Provocateur Logan Paul, who rose to fame through divisive appearances on YouTube and in the WWE, announced his plans to auction off a pristine Pokémon card he originally bought for $5.3 million in 2022 — as he touted investing in collectibles over the stock market.
Paul, 30, appeared in a segment on Fox Business’ “The Big Money Show” on Tuesday afternoon and touted the rising relevance of nontraditional investments beyond the stock market — including smart purchases in franchises like Pokémon.
In 2022, Paul purchased a PSA 10 Illustrator Pikachu card, which was sold as a Japanese promotion in 1997. It is the only known card of its kind with a bulletproof grading — but even the imperfect ones sell for upward of $80,000, according to Price Charting.
A PSA 10 means that the card is flawless both in its condition and production. Card graders look at each minute detail all the way down to how the logo is centered. Older cards, like Paul’s 28-year-old promotion, often see little nicks appear over time, like whitening in the corners.
He announced that he’s selling the card to the highest bidder at an auction in February.
Paul flaunted his multi-million dollar investment on the show. He wore the card in a diamond-encrusted case around his neck, which he said cost $75,000 alone.
“It’s the rarest and most valuable Pokémon card in the world. Pokémon as an asset class has outperformed the stock market by upwards of 3,000% in the last 20 years,” Paul said.
Paul admitted that much of his investments in the trading card game stem from the exorbitant wealth he accumulated through his YouTube virality in his early twenties.
“As a kid who grew up playing the game, I was like, ‘Oh wow, there’s a trading card game here, and I can spend my entire net worth on it’. And I did that with this card,” he said.
Paul’s current net worth is estimated at around $150 million.
His purchase actually set a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold.
Paul doesn’t actually have any parameters to determine how much the card is worth today, though.
“I don’t know. We will see,” he said.
Investing in any card collection, especially one as expansive as Pokémon, is a fickle but lucrative game.
Certain series’ worth waxes and wanes based on the release, top chase cards, and even shortages. Some recent collections, like Prismatic Evolutions and the 151 Expansion, were reprinted due to high demand.
Those collections just so happen to have some of the most valuable cards available right now — a full-art special illustration rare Umbreon EX, nicknamed “Sunbreon,” and a full-art secret rare Charizard EX.
The ungraded Umbreon EX sells for just over $1,000, while the Charizard is closer to $1,000 at a PSA 10, according to Price Charting.
The average pack of Pokémon cards still in circulation sells for around $10, depending on the store.
Rare cards from series that are no longer in print, unsurprisingly, sell for much more.
The second most expensive card ever sold is a 1998 Trophy Pikachu that was awarded as a prize at the first-ever international Pokémon Trading Card Game competition. There are said to be fewer than 15 left today — and a graded 10 one sold for $444,000 in 2023, as reported by Tabletop Gaming.
Paul encouraged newer collectors to visit their local card shops or eBay and start small by purchasing cards they think “look cool” or “have a connection with.”
“I love Pokémon more than anything. I have one tattoo on my body, and it’s a Squirtle,” he said.
One obsessed fan loves a fossil Pokémon so much that he singlehandedly skyrocketed the price of its card by 971%.
The mogul, known only as “Kabuto King,” has hoarded more than 2,000 first edition, mint-condition copies of the Pokémon card Kabuto from 1999.
The card now sells for an average $42.66 online. In August, it sold for as little as $4.39.
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