Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator Card Sets Record as Auction Closes Tonight
The climactic sale of one of the most coveted Pokémon cards in existence concludes tonight at 10 p. m. ET, with extended bidding remaining active as fresh offers come in. At the center of the auction is a PSA 10 GEM MINT Pikachu Illustrator promo once owned by Logan Paul — a card long treated as the holy grail of Pokémon collecting.
Why this Pikachu Illustrator matters
The Pikachu Illustrator was produced for winners of a late-1990s CoroCoro Comic illustration contest in Japan. It was never released in regular packs and was handed out only to contest winners, a backstory that has helped cement its legendary status among collectors. While roughly 40 copies are believed to exist overall, this particular example carries an extra layer of rarity: it is the lone PSA 10 GEM MINT in the population, effectively making it a one-of-a-kind graded specimen.
That uniqueness drives both cultural fascination and intense collector demand. Pikachu is the flagship character of the franchise, and items tied to the mascot routinely transcend hobby markets to become mainstream cultural touchstones. The card’s provenance — having been bought by a high-profile collector in 2022 and later displayed in public moments — amplified its visibility and heightened expectations that it could fetch a record-setting sum when returned to the open market.
Auction drama and what to watch tonight
Sales of this magnitude rarely play out quietly. When the card resurfaced for public bidding, the sale engendered headlines and drew attention from across the collecting world. Tonight’s deadline at 10 p. m. ET marks the formal close of the offered lots, but extended bidding remains in effect: any fresh bids near the close will trigger additional time to allow rival buyers a chance to respond, a common practice in high-stakes auctions that often turns the final minutes into a frenzied sprint.
Expect activity from deep-pocketed private collectors, investors who view rare cards as alternative assets, and high-profile hobbyists pursuing a marquee acquisition. Market watchers will be parsing final lot movement not just for the headline number but for clues about broader sentiment in the high-end trading card market — whether prices at the very top continue to accelerate or whether they plateau as the category matures.
What a win would mean
A winning bid for the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator would be more than a transaction; it would be a cultural moment. Ownership of a card with this provenance and grade confers immediate prestige among collectors and can influence valuation for other top-tier items. For the buyer, it’s a trophy asset that bolsters both a physical collection and a digital narrative of collecting prowess. For the market, a record result could reinforce the idea that elite Pokémon material still attracts premium capital and mainstream attention.
Whether the final price sets a new benchmark or simply confirms expectations, tonight’s close will be a bellwether for the rare-card ecosystem. Bidders, spectators and collectors across the hobby will be watching as the gavel falls — and extended bidding keeps the outcome uncertain until the very last moment.
