Pokemon fans urged to check collections for cards worth up to £7,480

In the late 1990s, school playgrounds across the UK transformed into Pokemon card trading hubs. If you were one of those who held onto your collection, you could be sitting on a goldmine

today, with some cards fetching thousands of pounds. Initially dismissed as a passing trend when it burst onto the scene between 1999 and 2000, Pokemon has since become the most profitable

franchise globally, outperforming any Hollywood series. Today, The Pokemon Company boasts an impressive worth of $10.8 billion. For those looking to tap into this wealth, all it takes is

dusting off your old Pokemon card collection stashed away in the attic or garage. Some of these vintage cards can command prices up to £7,000 each. The value of Pokemon cards today is so

high that just a fortnight ago, Greater Manchester Police apprehended a man found with £250,000 worth of stolen Pokemon cards in his flat. With individual cards valued between £100 and £560,

the police are now working to return the pilfered cards to their rightful owners following the raid. PokeCardValues.co.uk reveals that the most valuable Pokemon card in the UK currently is

the Base Set Charizard, which has fetched a confirmed sale price of £7,480. This card, part of the inaugural set of Pokemon cards released in the late 1990s and early 2000s, features a shiny

Charizard with the numbering 4/102, reports The Express. If in good condition, this card can command at least £4,083, according to the site which monitors actual sales of Pokemon cards on

trading card game websites and eBay. The second most valuable card is Espeon Star from Pop Series 5, which was sold for £3,250 on eBay. Other high-value cards include the shiny first edition

Base Set Venusaur from the 1990s, valued up to £751, and Base Set Gyarados, worth £300. Pikachu Star also made the list, having been sold for £1,535. Other top-valued cards include Torchic

Star (£1,857), Tropical Beach Promo (£3,250), Mewtwo Star (£1,487), and Shining Charizard from Neo Destiny (£1,486). With just a handful of these cards potentially worth thousands each, one

could quickly accumulate a significant sum by selling just a few cards from an old shoebox or binder that's been left untouched. The first Pokemon game was launched in Japan in 1996,

before making its way to the US in 1999 and the UK in June 2000. The franchise continues to thrive: on Thursday, 5 June, Nintendo is launching an update for the newest games, Pokemon Scarlet

and Pokemon Violet, to facilitate enhanced graphics on its latest console, Nintendo Switch 2. Additionally, the most recent series of Pokemon - Pokemon Quest - is set to arrive on Netflix

this June, following its stint on BBC iPlayer.