You know how your personal finance advisor, or parent, told you that investing in Pokémon cards would make you rich? No? Well, there might just be something to collecting Pokémon (cards) after all.
An ultra-rare first edition holographic Charizard Pokémon game card, printed in 1999, set a new record for the franchise — and possibly for collectible card games — when it sold in an online auction for roughly $226,000 (USD).
The buyer? Retired rapper and streamer Logic claimed this icon piece of gaming and anime history, presumably to evolve his ultra-rare foil Charmeleon. According to a post on his Instagram account, he loved the cards as a kid and tried to trade food stamps for them.
https://twitter.com/Cardhops/status/1314756458668412928
Iconic Auctions said that the card was unique because of its pristine quality, the fact that it’s a first edition printing, and because it’s a holographic card. Add to that a fair dose of nostalgia and it becomes a big draw for buyers. The card’s official title is “Charizard First Edition 1999 Pokémon Game #4 Holographic Trading Card – PSA GEM MINT 10”, with the “PSA GEM MINT 10” indicating the highest condition of collectible card you can get, which in layman’s terms is “as good as new”.
Iconic Auctions wrote that:
The card is very difficult to attain in such pristine condition, and demand for a GEM MINT 10 example of the card continues to grow almost daily.
Logic is on a lucky streak, having recently opened a holographic Raichu and a second Charizard from a boxed set. Assuming he’s not actually playing the game during the lockdown, the $23,000 (USD) is a steep investment on deck building. Maybe he’s teaching his son to play, but who cares? When you can drop that kind of money on a game, you can play it whenever and wherever you want.
Just opened a $23k Pokémon base set box! Only a few packs in but Look what I pulled!! YOLO pic.twitter.com/hr2ETLADft
— Rappy Gilmore (@Logic301) October 9, 2020
Big figures for collectible cards are nothing new, with cards like the Black Lotus from Magic: the Gathering has sold for around $166,000 (USD) at auction before.
Now pass the champaign Logic, my Squirtle’s attacking!
Sources: 7News.com.au, BBC.com
