Logan Paul’s attempt to promote rare Pokémon cards from Japanese CoroCoro magazines has drawn ridicule after the cards he submitted for grading received poor scores. The episode matters because critics argue that Paul uses his audience and high-profile collecting to fuel demand and prices in the Pokémon card market, while fans also dispute his claim that the CoroCoro sheets contain the first genuine Pokémon cards sold.

Paul spent roughly six months and an estimated $2.7 million acquiring the magazines, whose uncut card sheets were issued shortly before the standard Japanese cards. He hoped to become the first owner of a PSA-graded perfect 10 CoroCoro card, but failed; he has described the outcome as “statistically impossible” and plans another live attempt on 30 July. Social-media responses criticised both the apparent marketing stunt and his disputed account of Pokémon card history.