in 2021 for a then-record $5.28 million, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
The new buyer is A.J. Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, according to Guinness World Records and the auction house Goldin.
During the sale, Logan Paul placed the card — attached to a $75,000 diamond necklace — around the new owner’s neck, Guinness reported.
Guinness World Records certified the sale as the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold at auction, as well as the most expensive trading card ever sold, across all categories combined.
The Pokémon trading card game, launched in Japan in 1996 following the video game series featuring the beloved “Pocket Monsters,” has experienced a resurgence in recent years, driving up prices sharply, leading to stock shortages and even various incidents.
There are currently more than 1,000 Pokémon characters, with new “generations” introduced with each new game series.
The factors that determine a card’s value include its rarity, the character featured (Mew, Mewtwo, Pikachu and Charizard being the most sought-after), and the artist, whose name appears on the card.
The card sold on Monday is graded “PSA 10,” meaning it is in perfect condition.
“Pikachu Illustrator” cards are especially prized by collectors because they were illustrated by Atsuko Nishida, Pikachu’s creator.
This particular card was never commercially available and was distributed as a prize during an illustration contest in 1998.
The year after acquiring it, Logan Paul wore the card around his neck during a wrestling event organized by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in Texas.
The $16,492,000 paid on Monday includes the buyer’s premium.
