Pokémon fan funds wedding by selling £32,800 worth of Charizard cards

A Pokémon fan has helped finance his wedding by selling a trio of rare Charizard cards he found hidden in his attic. Andrew Braund, from Wimbourne in Dorset, uncovered his old Pokémon card collection while clearing out the loft. The sale recently took place at Ewbank's Auctions in Surrey, England, and brought in a total of £32,800 ($44,000).

The three cards sold were versions of the 2003 Skyridge Charizard Holo. One of those cards, a Skyridge Charizard Holo, sold separately for £17,000 (around $23,000). Braund described the result as “amazing,” especially once he realised how much his childhood collection was now worth. He said, “When I saw how much the cards had sold for, I thought: ‘Wow, what a surprise.’”

The discovery of the cards

While clearing out the attic and sorting through his belongings, Braund found the cards that had been given to him years earlier. He was surprised by the value of several of the items. After coming across them, he decided to have them assessed by a friend who works as a trading card dealer. Braund had initially expected the cards to fetch just £500, only to be stunned by the final bids.

His friend even asked him to sit down when he started estimating the cards’ value, which ultimately led to the sale and helped fund his upcoming wedding.

Childhood memories

The discovery of the Charizard cards also brought a wave of nostalgia for Braund. He says that while most of his childhood collection is worn out, the cards he kept in good condition are still worth a significant amount. These rare cards carry not only financial value, but emotional value too, as a reminder of his youth.

Comparison with other cards

Despite the impressive total, the £32,800 sale is still only a fraction of the most valuable Pokémon cards ever sold at auction. One example is the jewelled PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card, which sold earlier this year for a staggering $16,492,000. It’s a reminder of how much the Pokémon card market has evolved, and how rare certain items can be.

The excitement of the auction and Braund’s discovery shine a new light on the enduring popularity of the Pokémon franchise and the cultural impact it continues to have on fans. With an upcoming wedding now partly funded by a childhood treasure, Pokémon collecting remains a lasting source of value for fans around the world.