‘I’m utterly disgusted’: Pokémon scalper branded a ‘monster’ after using 12yo child’s death to try to sell a card for $20,000

Pokémon card collectors have accused resellers of using the death of Avery the Poké Kid to inflate the price of a particular Pokémon card. One reseller attempted to resell the card for an unbelievable $20,000 despite it reportedly not being worth anything near that before Avery’s death.

For those who don’t engage with the Pokémon trading card community as much, Avery the Poké Kid was a beloved and well-known YouTuber whose YouTube channel was based around all things Pokémon. Avery was also suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer, and unfortunately, he succumbed to his illness on September 18. The announcement came from his parents via Instagram; Avery was just 12 years old when he died.

A few days later, Avery’s parents posted footage of the young boy’s final pack opening. Opening the packs of Pokémon cards, the very last card Avery pulled happened to be a rare Jirachi Special Illustration card, which he gleefully showed to the camera. “I was not expecting an SIR (Special Illustration Rare) after an Articuno, but we got one,” he says.

The Pokémon card spiked in price

The Jirachi card that Avery pulled soon became associated with him, with some referring to that specific card as Avery’s Jirachi. Some also pointed out the poetic lore behind the Pokémon’s description in the pokédex, which states that Jirachi will awaken from a sleep of a thousand years to those who “sing to it in a voice of purity.” Some Pokédex entries also state Jirachi will grant a wish to those who awaken it. 

However, according to Dexerto, soon after Avery’s untimely death, the Jirachi card, the final one he pulled, would start being listed on sites like eBay for much more money than the expected market value. Collectors accused scalpers of being terrible people and capitalizing on Avery’s death to make a quick buck.

One seller even named Avery in the item listing where they were selling the card for $20,000. The seller claimed that 90% of the profits would go towards Avery’s family, but that still rubbed many the wrong way, especially considering the card was reportedly worth around $70 before Avery’s death, and the seller would presumably be keeping that 10%, which equates to about $2,000.

The listing was eventually pulled, but there are others still attempting to sell the card for an inflated price. X user “@fzzypckles” said, “I’m utterly disgusted,” sharing a screenshot of a Jirachi card being sold above market value.

Avery’s parents also responded to the situation, stating: “We are not involved in or benefiting from any cards being sold in Avery’s name or likeness.” They claimed they also asked sellers to take down listings that used Avery’s name and reminded them, “We are mourning our son and caring for our children. Please let us do that in peace.”