If you'd tell someone almost 30 years ago that a single Pokemon card can be more valuable than a house, you'd be laughed at hard. But the times are changing with cards from different sports and niches fetching unbelievable prices in the market. Case in point, this 1998 Pikachu Illustrator Holo promo card that Goldin recently auctioned off for $900,000.
In a tweet by the company known for auctioning various forms of memorabilia, it was revealed that the said Pokemon card encased in a PSA 7 slab just became the most expensive of its kind in the market. The previous record was also held by another Pikachu Illustrator Holo promo card encased in a PSA slab with a similar grade of 7.
According to the auction's official link, the said Pokemon card went through 34 bids until it finally landed on the price of $900,000. To those wondering how this simple trading card can reach such prices, it's described to be one of the most elusive cards from Pokemon's early years, and only 23 copies have been logged into PSA's records.
Another fun fact about this card that makes it rarer than other early Pokemon offerings in the market is that it is the only one of its kind to feature the word “Illustrator” on the heading. It also has a distinct “pen” logo on the bottom right corner with Atsuko Nishida's depiction of a Pikachu set amidst a colorful environment.
With this new Pokemon card breaking the record of most expensive of all time, there was one claim that came first, although with insufficient proof. That claim came from Logan Paul.
As he made his way towards the ring to face Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, Paul wore a Charizard Holo Pokemon card encased in a pristine BGS 10 slab. He claimed that the said card is worth $1 million. But without any solid proof, that said claim cannot be authenticated. In fact, it was just valued at around $200,000 during the time of the said match.
Now that the actual record of $900,000 has been established, it's safe to say that this 1998 Pikachu Pokemon card is safely in the lead. Of course, that can change down the road when another card of its kind with a better grade comes along. When that happens, expect a new record to be made in the card market.