Logan Paul Pulls Charizard but $400,000 Pikachu Gamble Ends in Potential Disappointment
Logan Paul’s high-stakes Pokémon card livestream produced a first-edition Charizard, but another part of the event reportedly ended with a disappointing discovery involving a $400,000 Pikachu peel sheet.
Goldin announced that a Charizard was pulled during the live opening of a first-edition Pokémon Base Set box featuring Paul and Goldin founder Ken Goldin.
“IT HAPPENED!!! WE GOT A CHARIZARD!!” Goldin wrote, describing the card as a “beautiful, unbelievable” pull.
The event was streamed through Goldin’s eBay Live channel and Paul’s YouTube channel. The first-edition box had previously been valued at $450,000 by Paul.
The card’s condition and potential grade were not announced in Goldin’s post. Its eventual value will depend heavily on centering, corners, edges, surface condition and any grade it receives.
The Charizard was one of the biggest possible cards that could have emerged from the box. First-edition holographic Charizard cards are among the most recognizable collectibles from the original English-language Pokémon trading card release.
The livestream also included Paul’s attempt to peel a pre-production Pokémon sheet connected to the October 1996 issue of the Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic No. 223.
Paul had previously said he paid $400,000 for the sheet containing a Glossy Pikachu No. 1 card and other unpeeled cards. He hoped the Pikachu underneath could become the first example to receive a PSA 10 grade.
The sheet was a major gamble because removing a vintage peel card can create surface damage, bends or other defects that would affect its grade.
Paul had promoted the attempt as a chance to uncover what he believed could become one of the world’s most valuable Pokémon cards. However, after peeling and examining the card, Paul felt there could be a centering issue, expressing that in his heart he felt it was a 9. Paul said he planned to have the card graded at The National on Friday.
While the Pikachu experiment may wind up falling short of Paul’s goal, the event still delivered a major result through the first-edition Charizard pull.