Goldin’s $1.037 Million Art Academy Pikachu Leads Pokémon and Rug Auction Results

A single Pokémon card accounted for almost half of Goldin’s reported sales in a 352-item auction: a 2015 Japanese Art Academy Pikachu that brought $1,037,000 on October 12, 2026. The result puts a rare contest-linked promo at the center of this week’s collecting conversation, with a 2003 Skyridge Gengar and a group of rugs offering very different points of comparison.

WorthPoint added 120,803 transactions to its Price Guide on October 19, 2026. The recorded total was $18,444,893.91 in tangible asset value, an average of $152.69 per lot. Within that broader tally, the Pokémon results show how a small number of high-profile collectibles can shape an auction’s headline figures.

A contest card takes the Goldin lead

The top lot was the 2015 Pokémon Japanese XY Promo Art Academy Pikachu, illustrated by Y. Fujishima and graded PSA Gem Mint 10. The card depicts Pikachu in a raincoat, raising a bright orange umbrella against a patterned background of greens, blues and whites. Goldin sold it for $1,037,000 on October 12, 2026.

The card’s limited distribution gives the result added context. It came from a 2015 art contest: Fujishima entered and was selected as a winner, and one hundred cards were made for the artist. The image has the cheerful character collectors expect from Pikachu, while its specific contest history and small known production run distinguish it from a standard set card.

Earlier sales put the seven-figure result in perspective

The card’s reported prices have climbed sharply over time. The artist initially sold some of the awarded cards on eBay for about $300. Subsequent sales reportedly reached the $20,000 range, and the cards’ circulation through the marketplace has helped make the promo more visible to collectors. Goldin’s million-dollar result is a striking next step, though the grade matters: this copy earned PSA Gem Mint 10.

A separate PSA 10 example reportedly sold on Fanatics for $8.4 million on September 28, 2026. The column’s author describes that figure as “suspicious” and considers the Goldin result more representative, treating the Fanatics sale as an outlier. That distinction matters when comparing headline prices: one reported sale does not establish a typical value, and the two results differ by a wide margin. For collectors reviewing the card, sale venue, date, grade and the available record for each transaction all belong in the comparison.

Skyridge Gengar follows at $268,400

Goldin’s second-place Pokémon lot was a 2003 Pokémon Skyridge Holo H9 Gengar, graded Pristine 10 by TAG. The holographic card shows Gengar emerging from a dark space flecked with light. It sold for $268,400, well below the Pikachu result but still a substantial sale for the auction.

Rug results favor distinctive designs

At Ahon Auctions, fourteen carpets sold for a combined $77,504 on October 12, 2026. The leader was a Persian “Birds of Paradise” rug, measuring eight feet, one inch by ten feet, three inches. Its turquoise-blue ground carries birds and trees throughout; the sale price was $31,040.

The reported pattern across the stronger rug lots was a preference for designs outside familiar Turkoman or blue-and-red Persian looks, with good condition also cited as a factor. The Ahon result offers a useful point for rug buyers to track: design, palette, dimensions and condition can help distinguish one carpet from another when comparing auction records.

Four more sales across jewelry, gold, cards and carpets

• Cartier “Panthère” Panther Earrings—Fortrove Fine Jewelry, October 12, 2026—$114,200. The earrings are 18-karat white gold with diamonds and black onyx.
• Gold Nugget from the West Australian Murchison Goldfield—Keystone Auction, October 11, 2026—$17,780. The nugget weighs 133.73 grams.
• 1968 Autographed Nolan Ryan Rookie Card—Mike Nichols’ Auctions, October 11, 2026—$1,250.
• 19th Century Kerman Carpet in Light Beige Tones—Nazmiyal Auctions, October 11, 2026—$23,400. The carpet measures 22 feet by 13.6 feet.

For collectors comparing these results, the clearest starting points are the sale date, named marketplace, item details and recorded grade where one is given. WorthPoint’s Price Guide provides access to comparable sale records. WorthPoint subscription plans include access to more than 1 billion prices for antiques, collectibles and tangible assets, with a seven-day free trial; the selected plan rate applies afterward, and cancellation is available before the trial ends.

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Will Seippel, founder of WorthPoint, writes about auction results and tangible asset markets. He has collected since 1974 and dealt in antiques, with an emphasis on ephemera, since 1984. He also created HIP, a website dedicated to preserving historical film.

This column examines sales recorded by WorthPoint Industry Partners and other market activity.

The original post, The Tangible Ledger: 2015 Pokémon Art Academy Pikachu at $1,037,000, Gengar at $268,400, and Ahon Auctions Rugs, appeared on WorthPoint.