Logan Paul Sale Highlights Pokémon Cards As Alternative Asset

In the 1990s, Pokémon cards were something most kids collected for fun, but today, in the US in 2026, they are being treated as assets, with the rarest cards outperforming traditional benchmarks like the S&P 500, according to CNBC. 

Logan Paul Sold Most Expensive Card

There have been two periods recently in which Pokémon sales have exceeded the S&P 500's long-term average annual return of 10% to 12%, CNBC notes, citing data from Card Ladder. 

The periods were during the pandemic and in 2025. 

These prices come from scarcity, grading, and wealthy buyers looking to acquire them. 

For example, Logan Paul sold a Pikachu Illustrator card for $16 million in February. This was the most expensive card ever sold.

Logan Paul sells his Pikachu Illustrator card for $16,492,000, setting a world record

pic.twitter.com/MAX3DXzaCB

— yeet (@Awk20000) February 16, 2026  

Auctioneer Provides Insight Into the Market

“There are certain individuals trying to acquire the rarest, highest-grade cards and taking them off the market for as long as they can,” said auctioneer Ken Goldin, whose online marketplace, owned by eBay, consigned and sold Paul’s rare Pokémon card. “It’s possible you may never see that card come up for sale again in our lifetime.”

The supply squeeze has a lot to do with pricing and grading, which is on a scale of up to 10. 

“You can have a card graded a 10 [perfect score] and nobody cares if the underlying card isn’t important,” Goldin said. “But when you have the right card, the condition become critical — especially in Pokémon, where there’s a massive premium for a 10.”

Without a score of 10, the card would be worth only 1% of its "10/10" value. 

Card Sales Surging

During the pandemic, card sales surged as people were at home, tapped into nostalgia, received stimulus checks, and grew interested in other assets. Spending on non-sports cards surged 350% between 2020 and 2025, per Circana, CNBC noted. 

“We are seeing people use this as an alternative asset and allocation of wealth,” said Goldin. “Whether that becomes more institutional over time is still to be determined.”