Rare Pokémon Cards Help Pay for Groom’s Wedding
A childhood Pokémon card collection discovered in storage is helping pay for a wedding after three vintage cards sold for an estimated P2.4 million.
Published on Apr 21, 2026
What started as a routine attic cleanout turned into the ultimate pre-wedding surprise for one former Pokémon card collector.
Andrew Braund, a 37-year-old teaching assistant from Wimborne in South West England, discovered three rare Pokémon cards tucked away in his childhood home, and the unexpected find is now helping pay for his upcoming wedding.
Man Finds Rare Pokémon Cards in His Childhood Attic, Sells Them to Fund Wedding
Braund had been sorting through old belongings at his parents’ house in Dorset, England when he came across the cards, part of a collection he had kept since childhood. Thinking the cards might fetch a few hundred dollars at most, he brought them to a friend’s trading card shop for a quick appraisal.
Instead, he learned that three forgotten Charizard Pokémon cards in near-mint condition could be worth tens of thousands.
“I didn’t think they would be worth anything,” he told SWNS. “I was helping out at a friend’s trading card shop a few days later and took my collection down. I was expecting the entire collection to be worth £500 (about $673) or so.”
Among the standout items was a mint-condition Ewbank’s Auctions Skyridge Charizard Holo Pokémon card that sold for about P1.2 million ($21,250), setting a house record for a single Pokémon card. Another near-mint copy brought in around P973,000 ($16,250), while a third reverse-holo version sold for approximately P209,000 ($3,500).
The cards later sold at Ewbank’s Auctions for a combined total of more than $41,000 or P2.4 million, turning a nostalgic discovery into a life-changing windfall just months before Braund’s wedding to fiancée Rachel Moseley.
“When my friend told me how much the Charizard cards might be worth, I got quite lightheaded,” Braund said.
“Ironically, the three Charizard cards must have been from one of the last packs I ever bought,” he added. “They have the highest monetary value, but the lowest sentimental value. The ones I loved as a kid look worn from being in my pockets all the time.”
For Ewbank’s Auctions, the sale was also a milestone.
“This is a double delight for us: taking a record in-house price for a single card and helping a young couple make their dreams come true,” said Andrew Ewbank.
The unexpected jackpot is now covering Braund and Moseley’s wedding expenses, turning a forgotten childhood hobby into the perfect wedding gift.
Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.