Jason Paige, the voice behind the Pokémon television series theme song, has come under fire recently for allegedly scamming a young collector in a trade for Pokémon trading cards back in March.
In a video posted by the Instagram account boostersandbangers, the uploader (a vendor by the same name) records an interaction at a trading card convention between themselves and two kids, one of which is looking to trade for a Gengar card.
The vendor offers to trade the Gengar for two of the boy’s other cards (estimated at $77), and after stating the Gengar’s value ($150), he happily accepts. The boys however, return some time later and inform the vendor that they had traded the Gengar to Paige for one of his signed and graded custom cards.
The video ends with the vendor explaining to the boy that he had “traded for a fake card,” leading to frustration from the boys and the vendor labeling Paige as a “con artist.”
After the video went viral and sparked outrage in the community, Paige responded with a lengthy statement as well as his own video where he addresses the allegations and explains his side of the story.
In breaking down the trade, Paige clarifies that the card in question is not “fake,” but is an authenticated custom promo card, and while it may not be an official Pokémon trading card, the authentication, signature, and grade contribute to the card’s estimated value on the secondary market.
Paige’s video also breaks down his pricing for various signatures, which he cites as proof of value for the promo card’s perceived value, and suggests that the trade was made well within the youth’s favor.
Adding a twist to the situation, Paige shows off the Gengar card in question, which is visibly in rough shape, and states that it’s nowhere near worth the $150 price tag cited by Boosters and Bangers in their video. In his statement, Paige claims that research into the the card puts it at an “approximate market value according to eBay of around $75.”
From Paige’s Instagram video
Speaking to the original video, Paige claims that Boosters and Bangers “…presented the situation in a misleading and, frankly, harmful way…” and that “that portrayal does not reflect the reality of the interaction.” The reality, according to Paige, is that “All relevant information about both items was explained clearly at the time…” and “…both the kids and their father expressed that they were comfortable and happy with the transaction…” until provided with “repeated misinformation” from the competing vendor.
Paige concluded his video speaking directly to the kids involved and their parents, stating “I did not try to cheat you, or scam you, or take advantage of you. It was never my intention even for a second.” Paige also offered to meet privately with the family and arrange a trade back for the same Gengar, however no follow up has been shared at this time.
