An unprecedented deal involving the sale of a Pokémon card for a staggering $16.5 million US has a connection to Whitbourne, N.L.
Peter Petipas, an auctioneer at Goldin Auctions residing in the Avalon Peninsula community, described his involvement in the event as “kind of surreal.”
Speaking on CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show on Wednesday, Petipas shared his astonishment at surpassing the previous trading card record of $13 million and setting a new all-time collectibles record exceeding $15 million.
The card in question, a rare Pikachu Illustrator card featuring the beloved character, was previously owned by American social media influencer Logan Paul and secured a final bid of approximately $22 million CAD on Monday after a prolonged auction period.
Petipas disclosed that Goldin Auctions CEO Ken Goldin, a friend of Paul’s, had been persuading Paul to consign this specific card for a while. Eventually, Paul agreed to auction it through the company.
Having experience in auctions, Petipas admitted this was an unparalleled event that he had not encountered before. Alongside the Pikachu card, a box of first edition base-set Pokémon cards was also auctioned, with the winners present during the process, creating a spectacle as bids were announced with the strike of a gong by the head of sales.
“It was kind of wild,” Petipas remarked.
Nostalgia Driving High Prices
Explaining the high value of the Pikachu card, Petipas highlighted its rarity, with only a few dozen ever produced, and Paul’s card being the sole piece highly graded by the German authentication company PSA.
During the auction, Paul, who was in attendance, expressed excitement and shock at the sale outcome.
Reflecting on the experience, Petipas mentioned being on stage during the final moments of the auction, providing a close view of the proceedings.
Paul had acquired the card in 2021 for $5.275 million US.
Over its 30-year history, the Pokémon franchise has amassed over $100 billion US, with reported profits of $12 billion US in 2024 according to License Global.
Petipas emphasized that Pokémon surpasses Disney’s extensive lineup of properties as the highest-grossing media franchise, attributing the hefty auction rewards to this status.
