'Jaws Hit the Floor' at Auction House as Retired Decorator Sells Pokémon Cards for $2 Million
A retired decorator from the UK just became a millionaire by selling a bunch of Pokémon cards collecting dust in his loft for $2 million.
A retired decorator from Woking, UK, recently made headlines after selling a collection of Pokémon cards worth $2 million at auction. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered the cards' value only after hearing about a single card selling for £6,000 (around $8,000). The cards were auctioned off at Surrey-based Ewbank's auction house on Wednesday for £1.56 million (about $2 million).
The retired decorator explained that his son started collecting Pokémon cards in the late 1990s, but he didn't get to handle them. He stored the cards away after his son lost interest. One set, purchased from a Malaysian eBay seller for £300 (around $400), fetched a significant £75,000 (approximately $100,000) at the auction. Ewbank's head of trading cards, James Spooner, expressed disbelief at the collection's condition. The Legendary Collection Complete Master Set alone was sold for £100,000 (around $133,000).
The auction drew global attention, with bidders calling from various countries. The entire collection was noted for being complete and untouched, making it highly sought after. In April, teacher Andrew Braund consigned a 20-year-old collection of Pokémon cards from his parents' attic. The three rarest cards were sold for £32,800 (about $42,700), which Andrew used to fund his August wedding.
This collection of Pokémon cards has yet to reach the value of the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold, a Pikachu Illustrator card that sold for $16,492,000 in February. It was owned by American influencer and wrestler Logan Paul, who had purchased it for $5.275 million in July 2021. Despite the vast number of Pokémon cards printed last year—85 billion in total—complete sets and rare cards remain elusive, leading to occasional Pokémon card heists.
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