Retired man sells Pokémon card collection for 1.56 million pounds
A retired decorator from Woking in England has sold a forgotten attic collection of Pokémon cards for 1.56 million pounds, or 1.86 million euros, according to a report. The sale, conducted on October 22, 2026, by auction house Ewbank’s, stands as the most valuable trading card auction ever recorded in the United Kingdom and potentially across Europe.
From a Malaysian Collector to an English Attic
The anonymous seller originally purchased the cards on eBay during the late 1990s from a collector based in Malaysia. He bought them for his young son to collect and trade at school, thinking they might make a sound investment. The cards remained undisturbed in the attic for more than fifteen years while their market value shifted dramatically.
The owner decided to check his boxes after reading a local newspaper story about a single Pokémon card selling for more than 6,000 pounds, or roughly 7,000 euros. I know that people always talk about finding treasures on zolder, but in my case that is literally true,
the owner told the BBC, using the Dutch term for attic recorded in the report. Surrey auctioneers later confirmed the total yield reached 1.56 million pounds.
Record-Breaking Bidding for Legendary Sets
The highlight of the auction was a complete Legendary Collection Master Set. This bundle included an extremely rare Charizard card in near-mint condition. While initial estimates valued the specific set between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds, competitive bidding drove the final price to 100,000 pounds, equivalent to nearly 120,000 euros.
Following the sale, auction house representatives urged anyone storing similar childhood items to inspect their attics and seek professional appraisals. The global market for these items expanded significantly after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Children who collected the original Media Factory sets released in Japan in October 1996—following the debut of the companion video games in February 1996—have grown into adults with disposable income, driving up demand for rare vintage cards in pristine condition.