If you’ve got old Pokémon cards lying around, you might just be sitting on a small fortune without even knowing it.
A single card that’s been tucked away for years could be worth thousands of rands, especially given the booming trading card market.
With the Pokémon franchise still going strong, collectors are paying top dollar for rare and well-preserved cards, and you may have one hidden away in your garage that could be worth a considerable amount.
One collector from Houston, Texas, who goes by the name of Jamelle, posted his find on Reddit, shared how he was cleaning out his garage when he came across some old items from his youth.
As an avid reader as a child, he had kept all of his books and journals in a large plastic tote. While going through an old hardcover journal from his high school years, he expected to cringe at the entries but was instead taken by surprise when a card tumbled out.
It was a Charizard card in immaculate condition. Jamelle realised that he had hidden it inside the book for safekeeping all those years ago.
"I had completely forgotten about it," he said. "It was as if my childhood self knew that the best way to keep it safe was to hide it from sight. I was completely shocked. It seemed like a clever move for younger me."
The trading card market is thriving
With the total market value estimated at around $21.4 billion (R 390.5 billion) in 2024, and is projected to rise to an eye-watering $58.2 billion (R 1.1 trillion) by 2034, the card trading card market is booming.
Pokémon remains a key player in this market, with over 64.8 billion cards produced to date.
Charizard cards are known for fetching high prices. In fact, three of the top ten most valuable Pokémon cards ever sold on eBay have been Charizards.
In 2021, one lucky individual sold a 1999 Charizard-Holo (Shadowless) for $50,000 (R 930,000) after finding it gathering dust in their garage.
Although Jamelle is a passionate collector, he admits he’s not well-versed in the world of highly valuable cards. “I’ve never come across anything with that much value in my collection,” he confessed.
Grading of cards
To determine the card’s worth, it will need to be professionally graded. Grading is done on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score. The condition, surface, and edges of the card are all taken into account.
If, like Jamelle’s find, a card is stored flat in the dark for 20 years, it will receive a high grade.
If the card does get a top rating, Jamelle estimates it could be worth around $8,000 (R 148,000).
Although it will take some time before he can cash in, Jamelle’s discovery could encourage other adult Pokémon fans to search through their old belongings in the hopes of finding similar treasures.
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