Gallery
His personal collection of thousands of TCG cards has been painstakingly catalogued across 137 lots comprising more than 100 complete sets from the Base Set to Legendary Treasures, sealed booster boxes, first editions, promotional cards and cards showing rare errors.
There’s even super-rare cards given out to staff during Pokémon world championships plus Top 16 and Top 32 cards awarded to players who reached those stages.
With three age groups in Top 16, that means there are as few as 96 such cards in the world.
The impressive collection is estimated to total between £55,000 and £75,000 in a special timed online sale with Richard Winterton Auctioneers of Lichfield, Staffordshire, live now and ending at 17:00 GMT on Sunday, November 27.
“In there are a lot of cards you just can’t get,” said Gordon, who’s rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s most powerful Pokémon players and executives.
At one point the father-of-two from Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland, ran a Pokémon league and has acted as a judge in UK events.
“It all started as my children wanted to get involved in the Pokémon league and we decided on the one at Megazone in Falkirk,” he said.
“My kids got really good at the game and, as I was the only parent turning up there all the time and I’d started playing the card game too, I was delegated!
“So I ended up running that league for 16 years and every time a new set came out it cost me in the region of £1,000.
“Some of the cards were then passed back to the kids for various events and tournaments others ended up in my collection.
“It just went up and up and up.”
He added: “It's like playing chess with cards it's so complicated a game. It used to be simpler but it isn't anymore – there are more cards and more things to affect other cards.”
The auction features Emerging Powers factory-sealed booster boxes (Lot 132, valued at £2,500 to £3,500) plus sought-after complete Pokémon sets including:
Other highlights include the complete Pokémon Nintendo Black Star promo collection of 40 (Lot 111; £2,000-£3,000) and the complete Pop Series 5 with all 17 cards (Lot 118; £1,500-£2,000).
Nearly all the cards were bought at date of issue and most are UK editions.
“As a way to sum it up, you’ve got to use the Pokémon trademark – gotta catch ’em all!” said Gordon.
“For me, the fun is the completing – not the collecting, it’s the completion.
“And as far as I’m concerned, I’ve completed it so it’s time to pass it all on.”
Gordon decided to draw a line under it all in 2014 after a busy 15 years in the game, during which time he’s mixed with the highest echelons in the Pokémon world.
“I was very well known in the Pokémon TCG community and I’ve had a lot of enjoyment out of the game,” he said.
“But I don’t play the trading card game at all anymore – I do still play the video game but I’d like the cards to go to a good home.”
From beginnings as a simple trading card game, the past few decades have seen Pokémon evolve into a serious collector’s business, with some prepared to hunt all over the world for a special card and invest and thousands of pounds to secure it.
With such a large collection, Gordon is well-versed in the power of Pokémon but even he’s surprised at the phenomenon it has become.
“My grandchildren love Pokémon, play the video games and watch the cartoons but they don’t play the cards,” he added.
Although he’s done with the Pokémon TCG, Gordon still has the bug for collecting things and has an archive of Commando comics along with postage stamps and LP records.
And another large collection of Gordon’s trading cards – this time focussing on Magic The Gathering and including Marvel vs DC, The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter – will go on sale through Richard Winterton Auctioneers in 2023.
“People ask me what I collect and I say collections,” he said.
“When it comes to Pokémon though – I’ve completed it.”
The timed auction will be managed from The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley Park, UK.
Viewing will be by online only have a sneak preview of the catalogue right here. You can also register to bid on the same link. Up until 5pm on Sunday 27th
For auction and valuation enquiries, contact Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 01543 406124 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk.
