The Raiders not only signed a potential starting linebacker when they added Blake Martinez to their practice squad on Tuesday. They also added a card shark of sorts.
Martinez, a veteran NFL linebacker, was recently authenticated as the owner of one of the most famous cards in the world. Valued at $1 million, it is also one of the most expensive.
The card in question is a Pokémon Illustrator — one of only four that were ever made.
Between 1997 and 1998, the Japanese comics magazine CoroCoro Comic held illustration contests for Pokémon fans, with each winner being awarded a uniquely produced card of one of the Pokemon characters. Those cards, obviously, gained incredible value over the years and became among the most sought-after cards on the market.
Last September, Martinez purchased one of those cards — his depicts Pikachu, a popular Pokémon character — in a private transaction and eventually submitted it for authentication and grading with CGC Trading Cards.
“This is pretty much the holy grail of Pokémon card collecting,” said Matthew Quinn, the vice-president of CGC Trading Cards. “It is in gem mint condition, one of the finest known. It is gorgeous, stunning, a 9.5 on the 10-point grading scale and we estimate it would bring $1 million or more in an auction.”
