Attic Pokémon collection sells for £1.56 million, turning owner into millionaire

A retired decorator kept a 15-year-old Pokémon card collection in his attic, unaware of its value. After reading about a single card selling for over £6,000, he had the lot assessed; Ewbank's auction house in Guildford estimated a guide price of £270,000. Bidding from YouTubers, collectors and investors drove the final hammer price to £1.56 million, making the owner an overnight millionaire.

The top lot, a Legendary Collection Complete Master Set featuring a near-mint Charizard, sold for £100,000, far above its £15,000-£20,000 estimate. James Spooner, head of trading cards at Ewbank's, said the collection’s condition and completeness were unprecedented for the house. The seller, from Woking, bought the first set for about £300 in the 1990s and kept the cards sealed in custom binders until the sale.