A passionate Pokémon enthusiast recently funded his wedding after rediscovering a rare trio of Charizard cards tucked away in his attic.
In an interview with BBC News, Andrew Braund shared that he auctioned the three Pokémon cards for an astonishing £32,800 (approximately $44,000) last week at a Surrey, England auction house. This generous sum has been designated to cover his upcoming wedding this summer.
Braund discovered his vintage Pokémon collection while organizing his attic and was amazed to learn that several of the cards had significantly appreciated in value.
According to local auction specialists Ewbank’s Auctions, the highlighted cards were all variants of the 2003 Skyridge Charizard Holo, with one individual card fetching an impressive £17,000 (about $23,000).
“When I realized how much I made from the cards, I thought, ‘Wow, blimey,'” Braund remarked, calling the total amount “mindboggling.”
While much of his childhood collection is in less-than-perfect condition, Braund, who resides in Wimbourne, Dorset, managed to hold onto several rare cards that remained in better shape.
“I stumbled upon them when I was moving a few years ago, as my parents asked me to clear out my belongings,” Braund reminisced. “I brought them to a friend who runs a trading card shop, expecting a meager £500. However, when my friend went through the last tin, he asked me to sit down.”
Although $44,000 is a substantial amount—especially for wedding expenses—Braund’s windfall is a modest sum compared to the highest-selling Pokémon cards at auction. Not long ago, Logan Paul’s dazzling PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator card sold for an incredible $16,492,000, setting a new record.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or follow him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
