CGC Trading Cards Joins Virtual Auction to Raise Money for Charity

CGC® Trading Cards participated in a live auction event on Sunday, March 28, that raised thousands of dollars for more than 30 charities. The event was hosted on the Whatnot app, a community marketplace to buy, sell and hold live auctions for sports cards, Pokémon cards and more. It was presented by John Stibich, who is better known as PokémonRadar: a Pokémon expert and podcast host who has amassed a notable following on Instagram and YouTube.

During the event, a vintage 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base box was unsealed, and 59 out of 60 packs inside were individually auctioned off to the highest bidder and opened on the spot. (The 60th pack was given away in an Instagram contest.) CGC Trading Cards was invited to have a pack auctioned off to benefit a charity of choice.

In an effort to increase the purchase price of the pack, CGC Trading Cards offered to grade all of the cards within the pack at no charge. This seems to have worked, as the pack sold for $1,120 — much higher than average. That money will go to All Faith’s Food Bank and help feed the needy in the Sarasota, Florida, area. The 59 packs auctioned off sold for an average of $900 each.

CGC Trading Cards also provided 10 samples to give away at the auction with a special pedigree commemorating the event: Whatnot Week Charity Box. The samples were awarded as one of the prizes from a wheel spin that anyone who purchased a pack would get.

Later in the auction, Whatnot user RhymeStyle bought a pack, and before it was opened, donated the cards back to the auction to generate even more funds for their charity of choice: the Asian Pacific Fund. Once again, CGC Trading Cards offered to grade those cards for free in an effort to push the price higher for a good cause.

By the auction’s conclusion, more than $52,000 had been raised for dozens of charities, including the Aoki Foundation, which supports brain science research with a focus on regenerative medicine and brain preservation. Its founder, famed American DJ Steve Aoki, called into the live event.

CGC Trading Cards is grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a rewarding event, and extends a special thank you to Whatnot app for donating the box and for collaborating with PokémonRadar to host the successful auction.