12m for a Pokemon card? If you're not in the game you're missing a trick

"AJ Scaramucci bought the world's only Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card, one of the rarest and most coveted Pokemon cards ever, at auction for approximately £12 million. The seller, YouTuber Logan Paul, made a substantial profit after flipping the card for about £8 million more than the £3.9 million he originally paid for it in 2021."

"In the US, Walmart Marketplace saw trading card sales increase by 200% between February 2024 and June 2025, and eBay said last July that trading card sales had surged for 10 straight financial quarters. In the UK, Pokemon are such hot and valuable tickets that they have become the target for a spate of thefts."

"The Pokemon company, which celebrated its 30th birthday on Friday, is now the world's biggest media franchise, with total revenues of $147bn (£110bn), according to Guinness World Records. Football cards are also big business, with auto cards featuring real autographs of leading sports stars on sale for thousands of pounds."

Trading cards have evolved from a niche hobby into a major investment market, with prices reaching extraordinary levels. A rare PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card sold for approximately £12 million, demonstrating the extreme valuations in the market. Major retailers report significant growth, with Walmart Marketplace seeing 200% sales increases and eBay reporting 10 consecutive quarters of surging trading card sales. Pokemon cards are particularly sought-after, with the franchise generating $147 billion in total revenues and becoming the world's largest media franchise. Beyond Pokemon, football cards and sports memorabilia command high prices, with celebrity autograph cards selling for thousands of pounds. The market's popularity has even led to increased theft targeting valuable cards.

Read at www.theguardian.com