Gaming - News
Rare Pokemon Card Earns Pro Football Player $670K
By BRITTANY ALVA
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Blake Martinez has an entire Instagram account dedicated to “Pokémon” cards and even streams “Pokémon” trading card game content on Whatnot. In October 2022, Martinez dropped off a nearly-mint “Pokémon” Illustrator card to CGC Cards for grading and the result was stunning.
Martinez’s card received a 9.5 out of 10 rating, making it a near-perfect condition card and causing the VP of CGC Cards to speculate that it could sell for over $1 million. However, Goldin, the marketplace where the card was auctioned, tweeted that the card had a final sale price of $672,000, still making it one of the most expensive “Pokémon” cards ever sold.
According to CGC Cards, the “Pokémon” Illustrator card, nicknamed The Swirllustrator, is one of the rarest “Pokémon” cards in the world. There were only 39 officially released as contest prizes from 1997 to 1998. Two more were released unofficially later on, but this card has since been the hardest card to find — especially with a grade as high as a 9.5.
