New Delhi: A retired decorator from England has become a millionaire after selling his Pokémon card collection for 1.56 million pounds at a Surrey-based auction house on Wednesday.
“I know people always talk about finding treasure in the attic, but in my case that is literally true,” the man told the BBC.
The former decorator, who asked not to be identified, began collecting Pokémon cards in the 1990s after noticing his son buying and swapping them at school.
“I thought they looked nice and wondered whether they might be a good investment,” he said.
His son “had his own cards, but he never got to touch these, I’m glad to say,” he added.
The collection had been lying in the man’s attic for 15 years. He realised it could be valuable after reading in a local newspaper that a single card had recently sold for more than 6,000 pounds.
‘Jaws dropped to the floor’
The auction house, Ewbank, described the auction as its most successful sale in more than 30 years. The auction house said its staff’s “jaws hit the floor” when they first saw the collection.
The man, who lives in Woking, had amassed 42 sets of cards, all in mint condition. He said he had bought some complete sets from a seller in Malaysia through eBay.
One set that had originally cost him 300 pounds sold for 75,000 pounds at Wednesday’s auction.
The most valuable lot was the Legendary Collection Complete Master Set, which included a Charizard card in near-mint condition. Estimated at 15,000-20,000 pounds, it fetched 100,000 pounds.
Andrew Ewbank, who runs the auction house, conducted the sale himself.
“The build-up to this… has been phenomenal, and on the day it did not disappoint,” he told the BBC.
The auction attracted bidders from around the world.
“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,” Ewbank said.
Pokémon cards cash in on nostalgia
Pokémon cards, part of the Japanese franchise, have become sought-after collectibles at auction houses in recent years.
In February 2026, American influencer and professional wrestler Logan Paul sold an ultra-rare Pokémon card for 12 million pounds. Earlier this month, on 9 October, a Pokémon collection fetched 872,000 pounds at London auction house Stanley Gibbons.
Wednesday’s 1.56 million sale surpassed the October auction’s total.
According to Ewebank, “nostalgia is a big part,” of the fervour driving this trend. Many people who were young when the franchise first came out are now in their 30s and 40s, with a “bit of disposable income,” he said.
“It’s about bringing back those memories of childhood,” he added.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)