Logan Paul auctions $5.3 million record-breaking Pokémon card, sale price may reach $12 million

Social media influencer and WWE star Logan Paul recently confirmed that he will auction one of the rarest Pokémon cards in history—the Pikachu Illustrator Card. This card was purchased by him in 2021 for approximately $5.3 million, setting a Guinness World Record at the time as the highest-priced Pokémon trading card sold in a private transaction. This sale is seen as a significant liquidity event for Logan Paul during a high-growth cycle in the collectibles market.

The Pokémon card will be auctioned through the globally renowned sports memorabilia and collectibles auction house Goldin Auctions. As part of the deal, Logan Paul received a $2.5 million advance from Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin, demonstrating the auction house’s strong confidence in the market value of this collectible.

It has also been revealed that the auction process will be featured in Netflix’s new season of “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” which premiered on December 23. Goldin stated that the Pokémon card will go live exclusively on the Goldin Auctions website on January 12, with an estimated final price ranging from $7 million to $12 million, potentially setting a new record for Pokémon collectibles.

Notably, Logan Paul previously rejected a private offer of up to $7.5 million, which indirectly reflects the rapid heating of the high-end Pokémon card market in recent years. Goldin pointed out that rare collectibles are increasingly being viewed as alternative asset classes, attracting more high-net-worth individuals, especially in Pokémon cards, sports cards, and cultural IP collectibles.

The timing of this auction is also highly symbolic. Pokémon will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026, and a large number of fans who grew up with the franchise have now entered high-income brackets, actively competing for top-tier collectibles. This generational shift is considered a key long-term driver of the continued rise in Pokémon card prices.

Against the backdrop of a booming collectibles investment trend, Logan Paul’s auction is not only a crucial step in personal asset allocation but also serves as an important market indicator for the investment value of Pokémon cards and high-end collectibles.