Logan Paul sold a Pokémon card for $16 million — and crypto money is pouring into the market
Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — and the fictional “pocket monsters” that span video games, trading cards and an animated TV series are more popular than ever. In the late 1990s, kids would collect and trade Pokémon cards for fun, trying to complete their collection and maybe even track down one of the rare holographic cards, called shinies. Must Read That’s still the case, but rare cards — and even new ones — are worth a lot more these days. In some cases, they’re outperforming traditional asset classes. “New cards can sell out in minutes,” writes Arjun Kharpal, senior technology correspondent for CNBC. “People coordinate on X and Discord to know where to go. Prized cards resell at multiples of what they retail for. The rarest can sell for millions of dollars.” (1) Pokémon trading cards saw a 3,821% monthly cumulative return from 2004 through August 2025, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing an index by analytics firm Card Ladder (which tracks trading card values). (2) Why are trading cards all the rage? Collectibles surged in popularity during the early days of the pandemic, perhaps driven by nostalgia or stay-at-home boredom. (3) The trading cards have been around since 1996, when they were released in Japan (and since 1999 in North America). From there, Pokémon card tournaments emerged; today, there’s even a world championship. (4) The brand’s popularity skyrocketed in 2016 with the launch of Pokémon Go, an augmented reality smartphone game that allowed you to “catch” Pokémon in the real world. This was followed by the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. About three years ago, The Pokémon Company started releasing new sets of cards with original characters from the late ’90s — and the buzz has intensified with special 30th anniversary cards. “It’s kind of like a Pokémon renaissance,” Stephanie Farnsworth, a lecturer in media and communications at the University of Sunderland, told CNBC. (1) And those who’ve made money from cryptocurrency are “piling into the market,” Kharpal writes, “as prices reach unprecedented levels.” (1) That’s turning what was once a fun childhood hobby into a speculative opportunity, with cards trading on platforms like eBay and TCGplayer. Indeed, Card Ladder provides index data for trading cards, such as Pokémon. (5) For rare cards, some collectors are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Roy Raftery, a trading card expert at London-based auction house Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s, told CNBC that most buyers at his firm are people “looking for high-end assets” rather than genuine collectors. (1) Or, they’re businesses looking to buy up cards and resell them to make a profit — a category of collectors referred to as “scalpers’”by genuine Pokémon fans. Value is determined by factors such as rarity and physical condition, as well as supply and demand. And cards that get a ‘perfect’ grade by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) can be worth a lot of money. In 2022, influencer Logan Paul set a Guinness World Record for the highest private sale of a Pokémon card: $5.3 million for a pristine Pikachu Illustrator card. In February, he sold that card for more than $16 million — another world record. (1) Read More: Here’s the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you falling behind? Should you invest in trading cards? With all the hype around outsized returns, it’s not surprising that trading cards are attracting collectors and investors alike. But, as an alternative investment, they do have some pitfalls. Unlike stocks, bonds and real estate, trading cards don’t generate income. To make money, you’ll need to sell your card or collection at a profit. While headline-grabbing sales make trading cards sound like easy money, collectors can still lose money. (6) After all, the collectible market is highly speculative. While rare cards may retain their value over time, there’s no guarantee. If you do invest in cards, you’ll want to make sure you’re storing them properly and, for rare cards, you may even want to purchase insurance (another cost to consider). Artwork, luxury watches and classic cars are other examples of alternative investments that can command premium prices. But, like trading cards, their value is subjective, and returns will depend on a number of factors such as appraisals and buyer demand. They also require maintenance, insurance and possibly even security. And, with scalpers entering the fray — who use automated software to buy up newly released cards — it’s getting harder to find a good deal. You’ll have to spend money to make money — and you may not actually make money. Another major issue is counterfeiting. More than $200 million worth of counterfeit and altered trading cards (across all card categories) were intercepted by PSA last year, according to PSA’s 2025 Fraud Report. And Pokémon led the surge. (7) Investing in collectibles is a personal choice — and for genuine Pokémon fans, there can be joy in finding that missing card to complete your collection. It’s also possible that your collection could grow in value over time. Many financial advisors recommend viewing collections as complementary to your core portfolio, rather than a substitute. In other words, you might not want to rely on your trading card collection as a retirement strategy. You May Also Like Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now. Article Sources We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines. ; CNBC (1); Wall Street Journal (2); Smithsonian (3); Pokémon (4); Card Ladder (5); Fortune (6); Professional Sports Authenticator (7) This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Logan Paul sold a Pokémon card for $16 million — and crypto money is pouring into the market This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
