Pikachu Illustrator sells for $16.5m as cards join anime art at auction
A 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card fetched a record $16.5m (£12m) in February, sold by Logan Paul, who had paid $5.2m for it under five years before. The same piece frames a wider look at Christie's first anime and manga auction in March.
Most of this piece is about animation cels, not cards, and the Illustrator is a one-off with a celebrity seller, so treat $16.5m as a trophy price rather than a market level. What matters is auction houses grouping Pokémon with anime art in front of new buyers. Watch whether anything beyond the headline lot actually holds these prices.
Our read, from the people who buy and sell these cards. Opinion, not financial advice.
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AOL A Pokémon card for £12m? The art auction revolution is here Published Oct 12, 2026Figures are as reported by the source; we haven't verified the sale ourselves.