Key facts
- A collection of 42 sealed Pokémon card sets sold for £1.56 million.
- The collection was stored in an attic for 15 years.
- One set purchased for £300 sold for £75,000.
- A Charizard card in near-mint condition sold for £100,000.
- Ewbank's auction house described the sale as its most successful in over 30 years.
A retired decorator from Woking has become a millionaire after his collection of Pokémon cards sold at auction for £1.56 million. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered the value of his collection after reading about a single card selling for over £6,000. His collection, which had been stored in an attic for 15 years, was put up for auction at Ewbank's on Wednesday. The auction house claimed it was the UK's most valuable trading cards auction ever and potentially a European record. The collection comprised 42 sealed sets, with one set bought for £300 at the time selling for £75,000. The Legendary Collection Complete Master Set, featuring a Charizard card, sold for £100,000. Bidders from around the world participated in the sale, which surpassed the previous UK record of £872,000 set on October 9.