A new press release claims that controversial YouTuber Logan Paul's upcoming Pokémon card-opening stream will be his biggest one yet. In recent years, the price of some rare Pokémon cards has been skyrocketing, leading fans and TCG players to pay incredible sums for hard-to-find and mint-condition cards. Last year, rapper Logic bought a first-edition Charizard for over $220,000, setting a record for the highest price paid for the extremely rare card. A few months later, another first-edition Charizard went up on Ebay with a bid price of $270,000, beating the price Logic paid by almost $50,000. Not every card is worth thousands, though - outrageous sums have been paid for cards that ended up being fake. It's a delicate balance to strike, especially when these packs are being opened for the first time in front of an audience.
Logan Paul is no stranger to unboxing Pokémon cards. Last year, the internet personality created a video for his 22.8 million subscribers that detailed him opening a box of cards that he bought for $200,000. While the video was intended to be just another one of his stunts, its huge popularity prompted him to make several follow-up videos, including ones where he opens a first-edition box of cards and shows off a Charizard card that he purchased for $150,000.
Hot on the heels of those unboxings, Paul is claiming that his next unboxing is going to be the biggest one yet. Collectibles and TCG marketplace Goldin Auctions has announced in a press release that they have partnered with Paul for the "largest-ever Pokémon card auction and unboxing live stream". The auction will feature 36 "extremely rare, unopened" packs of first-edition US Pokémon cards from 1999. Goldin Auctions claims that the packs could include such highly sought-after cards as Charizard, Blastoise, Chansey, and Hitmonchan. The cards will be auctioned off to viewers, who will receive shoutouts from Paul and exclusive digital art.
Pokémon cards, and the filming of their unboxings, has gained more popularity as the 25th anniversary of the franchise approaches. Videos abound on YouTube that show young children pulling incredibly rare cards from packs that they bought at the store for a few dollars or adults finding unexpected gems in collections they haven't touched for years. Though the actual TCG itself isn't as popular as many of its competitors, including digital ones, the charm for many buyers lies in childhood nostalgia and the surprise at pulling a rare card out of an ordinary pack.
Though at least Paul isn't spending any more ridiculous sums of money on Pokémon cards, it's unclear who, besides celebrities, would have the money to drop a cool $10,000 or more on packs of cards. (Maybe some of the folks who cashed in their Gamestop stock?) The event will be fun to watch, but the thrill of bidding and winning will be reserved for a very select few. Paul's personality is certainly the biggest draw - those who have enjoyed his previous videos won't want to miss what is sure to be an over-the-top event.
Source: Goldin Auctions