Rare Pokemon Card Goes To Auction For $480,000, Gets Zero Bids

When it comes to Pokemon cards, there aren't many out there as rare and valuable as the Illustrator Pikachu card. It's a card associated with YouTuber turned wrestler Logan Paul, who purchased the world's only known Grade 10 Illustrator Pikachu card for a whopping $4 million in cash and a similarly expensive card. What I'm trying to say is it's very valuable, and another mint-condition Illustrator Pikachu was recently put up for auction on Ebay for $480,000.

You'd think with how sought after this particular card can be, there would be a line of potential buyers itching to put their bids in. Unfortunately for seller Tomoya Ohno, it seems like nobody was interested, as the bidding window came and went with a grand total of zero bids placed (thanks Kotaku).

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As for why nobody was interested enough to pay $4 million like Logan Paul, there are a couple of explanations. For starters, the card Ohno was trying to sell was PSA Grade 8, meaning it's a lot less valuable and in worse condition (even though there's very little difference in quality to the untrained eye). For example, a PSA Grade 9 Illustrator Pikachu broke records and sold for $900,000 back in February last year, meaning Ohno's starting bid of $480,000 was probably quite optimistic.

Secondly, it's very difficult to gauge the prices that those with the cash to splash on rare Pokemon cards are willing to pay. Ebay itself is working with Ohno to flog this card, so we'll likely see another listing posted in the future, though the initial starting bid might be a little bit lower next time around. Maybe include a Buy it Now?

In other Pokemon TCG news, a couple of thieves in Ontario, Canada have been arrested after an investigation called "Project Umbreon" revealed the pair had stolen over $400,000 worth of Pokemon cards and collectibles after a series of break-ins. It just goes to show that crime doesn't pay, especially if you're lifting Pikachu.

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