UK man becomes millionaire after discovering rare Pokemon card collection in his attic worth nearly Rs 19 crore

A retired decorator from Surrey, England, has earned £1.56 million (approximately Rs 18.5 crore) from a collection of Pokemon trading cards that had remained stored in his attic for 15 years. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, discovered the potential value of his collection after reading a newspaper report about a rare Pokemon card selling for more than £6,000 (approximately Rs 7.1 lakh).

The collection, which went under the hammer at Surrey-based auction house Ewbank’s on October 21, attracted intense competition from collectors, investors and YouTubers. Although the auction house had expected it to fetch up to £270,000 (approximately Rs 3.2 crore), the final proceeds reached £1.56 million (approximately Rs 18.5 crore), making it the most successful sale in the auction house’s more than 30-year history.

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Pokemon card collection sells for nearly six times its estimate

Named Pokemon: A Decade of Masters (1999-2009), the collection belonged to a single owner and exceeded expectations as bidding intensified. James Spooner, head of trading cards at Ewbank’s, said the team was astonished by the condition of the cards and the owner’s lack of awareness about their market value.

Spooner said in a press release that the cards were in mint condition and that the auction team could hardly believe how valuable the collection was, particularly given that the owner had not realised its worth.

The collector had assembled 42 complete sets over the years. Of these, 41 were put up for auction, while he chose to keep one. The initial estimate was £270,000 (approximately Rs 3.2 crore), but interest had already surged before the auction began.

According to Spooner, commission bids worth £825,000 (approximately Rs 9.8 crore) had been placed by the day before the sale. He described it as the most valuable Pokemon card collection of its kind that the auction house had handled.

Rare Charizard set sells for £100,000 (Rs 1.19 crore)

One of the standout lots was the Legendary Collection Complete Master Set, featuring 110 cards, 110 Reverse Holo ‘Firework’ cards and four Box Toppers. It included a Charizard card in near-mint condition, which had carried an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 (approximately Rs 17.8 lakh to Rs 23.7 lakh).

The set ultimately achieved a hammer price of £100,000 (approximately Rs 1.19 crore), far surpassing its original valuation.

The auction highlighted the demand for rare Pokemon cards, particularly complete collections from the franchise’s earlier years. Items that were once acquired as part of a hobby or childhood pastime are now attracting substantial bids from collectors and investors.

Collector began buying Pokemon cards for £300 (Rs 35,500)

The retired decorator, who lives in Woking, Surrey, started collecting Pokemon cards in the late 1990s after his son became interested in the franchise and began trading cards with school friends.

He said the cards appealed to him visually, and he began to wonder whether collecting them could also prove to be a sound investment.

The collector eventually found a seller in Malaysia through eBay who offered complete sets. Rather than buying sealed packs repeatedly and hoping to obtain every card in a particular series, he opted to purchase entire collections.

He recalled paying around £300 (approximately Rs 35,500) for his first set, identified as the Sky Ridge Charizard set. One of the sets he acquired for roughly that amount later sold for £75,000 (approximately Rs 89 lakh) at auction.

Newspaper report leads collector to discover attic treasure

After his son’s interest in Pokemon faded, the collection was put away in the family attic. The cards had been stored in specially made Pokemon binders and remained in pristine condition over the years.

The collector decided to seek a valuation only after coming across a local newspaper article about a Pokemon card that had sold for more than £6,000 (approximately Rs 7.1 lakh). That report prompted him to find out what his own cards might be worth.

He said the experience had made the familiar idea of discovering hidden treasure in an attic a reality for him. According to the collector, the Ewbank’s team explained the collection’s value when he brought it to their attention.

The auction attracted bidders from around the world. Andrew Ewbank, who runs the auction house established by his late father, Chris Ewbank, conducted the sale.

Andrew Ewbank said the excitement leading up to the event had been extraordinary and that the auction drew more people to the saleroom than at any point since before the Covid-19 pandemic. He praised the collection for being extensive, complete, untouched and rich in rare cards.