Forgotten Pokémon card collection sold for 2 million us-dollars
The Pokémon Trading Card Game collector scene has experienced a veritable boom in recent years, with particularly sought-after cards fetching astronomical prices. However, despite its reputation as a niche market for dedicated collectors, the latest winner of the Pokémon auction doesn’t fit the usual profile. A British pensioner became a millionaire after auctioning off his forgotten Pokémon card collection, which had been gathering dust in his attic.
As reported by the BBC, a former decorator from Woking, England, has sold his Pokémon collection for £1.56 million (€1.8 million/$2 million). The auction was held by Ewbank’s Auctions, which claimed it was the most valuable trading card auction ever held in the UK.
“I know people always talk about finding treasure in the attic, but in my case, it’s actually true,” the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC. “When my son was little, in the late 1990s, he started collecting cards and trading them at school. I thought they were pretty and wondered if they would be a good investment. He did have his own cards, but thankfully, he never used them.” The man said he had previously bought sets of cards on eBay, including one for £300. That set later sold at auction for £75,000.
The auctioneers at Ewbank’s were speechless when the man presented his collection. “When we saw what he had – all in pristine condition – we could hardly believe it,” said James Spooner, head of the trading card department at the auction house. Company owner Andrew Ewbank added: “The excitement was incredible, especially because collectors could hardly believe how good this collection was – extensive, untouched, complete, and with just about every rarity you could wish for.”
The highest price was achieved by the Legendary Collection Complete Master Set, which sold for £100,000. For context: The Legendary Collection is a legendary 2002 release containing many of the most sought-after collectible cards. A “Master Set” is the general term for a collection that includes all the cards in a set, including holographic versions and promo cards.
What other big sales have there been recently in the Pokémon TCG?
At the beginning of the year, content creator Logan Paul sold a Pikachu Illustrator card with a PSA 10 rating for the incredible sum of $16.49 million—the highest price ever paid for a trading card. The reason for its enormous value: only 39 to 41 copies of this card were printed, and Paul’s card was the only one with a perfect PSA 10 rating, meaning it was in the best possible condition. Earlier this month, a 23-year-old Pokémon card sold for $360,000.
