London father turns £200 Pokémon card investment into £1.5 million business

A London father has transformed a modest £200 investment into a thriving £1.5 million business selling Pokémon cards, a venture he describes as "absolutely crazy" following a recent single card sale for £27,500.

Thomas Lake, 35, balances his graphic design career with running Lake Card Store, his successful Pokémon trading card enterprise on eBay. His journey began with a childhood "passion" for Pokémon, collecting cards, Game Boy games, figurines, and other merchandise. Though his interest "fizzled out" over the years, a decade ago, he decided to revisit the hobby.

He initially purchased 20 cards for £200 with the intention of reselling some for profit. After doubling his investment, he realised the potential, transitioning from a sole trader to launching his own business. This year alone, Mr Lake has sold £450,000 worth of cards, contributing to an annual turnover of approximately £1.5 million last year, with Instagram sales accounting for £250,000 to £300,000 of that figure.

"It’s crazy at the moment, I honestly can’t explain what’s happening," Mr Lake told PA Real Life. "I thought I was at my peak when I was doing it as a sole trader, with around £84,000 in sales in a year… but I did that sale in three days last week, so that just blows my mind. I’ve put in a lot of work to be in this position, building the store and the brand and trying to provide a great service to people… but I never thought I would get to this stage."

Thomas at a trade show recently.PA

Mr Lake's lifelong affinity for Pokémon dates back to primary school, coinciding with the release of the first Game Boy games and trading cards in Japan in 1996. "Every single person was into it – it was huge. Everyone collected it, we all played the games on the Nintendo and we all went to see the movies," he explained. "So, I’ve had a love for it since then." He fondly recalls buying card packs with his sister from their local corner shop.

His favourite Pokémon include Pikachu, Charizard, and Gengar. A particular memory involving Charizard evokes a childhood "temper tantrum." "I remember one Christmas, we each got three or four packs, and my sister pulled the Charizard out of the Base Set pack, and it was one of those things that ruined my Christmas," he recounted. "I was so upset that it wasn’t me and she still reminds me about that to this day."

Despite a hiatus from collecting, Pokémon "always remained on [his] mind." His background in graphic design allowed him to appreciate the cards' intricate illustrations. His initial £200 purchase was purely to "fund a personal collection of cards while making some extra money." However, the rapid sale of a portion of those cards for more than double their original price signalled a significant opportunity.

"I guess it’s nostalgia, isn’t it?" he mused about his decision to buy. "When you see stuff from your childhood, you just have a special feeling towards it. I just saw a load of cards for sale (on eBay) and I thought, ‘Well, if I buy these cards, I can sell off certain ones and then keep other ones’, and that’s what happened. The cards ended up selling within a day when I put them up on eBay and it has just gone from there."

PA

As a sole trader, Mr Lake's earnings steadily climbed, boosted by trends such as the 2016 Pokémon GO mobile game and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on prices. "When Pokemon GO came out on the phone, that’s when the sales started flying," he noted. "At this point, I’d already been selling for around a year and I’d built a good presence on eBay… but I only started taking it seriously as a business nearly two years ago when we became a limited company. To be honest, the growth has just been absolutely crazy. The sales we’re doing at the moment, I’m doing what I would do in a whole year in a week."

His business, which he refers to as "one of the founding fathers of the eBay Live UK," has seen a significant boost from livestream sales. While primarily operating on eBay, he also sells at trade shows and offers a consignment service. Recent notable sales include a PSA 10 1st Edition Shining Charizard from the Neo Destiny Set for £27,500, a PSA 8 1st Edition Charizard from the original Base Set for £24,000, and a PSA 10 Mario Pikachu Full Art card for £20,000 – a card he noted could have been "bought in a box for 30 US dollars about eight years ago."

"I can understand the argument of, ‘it’s just a card’, because the prices are crazy to me as well," Mr Lake admitted. "We’re going through a big boom at the moment, and I think it must be because of the 30th anniversary of Pokemon this year."

Mr Lake now leads a team, including an office assistant handling postage and packaging, and streamers who manage weekly eBay Live sessions. These livestreams can generate up to £20,000 in sales within an hour, attracting up to 8,000 viewers. "The beauty with my live sessions is it’s an auction format, so people only pay what they want to pay," he explained. "But it’s a good way of helping people build their collections and get niche items that they might not have had before."

Thomas has been a lifelong Pokemon fanPA

His personal collection boasts a PSA 10 Crystal Charizard from Skyridge and a PSA 10 Reverse Holo Charizard card from the Legendary Collection, each valued at around £60,000, which he is "very proud" to own.

Looking ahead, Mr Lake aims to help others build their dream Pokémon collections and achieve an annual turnover of £10 million, acknowledging the fluctuating nature of the market. From next year, he plans to leave his graphic design job to dedicate himself full-time to the business, especially now as a father to a five-month-old daughter.

Reflecting on his remarkable journey, he stated: "Every single earning is all from that original £200 investment. I’ve never put any more money into it, I’ve just let it grow organically. For me to be doing something that I’ve had a passion for since my childhood, it’s just like the cherry on the cake."