YouTuber Logan Paul's recent endeavor to capitalize on the Pokémon trading card market has encountered a significant setback, ending in what many fans are calling an embarrassment. After previously setting records with a $16 million Pikachu card sale, Paul turned his attention to a niche collectible: uncut sheets of Pokémon cards from Japanese magazine CoroCoro.
Paul, who some fans accuse of artificially inflating the market to maintain the value of his extensive Pokémon card collection, claims these CoroCoro sheets contain the first true Pokémon cards ever sold. This assertion is contested by some enthusiasts who point to cards printed by Bandai as the original. Regardless of the historical accuracy, Paul invested approximately $2.7 million over six months to acquire these magazines, seeking sheets in excellent condition with perfect centering.
His pursuit was documented in a nearly hour-long YouTube video, detailing his search for what he described as a "holy grail" collectible. The process of peeling and cutting these cards from the magazines carries a high risk of damage. Paul sent his selected sheets to the authentication and grading service PSA, hoping for high grades that would significantly increase their value. However, his cards received abysmal scores, failing to achieve the coveted PSA 10 grade, let alone be the first to do so for a CoroCoro card.
Following the video's release, Paul attempted to frame the outcome on social media, calling the goal "statistically impossible" and the quest "relatable" to "every collector." He described his journey with a cryptic post: "obsession —> pursuit —> failure —> regrounding —> ascent."
Despite this failure, Paul announced plans for another attempt on July 30, intending to peel a new CoroCoro sheet live before an audience, which some interpret as a deliberate marketing strategy regardless of the outcome.
However, the response from the Pokémon community has been largely critical. Many social media users expressed disdain, calling Paul a "larper" and reiterating corrections about the origins of Pokémon cards. One comment on X directly stated, "You ruined a whole community. I hope you know that."