A London father has transformed a £200 investment into a £1.5 million Pokémon card empire, describing the growth as "absolutely crazy" after a single card recently fetched £27,500.
Thomas Lake, a 35-year-old graphic designer, has leveraged a childhood passion into a thriving business.
Mr Lake’s remarkable journey began approximately a decade ago when he purchased 20 Pokemon cards for £200 on eBay, initially intending to resell some for profit. After making more than double his initial outlay, with the cards selling "within a day," he quickly realised the potential. This swift success prompted him to transition from a sole trader to establishing his own venture, Lake Card Store.
This year alone, Mr Lake reports sales of £450,000, contributing to an annual turnover of approximately £1.5 million, with Instagram sales accounting for £250,000 to £300,000.
Reflecting on the rapid expansion, he told PA Real Life: "It’s crazy at the moment, I honestly can’t explain what’s happening. 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."
A lifelong enthusiast, Mr Lake’s fascination with Pokemon began in primary school with the release of the first Game Boy games and trading cards 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 recalled, adding, "So, I’ve had a love for it since then."
Growing up in London, he and his sister would regularly buy card packs from their local corner shop. His favourite Pokemon include Pikachu, Charizard, and Gengar, with one childhood memory involving a "temper tantrum" over a Charizard card. "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."
Although his collecting tapered off, Pokémon "always remained on [his] mind." Around ten years ago, his appreciation for the cards’ intricate illustrations, stemming from his graphic design background, led him back to eBay. His initial aim was simply to "fund a personal collection of cards while making some extra money," but the swift sale of a portion of his £200 purchase for more than double the price revealed a significant opportunity. "I guess it’s nostalgia, isn’t it? When you see stuff from your childhood, you just have a special feeling towards it," he explained.
The business gained significant momentum with the launch of the Pokemon GO mobile game in 2016 and further accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw prices surge. Mr Lake noted: "When Pokemon GO came out on the phone, that’s when the sales started flying." While he had been selling for a year, he only began treating it as a serious business nearly two years ago when it became a limited company. He now credits eBay livestreams for a substantial boost in sales, positioning his business as "one of the founding fathers of the eBay Live UK."
Recent notable sales include a PSA 10 1st Edition Shining Charizard card 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 estimates could have been bought for "30 US dollars about eight years ago." Acknowledging the extraordinary figures, Mr Lake stated: "I can understand the argument of, ‘it’s just a card’, because the prices are crazy to me as well." He attributes the current boom partly to Pokemon’s 30th anniversary this year.
To manage the burgeoning enterprise, Mr Lake now employs an office assistant for postage and packaging, alongside streamers who conduct weekly eBay Live sessions. These live streams, which can attract up to 8,000 viewers, often achieve £20,000 in sales within a single hour. "The beauty with my live sessions is it’s an auction format, so people only pay what they want to pay," he explained, adding that it helps people build their collections.
He also runs a consignment service and sells at trade shows. Personally, he owns highly valuable cards, including a PSA 10 Crystal Charizard from Skyridge and a PSA 10 Reverse Holo Charizard card from the Legendary Collection, each estimated to be worth around £60,000. Looking ahead, he aims for an annual turnover of £10 million and plans to transition from his graphic design role to focus on the business full-time, especially as a new father to a five-month-old daughter.
Reflecting on his remarkable journey, Mr Lake emphasised: "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." He concluded: "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."
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