11 June 2026
The market for Pokémon trading cards has absolutely exploded in 2026, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the franchise and Logan Paul’s record breaking PSA 10 ‘Pikachu Illustrator’ £12m sale.
Given the market appetite, there's never been a better time to start hunting for cards in the attic or at your local car boot. Across the UK, thousands of parents clear out lofts and garage corners every weekend, inadvertently selling old binders stuffed with cards for a few quid.
Whilst there are cards that are worth a great deal, many in circulation are really not worth anything in the secondary market. The UK also has a market all of its own, with many cards available here that may have not gone on sale elsewhere, and vice versa.
Everyone should be on the lookout for the legendary 1999 Base Set Charizard, but finding one at a car boot sale is incredibly rare. Instead, real profit lies in spotting the lesser-known, distinct milestones of the franchise.
To help you navigate your local carboot, here are five highly valuable cards to watch out for, offering a healthy mix of vintage nostalgia, modern masterpieces, and subtle printing errors.
While the original 1999 Base Set gets the most attention, the "Neo" era from 2000 introduced Generation II Pokémon and had a significantly smaller print run in the UK. Lugia is considered the "Charizard of Gen II" and is the ultimate trophy for vintage collectors.
Look out for a tiny, circular "1st Edition" stamp on the left-hand side of the card, just below the artwork frame. The artwork features a sleek, silver Lugia flying toward the screen against a swirling, holographic background.
UK Market Value: * Beaten-up/Heavily Played: £50 – £150. Raw / Near Mint: £800 – £1,200. Gem Mint (Graded PSA 10): Upwards of £100,000+.
Car boots are perfect for finding misprints because casual sellers and collectors completely overlook them. When the Jungle expansion set was printed in 1999, a factory error caused the set symbol to be completely omitted from the entire first run of holographic cards.
Look for any original holographic card from the Jungle set—such as Flareon, Scyther, Snorlax, or Vaporeon. Look closely at the right-hand side of the card, just below the bottom-right corner of the artwork. If the flower-shaped "Jungle" icon is completely missing, you've found a rare error card.
UK Market Value: Depending on the specific Pokémon and how scratched the foil is, a raw, ungraded "No Symbol" error card easily commands anywhere from £40 to £200+, whereas standard versions are worth a fraction of that.
Do not ignore boxes of "modern" cards being sold by teenagers or parents. The mid-2021 to 2023 sets introduced ultra-rare "Alternate Arts" (or Special Illustration Rares), which feature gorgeous, full-bleed storytelling artwork. The absolute king of modern collecting is affectionately known by the community as the "Moonbreon."
Look for a stunning full-art card showing a giant Umbreon sitting on a rooftop, physically reaching its paw up towards a massive, detailed moon in the night sky.
UK Market Value: Because the pull rates were roughly 1 in 1,440 packs, the demand for this card is unprecedented. Raw / Near Mint: £1,400 – £1,600. Perfect Condition (Graded PSA 10): Over £2,800 – £3,200
Between 2004 and 2007, Pokémon popularity hit a temporary mainstream lull in the UK, meaning far fewer packs were bought. To entice collectors, Nintendo introduced "Gold Star" cards - ultra-rare variants where the Pokémon featured alternate, "shiny" colour palettes. These are incredibly scarce.
Look at the top of the card. Right next to the Pokémon's name (like Rayquaza, Torchic, or Vaporeon), there will be a distinct, glittering gold star symbol (shiny ☆). The artwork also features the character bursting directly out of the picture frame.
UK Market Value: Even in heavily scratched, "well-loved" childhood condition, any legitimate English Gold Star card will easily fetch £150 – £400. If you manage to find a clean, Near-Mint copy of a heavy-hitter like the Rayquaza Gold Star, the price tag easily skyrockets past £1,500 into the tens of thousands if graded.
Released to celebrate the original 151 Kanto monsters, the Pokémon 151 set brought millions of original 90s collectors back into the hobby. The top "chase card" from this contemporary set is the Special Illustration Rare Charizard.
This full-art card features Charizard soaring high above a volcanic, rocky landscape. The texture of the card feels distinctly rigid and fingerprint-like, rather than smooth or glossy.
UK Market Value: It is highly sought after by both older collectors and young fans. A raw copy straight from a binder will easily net you £150 – £250, while a pristine graded copy hovers around £400 – £500.
Be aware of counterfeit cards: Unfortunately there are a large number of fake cards at carboot sales. With cards being so valuable, there is a black market for forgeries but also ‘proxy’ cards are produced for playing the game with.
Bring Supplies: Always keep a pack of plastic penny sleeves and hard "top-loaders" in your jacket pocket. If you do find a raw vintage Lugia or an alternate art card mixed in a 50p box, you need to protect its edges immediately - a single scratch can wipe hundreds off the value.
Join collectors worldwide in our upcoming auctions featuring remarkable cards with fascinating stories.
