Reward Offered for $60,000 Pokémon Card Lost in the Mail

By Joseph Knoop

Pokémon collectors are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the return of a $60,000 Pokémon card, according to YouTuber and trading card purchasing consultant smpratte.

The No. 3 Trainer card, which features a holographic image of the Pokémon Mewtwo, was originally awarded for placing third in a 1999 Secret Super Battle tournament held in Japan, according to Pokémon fan site PokéBeach.com. The card was sold through an eBay auction for $60,000, but was reportedly lost in transit to its buyer somewhere in New York. PokéBeach estimates that only nine to 18 sets of the cards (including 2nd and 1st place versions) were awarded. That, plus the $60,000 price tag makes it one of the most valuable Pokémon cards in existence.

In a video describing the situation, smpratte says that he knows both the seller and buyer as reputable individuals. Smpratte also alleged that the incident is, “entirely the fault of either [United States Postal Service] or the New York Air Max Shop and Ship company.”

Smpratte goes on to explain that eBay’s GSP (global shipping program) may be to blame. Essentially, it’s a program that product sellers on eBay use to ship products overseas without as much logistical hassle.

“My guess is because of the immense declaration on the package, you had some scumbag XXX Roflmaster420 who saw that between their vape and they thought it was a good idea to steal it,” smpratte said.

Both the buyer and seller are currently refraining from pursuing legal action, smpratte said, and instead opting to offer a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the return of the card.

In his video, smpratte raises the valid point that, even if someone has stolen it, it would be difficult to sell the card without it being ultimately traced back to them. The certification on the card’s case is unique, and even if they were to take the card out of its casing, it has a unique holographic pattern and image centering.

IGN has reached out to the USPS and eBay for comment, but did not immediately receive a reply. We will update this story with any new information. 

Joseph Knoop is a writer and producer for IGN, and he’s blasting off again. Get the mail with him on Twitter.