A rare box set of Pokémon cards bought by a devoted grandad for his granddaughter decades ago could net £20,000 at auction – and help her job dreams come true.
But the sealed Pokémon Fourth Print Base Set Booster Box, purchased at a Chester shop for £100 in 1999, is lucky to have survived. The 81-year-old retired fitter-turner from Cheshire was initially unaware that thousands of Pokémon cards amassed for his granddaughter more than 20 years ago could be valuable. He nearly threw them away during a Covid clear-out.
Such was her Pokémon passion from the age of four they collected cards together. The now sought-after box set was never opened. It’s still in its original cellophane wrap. Consequently it could net 200 times its original price at Hansons Auctioneers on October 17.
The grandfather’s 50-year-old daughter, a teaching assistant from Cheshire, said: “The box set for auction sat in a cupboard in my father’s house. Sadly, during Covid my mum became terminally ill with cancer. We needed to clear space quickly for a hospital bed so she could be cared for at home. During the clear out the cards were taken out of the cupboard. There were thousands of them.
“Dad planned to throw them away and a few did end up in a skip. But I said, ‘Blimey, dad, some of these might be worth a bit’. Some loose cards were thrown away. The rest we decided to sell. That’s when the extent of the collection was realised! ‘Gotta catch ‘em all’ is the Pokémon catchprase and dad really had caught ‘em all. The ones we’ve sold already have made around £50,000. The money’s been split between family members. It’s made life a bit easier for us all, especially dad.
“It’s allowed him to make many improvements to his home – new double glazing, central heating, roof repairs and other bits. There’s no point in struggling when these things could make his life easier, and that’s what it’s done.
“Many cards have gone to private collectors around the UK. Some have gone abroad including America . Sadly mum lost her battle and passed away. Dad’s health isn’t the best either
“Now his granddaughter, my daughter, has started university. She is 28 and studying to become a paramedic. She needs financial support to manage this. This sealed box set was the ‘in-case-of-emergencies’ item. Again, no point in struggling when this can help. As dad would say, there are no pockets in shrouds.
“My daughter got into Pokémon when she was four and started collecting the cards with my dad in the late 1990s. She was his first and, at the time, only grandchild. It was their thing. They went on trips to Chester together at weekends to get the cards from a hobby shop. My dad is a collector and gets obsessed . He’d ‘Gotta catch ‘em all’.
“He is a little eccentric and loves maths. He used to buy the cards loose but worked out it would take approximately three boxes of cards to complete a set. Eventually the person at the shop suggested he purchased boxes from him. It worked in both their favours. The shop keeper could do a bigger bulk order and my dad got his three Pokémon boxes. Once he’d completed a set spare boxes were never opened. They remained sealed and were carefully stored away.
“The cards were never played with either. Being an avid collector my dad kept the cards pristine. They were put into penny pockets and placed in numerical order in a folder
“It seems crazy a box of cards could be worth so much now. Paying around £100 to £120 per box in 1999 was a lot of money for a working man. But like all grandads he liked to spoil his grandchildren. She is grandad’s girl, 100 per cent.
“It’s actually a bitter-sweet time. I’ve liked having the cards in the safe. Knowing I had a sealed base box set felt good. But this brings it full circle. It was started for my daughter and it ends for her.
“My five children all have a sealed, modern box each. That is their memento of this crazy path. It’s been fun. I’ve met some great Pokémon-obsessed people along the way. I’ve loved seeing things from a collector’s point of view. I’ve been proud of my dad’s cards when they’ve graded well. It’s crazy to get attached to a piece of card. Now it’s someone else’s turn to enjoy the box.”
David Wilson-Turner, Head of the Toy Department at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “This is a particularly touching story and I hope we can do the family proud at auction.
“What distinguishes the Pokémon Fourth Print Base Set Booster Box from others, and makes it scarce, is that it was only released in the UK. The 102 cards inside, contained in 36 sealed booster packs, bear a definitive date stamp stating 1999-2000. Other base set cards are stamped 1999.
“The box is protected by its original cellophane wrap and features arched ‘Wizards of the Coast’ logos. This is only found on Fourth Print boxes. The 102-cards base sets were released in 1999 in Shadowless, First Edition, Unlimited and Fourth Print versions.
“This box offers a rare opportunity for someone to get their hands on a piece of Pokémon history. Fourth Print boxes rarely come to auction and it is unknown how many are still out there in an unopened state.
“Pokémon is a market that has grown rapidly in recent years. It is the strongest it has ever been right now and I feel that, while new sets and games are being released, the market will only continue to grow. Wealthy young people in their 20s and 30s who got into Pokémon when they were children are buying rare cards and prices began to spike a few years ago.
“The Pokémon craze took off in the UK in the late 1990s. Year on year the market has grown larger and stronger. From cards to video games, plush toys to television shows and movies, the franchise is completely global. ”
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise originated as a pair of role-playing games developed by Game Freak, following an original concept by its founder, Satoshi Tajiri. Released on Game Boy on February 27, 1996, the games became sleeper hits. From 1998 to 2000 Pokémon was exported to the rest of the world creating an unprecedented global phenomenon dubbed Pokémania.
Auction information
Auction: The box, lot 422, estimate £16,000-£20,000, will be offered in Hansons Auctioneers’ Specialist Toys and Video Game Auction on October 17.
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk or www.the-saleroom.com
Enquiries: David Wilson-Turner: [email protected]
