Cardboard Treasure: Grandfather Discovers Pokémon Cards Worth $24,000 that Family Almost Trashed

A grandfather in the UK stumbled upon a small fortune, discovering that his granddaughter’s Pokémon card collection, nearly thrown away during a household cleaning, is now valued at $24,266. The family plans to auction off the sealed box of cards, now a desirable collectible.

BBC News reports that a sealed box of Pokémon cards, once purchased for a mere £100 ($121), is now making headlines as it is set to fetch 200 times its original price at an upcoming auction. The 81-year-old owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, said its “crazy” that the cards could accumulate such value over time. The Pokémon Fourth Print Base Set Booster Box, distinguished by its rarity and exclusive release in the UK, was initially bought in 1999 from a shop in Chester for his granddaughter.

(Hannes P. Albert/picture Alliance via Getty Images)

The cards were discovered when the grandfather was clearing out his house to make room for a hospital bed for his terminally-ill wife, but almost thrown away as useless junk. “During the clear-out, the cards were taken out of the cupboard [and] Dad planned to throw them away,” shared his daughter. A few cards did find their way into a dumpster, but a hunch led her to intervene, suggesting, “Blimey, Dad, some of these might be worth a bit.”

The family’s decision to sell the cards came when they realized there might be significant value in the cards, which come from the earliest era of Pokémon. The man’s daughter explained that collecting the cards became a hobby for her father and his first grandchild. “It was their thing. They went on trips to Chester together at weekends to get the cards from a hobby shop,” she reminisced, highlighting the sentimental value embedded in the collection. Some cards have already been sold, fetching about £50,000 ($60,667), and revealing the hidden wealth within the seemingly ordinary collectibles.

“‘Gotta catch ’em all’ is the Pokémon catchphrase and Dad really had caught ’em all,” the daughter mused. The proceeds from the sales will be divided among family members, providing a financial cushion during trying times. Notably, the funds will also support her daughter, who is currently pursuing a career as a paramedic. “This sealed box set was the ‘in-case-of-emergencies’ item,” she explained, emphasizing the unexpected but welcome financial aid it brought to the family. “As Dad would say, ‘there are no pockets in shrouds.'”

Breitbart News previously reported on a retired NFL player that has made $5 million selling Pokémon cards:

“I think there’s more to my success than [my name],” Martinez said. “I used to be like the quarterback of the defense, I was calling plays. When I started this business, it felt like running a team again.”

Martinez first collected cards at age six by purchasing them from the local Circle K with his weekly $15 allowance. He collected thousands of cards that he stored in a binder, which his mother gave away years later. In 2020, he entered the card trade after seeing influencers like Logan Paul reselling playing cards. First, Martinez bought some collector’s boxes for $30,000 and grew his repertoire from there. Some cards sold for as low as $5, while one sold for as much as $672,000.

COMMENTS