Pokémon's 30th anniversary begins with a Pikachu Illustrator card up for auction

YouTuber and WWE performer Logan Paul is auctioning his PSA 10–graded Pikachu Illustrator card through Goldin Auctions, with bidding reported at $2.3 million and the sale set to close on February 15.

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the franchise, and celebrations have begun with a high-profile auction. The event centers on a Pikachu Illustrator card that Logan Paul purchased in 2022 for $5.3 million. The card is graded PSA 10 and is being listed through Goldin Auctions as part of the wider anniversary attention. The auction’s timing and the item's history have prompted discussion within the collecting community. Key details: - The card on offer is Logan Paul’s PSA 10–graded Pikachu Illustrator, which he bought in 2022 for $5.3 million, a sum that set a record at the time. - Goldin Auctions is handling the sale; bidding was reported at $2.3 million and the listing is scheduled to close on February 15. - Pikachu Illustrator cards were originally awarded to 39 winners of a 1997 CoroCoro magazine illustration contest; 41 official prints are known to exist and Paul’s is the only one graded PSA 10. - Paul announced the auction on social media and said the sale includes a custom $75,000 chain he used to wear the card, and that he plans to hand-deliver the card to the buyer. - Previous efforts tied to the card, including a proposed shared-ownership arrangement, drew attention but did not proceed to completion, and the sale has prompted discussion about high-end collecting. Summary: The auction is drawing attention as part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary and highlights the prominence of rare TCG items in the collectors’ market; at the time of reporting the top bid was about $3 million below the record Paul set with his 2022 purchase. The auction is scheduled to close on February 15, and the final sale outcome is undetermined at this time.