Pokémon trading cards worth £10,000 were almost binned

The owner of a pack of Pokémon trading cards was delighted to learn they could be worth up to £10,000. The cards had been headed to the bin at one point, however they are now set to be auctioned off instead.

The TCG sealed cards were taken to an open valuation day back in November 2023 at Harper Field Auctioneers and Valuers based near Stroud. Auctioneers said the vendor didn't know what to do with the cards, which turned out to be a Pokémon Base Set Booster Box, and had even considered throwing them away.

The pack is a This Wizards of the Coast 1999-2000 fourth edition set, comprising of 36 packs of cards and is one of the rarest examples due to a much lower print run than some of the earlier ‘unlimited’ editions. When originally purchased new the box would have cost around £100, so not a bad investment as it turns out.

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Specialist valuer Kris Ryan knew what they were as soon as the vendor put them in front of him, so he was amazed to hear that the owners had no idea of their value. Kris has an extensive knowledge of this up-and-coming market and said: "It’s not something you get to see every day, and it’s likely to be one of only a handful of these sets ever to be offered for auction."

The set is due to be offered with an estimate of £6,000-10,000 in the April 10 and 11 auction at Harper Field. It will be part of a specialist toy section which features hundreds of other lots including more Pokémon cards, vintage video games, diecast vehicles, model railway items, dolls, bears and much more.