The world woke up Monday to the news that Logan Paul’s PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator sold for a record-breaking $16,492,000 at Goldin Auctions. While the BBC and CNN are focusing on the “crazy” price tag, the Pokemon Investing community is looking at the technical data underneath the surface.
This isn’t just a “celebrity sale”—it’s a fundamental shift in how high-end Pokemon Cards are valued. If you want the real story, we have to look past the diamond necklace and into the actual market mechanics.
1. The “Information Gain” Detail: The Fractional Buy-Back
One detail the mainstream news glossed over is the Liquid Marketplace controversy. Before this sale, 5.4% of this card was technically owned by fractional investors.
As I noted in our Analisis Articles, Paul had to execute a “Substantial Buyout” in May 2024 to reclaim 100% ownership before Goldin would even list the card. This “Chain of Custody” is crucial. If you are tracking Pokemon Sets with fractional potential, this proves that “Pure Ownership” still commands the highest premium over “Tokenized Ownership.”
2. Who is the Buyer? The Scaramucci Connection
The winning bidder was A.J. Scaramucci, son of Anthony Scaramucci. This is a massive signal for the hobby. It tells us that Top Pokemon Chase Cards are no longer being bought by “Poke-tubers”—they are being bought by Institutional Capital and venture capitalists who view these as alternative assets equivalent to a Basquiat or a Warhol.
3. The “Provenance” Premium: Does the Necklace Matter?
Logan Paul included the $80,000 diamond-encrusted pendant in the auction. In my experience with Pokemon Investing, “Provenance” (the story of who owned the card) can add a 20-30% “Celebrity Tax.”
- The Card Value: Roughly $12M–$13M.
- The Story Value: Roughly $3M–$4M.
Community Sentiment from X
The r/CardChill Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) have been on fire since the hammer fell. Here’s what the experts are saying:
@TCG_Analyst_2026: “The 16.5M price tag is less about the card and more about the PSA 10 grade. There are 20 Illustrators in the PSA database, but only ONE ’10’. This sale proves that ‘The Best of the Best’ is now its own asset class, completely detached from the rest of the market.”
@HobbyGoldin: “We watched history today. 97 bids over 41 days. The late-stage surge from $6M to $16M in the final hours shows that the ultra-wealthy are using Pokémon as a hedge against inflation in 2026.”
4. Details
Most news sites are reporting the price as “$16.4 Million.” We are reporting the Exact Hammer Price of $16,492,000. These specific data points, combined with our analysis of the “Fractional Buy-back” and the “Scaramucci Buy-in,”.
If you’re looking at Pokemon Sets from the modern era, don’t expect them to hit $16M. But do expect the “Halo Effect” of this sale to lift the prices of every other Top Pokemon Chase Cards in the PSA 10 category.
Mike’s Final Take: The “Logan Effect”
Logan Paul has his critics, but he just proved that the “Logan Paul Era” of Pokémon wasn’t a 2020 fluke—it was the beginning of the “Modern Fine Art” era for TCGs.
If you want to stay ahead of the next big auction, join our discussion over at r/CardChill where we are currently tracking the upcoming 1999 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard auction—which is currently sitting at $954,808.
Do you think the Illustrator is actually worth $16M, or is this just a massive PR stunt? Let’s settle it in the comments!
The “Weak 10” Debate: Is the Card Actually a PSA 9?
While the auction hammer settled at $16.5M, a vocal segment of the Pokémon community isn’t celebrating. On the r/CardChill Reddit and X, collectors are pointing to the card’s “Old Label” (Certification #23000982) as a major red flag.
The theory? That Logan Paul’s Illustrator is a “Legacy 10”—a card that was graded during an era where PSA was significantly more lenient.
The Evidence: “The Corner Chip”
The most damaging rumor, supported by historical photos from the card’s previous private sales, is the presence of a small white chip on the bottom-left corner. Under modern 2026 grading standards, any visible whitening or “chipping” usually knocks a card down to a PSA 9 or even a PSA 8.
@HobbyTracer_26: “If I sent that exact same card to PSA today, it’s a 9 all day long. PSA gave Logan a ‘Celebrity Pass’ because having a PSA 10 Illustrator in the wild is better for their brand than having zero. The grade is a marketing tool, not a condition report.”
The “Reslab” Conspiracy
Shortly before the auction, Goldin Auctions and Logan Paul revealed the card had been “Reslabbed” into a fresh, modern PSA holder. While this was officially done to clean up the scratches on the plastic from Logan wearing it as a necklace, skeptics believe it was a “Grade Protection” move.
By putting it in a new slab, the old photos (which many claim showed the flaws more clearly) are replaced by high-definition, professionally lit auction photos. In my Analisis Articles, I always warn: Buy the card, not the holder. —
Why this matters for your 2026 portfolio:
If the world’s most expensive card has its grade questioned, it creates a “Trust Gap” in the Pokemon Investing market.
- The Risk: Future buyers may start devaluing “Old Cert” PSA 10s from Pokemon Sets of the late 90s.
- The Opportunity: “Modern 10s” (cards graded in 2025-2026) might actually become more valuable because the grading standards are currently the strictest they have ever been.
Do you think PSA is “too big to fail,” or is the Logan Paul controversy the start of a grading revolution? Join the conversation on r/CardChill!