Summary

Authority CEO Jeff Mullen commented on Logan Paul’s February sale of a Pikachu Illustrator Pokemon card for $16.5 million and said the deal reflects broader momentum across collectibles.

Mullen said the card’s rarity, Paul’s visibility, and the WrestleMania presentation around the card helped turn the sale into a major pop-culture story.

He also pointed to growth in wrestling cards, citing AEW’s presence alongside WWE and noting that a 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Hulk Hogan card has sold for $132,000 in PSA 9.

Logan Paul crossover attention could lift WWE and AEW card activity

Logan Paul tying a high-value card to WrestleMania-level visibility can pull more non-traditional buyers into wrestling-adjacent collectibles, because Mullen said celebrity attention expands bidding pools.

Mullen also said wrestling cards are growing with both AEW and WWE in the market, which suggests more mainstream interest could keep pushing premium wrestling card values.

Quotes

Quote from Jeff Mullen

“There’s a perfect storm happening here, extreme rarity plus cultural relevance. That Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest Pokémon cards ever made, and Logan didn’t just buy it… he turned it into a narrative. He wore it on a diamond chain at WrestleMania, blasted it across social platforms, and basically made it symbolic. That kind of storytelling inflates demand beyond the traditional collectibles market…. it becomes pop-culture lore.”

Jeff Mullen later went on to say:

“In collectibles, authenticity and story usually drive value, but celebrity drives attention, and attention turns into bids and broadens the buyer pool.”

Jeff Mullen also said:

“Wrestling cards are growing materially with the introduction of the All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Collectors can now collect wrestling cards from both AEW and WWE.”

Jeff Mullen further noted:

“The current benchmark sale that gets referenced most often is the 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Hulk Hogan, which has sold for $132,000 in a PSA 9 and is widely cited as the record for a wrestling card sale.”