A Forgotten Fortune
A Pokémon card collection, stored in a retired decorator's attic for 15 years, has sold for an astonishing £1.56 million at auction. The collection, belonging to an anonymous man from Woking, Surrey, transformed a childhood hobby into a significant windfall, setting a new UK record for trading card auctions.
The Discovery
The man initially purchased the complete sets in the late 1990s, partly as an investment and partly for his son, who later lost interest in the franchise. The 42 sets were kept sealed in bespoke Pokémon binders and remained untouched in the attic for over a decade and a half. The owner only realized their potential value after reading a local newspaper article about a single Pokémon card selling for more than £6,000.
"I know people always talk about finding treasure in the attic, but in my case that is literally true," the anonymous seller stated.
Auction Day Records
The collection went under the hammer at Ewbank’s auction house in Surrey. The sale, which took place on a recent Wednesday, not only surpassed the previous UK record of £872,000 (set on October 9th in London) but is also considered a potential European record for trading card auctions. Bidders from around the world participated, drawn by the collection's pristine condition and rarity.
A highlight of the auction was the Legendary Collection Complete Master Set, which included a near-mint Charizard card. This single set, initially estimated to fetch between £15,000 and £20,000, ultimately sold for £100,000.
From Hobby to Investment
The decorator's initial investment proved to be remarkably prescient. One particular set, which he acquired from Malaysia via eBay for approximately £300 at the time, individually sold for £75,000 during the recent auction. Andrew Ewbank, who conducted the auction, noted the exceptional quality and completeness of the collection, describing the buzz as "incredible" due to its untouched nature and extensive rarities.