BET you wish you hung on to your old Pokemon cards as you could be quids in.
A man has just had his childhood card collection valued at £5,000 after it sat gathering dust in his bedroom for more than 20 years.
Martin Rixon, 29, from Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire, collected hundreds of Japanese trading cards in the late 90s and early 00s – and could now be quids in as a result.
His collection includes hundreds of Pokemon cards, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Digimon sets.
The Pokemon cards, which include some rarities, have been valued between £2,000 and £4,000, while the Yu-Gi-Oh! and Digimon sets could earn him £200-400 and £40-60 respectively.
Martin also has a collection of Mad Max toys, Top Trumps and Dragons, which have been valued at £200-400.
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The value of Martin’s old toys was discovered by his dad, Neil, who came across the collection and popped to their local auctioneers for a valuation.
Martin says he kept his collection – which includes a few rare, shiny cards – in good condition, with the aim of seeing what it might be worth one day – but was completely surprised by the high valuation.
He added: "I started buying them because everyone at school was and my older brother was also collecting them.
"It was exciting to go to the shop and spend my pocket money choosing them.
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"As I had invested my pocket money into my collection, I always looked after the cards, protecting them in plastic sleeves and keeping them in a box in my bedroom.
"It was always my intention that I would keep them until the time was right for someone else to have the pleasure of owning them.
"I had seen online that some Pokemon cards had recently sold at auction, so I decided to get them valued."
Martin says he's planning to put any money he makes aside until something catches his eye to spend it on.
Amanda Butler, director of operations at Hanson Ross, has urged parents who have grown-up children to check their old childhood bedrooms in case there are any hidden gems lurking.
She said: “Pokémon sparked a major card craze in the late 1990s and collections like this are probably gathering dust in many homes.
“If you have grown-up children in their 20s it might be worth checking their old bedrooms to make sure there aren’t any forgotten treasures from childhood tucked away in the wardrobe or under the bed.
"You never know, you just might be sitting on an auction windfall.”
Amanda says she was delighted when Neil brought the collection along to their saleroom in Royston, Hertfordshire, adding: “Pokémon and rare vintage Japanese cards and gaming items are sought after at auction.
"It’s a burgeoning market sector that’s grown massively in recent years, fuelled by a global army of nostalgic fans.
“That promises to be quite a return for items bought for fun in childhood, the sort of stuff many people throw away thinking they’re simply not worth anything.”
Roy Raftery, managing director of Baldwin’s entertainment department, recently revealed “condition is everything” when it comes to valuing trading cards.
He told the Telegraph: “I get given old cards and people tell me, ‘these have not been touched in 25 years – they’re near mint’.
“But when they were touched 25 years ago they were battered.
"You kept them in your pocket with an elastic band tied around them and you played with them on the ground without sleeves.”
He says the market for cards with iconic Pokemon such as Charizard and Blastoise is also blooming.
He adds: “It’s the nostalgia factor as well. People like buying the things they bought as a kid – things that make them happy.
“Then there’s the genuine collectability and monetary value of Pokémon cards in today’s day and age.
“They are a collector’s item – they are something to invest in.”
Martin's collection will go under the hammer at Hanson Ross Auction on November 17.
How to make money from Pokemon cards
A Pokemon card, or any other collectible, is only really ever worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
A collector could be willing to pay more for any item that completes a set and prices can change over time, even for the same item.
To check how much yours may be, eBay is a handy tool.
Simply check "sold listings" and filter by the highest price to see what others are paying for similar cards.
However, don't forget that eBay sales and asking prices are just an indication.
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To make the most money, collectibles expert Tracey Boles has previously shared her best tips:
- Collect your holographic cards first: They're the most valuable and there are three different types: some cards have just the Pokemon image holographic, there are some where the edges are holos, while some cards are holos as a whole.
- Sit on the cards for a while: It could be worth just holding on to the cards for ten years to (hopefully) see them increase in value.
- Keep them in mint condition: You can buy Pokemon books with sleeves that you can keep them in, so they don't get damaged.
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