The Pikachu Illustrator was never sold in stores — it was a prize awarded to winners of a 1998 Japanese illustration contest for kids, making genuine copies almost nonexistent. This particular copy is the only one ever graded a perfect PSA 10.
YouTuber-turned-collector Logan Paul had bought the card for $5.275 million in 2021, then put it up for a 41-day public auction in 2026 where bids exploded from $6 million to $13.3 million in the final hours before closing at nearly $16.5 million.
It's now the single most expensive trading card of any kind ever sold — sports, Pokémon, or otherwise.
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