2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the franchise at large, and celebrations are kicking off with one of the most expensive Pokémon card auctions of all time. Debuting in Japan in 1996, Pokémon wouldn't come to the West until two years later, when the 90s Pokémon card craze became an ubiquitous sensation. Three decades on, the TCG is more popular than ever, and one wealthy collector is going to make history by being the next owner of an exceedingly rare Pikachu Illustrator card.
YouTuber and WWE star Logan Paul is auctioning his PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card, which he purchased in 2022 for an astounding $5.3 million. Paul announced the auction on Instagram (via Hypebeast), saying the card would come with the custom-made $75 thousand chain he had it attached to so he could wear the card for his in-ring Wrestlemania debut in 2022. Listed by Goldin Auctions, bidding is currently sitting at $2.3 million, but there is still over a month until the auction closes on February 15.
Pikachu Illustrator cards were awarded to 39 winners of an illustration contest hosted by Japanese magazine CoroCoro in 1997. 41...
