Yes, an anonymous retired painter-decorator from Woking sold his attic-kept Pokemon collection for £1.56m at Ewbank's in Surrey on 21 October 2026. A repeat is possible, but only for rare complete early sets in mint condition, not ordinary played-with cards. Hits Radio reports in its account of the Woking auction that the cards sat untouched for about 15 years. A master set means the full base run plus matching variants such as reverse-holos and box toppers.
Table of Contents
- What exactly sold?
- Why did bidding run past the estimates?
- How did a school swap become an attic find?
- Could your old cards do the same?
What exactly sold?
The sale was a single-owner collection titled "Pokémon: A Decade of Masters (1999–2009)." Kotaku reports in its coverage of the auction that it held 42 mint-condition master sets. Ewbank's offered 41 sets, and the owner kept one.
A master set is much larger than a loose binder of favorites. Hits Radio details in its breakdown of the top lot a Legendary Collection master set with 110 cards, 110 reverse-holo "Firework" cards, four box toppers and a near-mint Charizard. That lot carried a £15,000–£20,000 estimate and reached a £100,000 hammer price.
Why did bidding run past the estimates?
The pre-sale estimate was only about £250,000–£270,000, according to the Alton Herald. Final bidding therefore beat expectations by more than five times. Hits Radio reports worldwide interest from collectors, investors and YouTubers.
A Skyridge set estimated at £20,000–£40,000 made a £75,000 hammer price. Some lots reached £100,000. Ewbank's called it the UK's best-ever trading-card auction and its own most successful sale in over 30 years. It beat Stanley Gibbons' £986,000 London sale in March.
How did a school swap become an attic find?
He started collecting in the late 1990s when his young son swapped cards at school. He then bought complete and master sets on eBay, including from a Malaysia seller. His first Skyridge Charizard set cost about £300.
He told Hits Radio he had no idea of the value. He read a local newspaper report that Ewbank's had taken over £6,000 for a single card. He then checked his own attic and took samples for assessment.
Could your old cards do the same?
Only a narrow group of holdings matches this result. You need early complete master sets, mint condition, and long undisturbed storage. Played-with cards with edge wear, creases, or missing pieces face a different market.
High-end prices remain strong. Grand Screen lists a PSA-10 1st-Edition Base Charizard at $550,000 in December 2025 and $954,800 in February 2026. That strength does not lift every binder.
- Check set, year, completeness, and condition before hoping for more
- Leave cards in sleeves and avoid cleaning, bending, or reordering them
- Photograph fronts, backs, edges, and any Charizards or holos
- Ask a trading-card auction house for a professional assessment
You Might Also Like
- Woking Attic Pokemon Collection Sells for £1.56 Million at Ewbank’s
- UK Man’s Attic Pokemon Cards Sell for $2 Million, What Collectors Should Learn
- Opening vs Keeping Collection Boxes Sealed: A Pokemon Collector Framework