Pokemon cards stored in British attic for 15 years sell for $2M

By Halis Sunnetci

ISTANBUL (AA) - A collection of rare Pokemon trading cards kept in a British attic for 15 years sold at auction for £1.56 million ($2.09 million), far exceeding its estimated value of £250,000, according to British media reports.

The collection belonged to an anonymous retired decorator from Woking, Surrey, who accumulated 42 sets of Pokemon cards from 1999 to 2009, kept one, and offered the remaining 41 for sale.

The auction, held Wednesday and organized by Ewbank's in Surrey, attracted bidders from around the world.

The most valuable lot was a Legendary Collection master set featuring a rare Charizard card, which fetched £130,000, including buyer's fees.

Another set, Skyridge, which the collector originally purchased for around £300, sold for £97,500, including fees.

The man began collecting Pokemon cards in the late 1990s after his son became interested in trading them at school. He purchased complete sets from a seller in Malaysia on eBay and stored them in his attic after his son lost interest.

He discovered their potential value only after reading a newspaper report about a single Pokemon card selling for more than £6,000.

Ewbank's described the sale as the most valuable trading-card auction in UK history and suggested it could also be a European record.

James Spooner, head of trading cards at Ewbank's, said advance bids had already reached £825,000 the day before the sale.

Andrew Ewbank, who conducted the auction, described the international interest as exceptional.

"The buzz was incredible, especially because the collectors could not believe how good this collection was – extensive, untouched, complete, and with just about every rarity you could hope for," he said.

Halis Sünnetci