Landmark Goldin auction for Pokémon & TCG closes with record-setting $16.5M Sale of Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Card, which was certified by Guinness World Records.
A Historic Night: Logan Paul’s $16.5M Pikachu Illustrator Sale
Personally owned by Paul and featured throughout season three of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, the card drew sustained international bidding through early Monday morning and served as the defining centerpiece of the sale. The graded PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator closed at $16,492,000 – marking its history as one of the most consequential auction results in Pokémon and trading card game collecting.
“This is an historic night for not only the Pokémon community, it is an historic night for the entire collectible community,” said Ken Goldin, Founder and CEO of Goldin. “We just keep showing there are no barriers. These key things that we all love and appreciate keep going up, keep setting records, and keep bringing people together.”
Guinness World Records: Redefining the Ceiling for TCG Assets
Guinness World Records certified that the Pikachu Illustrator is now the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction, solidifying its place at the top of the TCG and Pokémon collectibles market. Paul originally agreed to personally visit the winning bidder to hand-deliver the card, and the crowd was shocked to find the winner – AJ Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner of Solari Capital – already in the audience during the evening’s bidding.
This allowed Goldin HQ to facilitate the transfer of the assets immediately following the auction’s close.
The Record-Breaking Moment at Goldin Auctions
“This right here is what makes collecting so special–this hobby is unbelievably fun,” said Logan Paul, Entertainer, Entrepreneur, and Professional Athlete. “I love the community aspect of it, getting to meet other collectors and connect over our shared passion. It has been amazing working on this with my friend Ken Goldin, who has changed Pokémon forever in such a great way.”
Beyond the Pikachu: Highlights from the 2026 Pokémon & TCG Auction
Leading up to the auction’s close, Ken Goldin and Logan Paul jointly hosted a first edition Pokémon box break live stream through Paul’s YouTube channel. Attended by a representative from the Guinness World Records and alongside multiple winners of a previous Goldin weekly TCG auction, the box break yielded rare Mewtwo, Chansey, and Blastoise Pokémon cards.
The $954K 1st Edition Charizard and Other Top Lots
In addition to the live stream and a central focus on the Pikachu Illustrator card, Goldin’s Pokémon & TCG Auction featured more than 300 lots. The sale included graded cards, sealed booster boxes, original artwork, and vintage video games, with competitive bidding across multiple categories and price levels.
Included record-breaking sales:
- Logan Paul’s World-Record-Holding Pikachu Illustrator – PSA GEM MT 10 – Pop 1 — Sold for $16,492,000 — Most Expensive Trading Card Ever
- 1999 Pokemon Base Set 1st Edition Holo #4 Charizard – Logan Paul Break – PSA GEM MT 10 — Sold for $954,808 — Highest-Selling Charizard of All Time
- 1996 Pokemon Japanese Base Set Holo Uncut Sheet (64 cards) — Sold for $613,801 — Highest-Selling Uncut Sheet of All Time
- 1999 Pokemon Base Set 1st Edition Factory-Sealed Booster Box (36 Packs) — Sold for $496,000 — Highest-Selling Pokémon Box of All Time
- 1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Tamamushi University Prize #129 University Magikarp – BGS PRISTINE 10 – Pop 1 — Sold for $201,800 — All-Time Highest Sale for This Card
- 2000 Pokemon Team Rocket 1st Edition Booster Box Factory-Sealed Case (6 Boxes) — Sold for $198,400 — All-Time Highest Sale for this Item
- 2021 Pokemon Card Game 25th Anniversary Creatures: Corporate History Factory-Sealed Half Deck (30 Cards) — Sold for $187,550 — All-Time Highest Sale for this Item
- 2006 Pokemon EX Holon Phantoms Holo #104 Gold Star Pikachu – PSA GEM MT 10 – MBA Silver Diamond Certified — Sold for $148,800 — All-Time Highest Sale for this Card
- 1998 Nintendo Game Boy Pokemon Red Version (USA) Sealed Video Game – Made in Japan, E Rating (Solid), 83% Fiber, Y-Fold Box, (USA-1 Code) – PSA 9.8/A++ – Pop 3 — Sold for $124,000 — All-Time Highest Sale for this Version of this Game
- 2015 Pokemon Japanese XY Art Academy Promo #XY-P Gourgeist – TAG GEM MINT 10 – Pop 1 — Sold for $105,710 — Record Sale for this Card in Any Grade
- 2000 GBC Nintendo Game Boy Color Pokemon: Silver Version (USA) Sealed Video Game – Made in Japan – PSA 9.8/A++ — Sold for $50,840 — All-Time Highest Sale for this Game in this Grade
The Road to the 30th Anniversary: What’s Next for Pokémon?
The live, digital event of the 2026 Pokémon & TCG Auction had impeccable results that further establish Goldin as a leading destination for elite trading card game collectibles with internationally recognizable consignments on a platform built for worldwide reach.
Previewing the Upcoming Pokémon 151 and Winter Elite Auctions
This Friday, February 20, the company is set to launch the Pokémon 151 auction, timed to the 30th anniversary of the game. Goldin’s 2026 Winter Vintage Elite Auction is set to close this Saturday, February 21, and is headlined by the newly discovered 1909 T206 Honus Wagner, which remained within the Shields Family Collection for over 100 years and is also featured in season three of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.
Additional ongoing auctions include the Winter Pop Culture Elite Auction, open through February 25, and the Winter Goldin 100 Auction, currently live and open through March 7. Looking ahead, Goldin has announced its USA 250 Auction, celebrating the semiquincentennial of the United States and headlined by an original Declaration of Independence Broadside, as well as a World Cup Auction.
Consignments for both sales are being accepted; interested parties should reach out to sell@goldin.co. You can learn more details and view all live auctions by visiting Goldin’s official website.
Note: The information above was sourced from a press release.
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Merch & Collectibles News!
☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
Leave a Reply