When Barry Lloyd started spending his spare cash on Pokemon cards 30 years ago, people told him he was mad, and that he was wasting his money.
But an expert, looking at his collection, believes it is now worth £100,000.
The value of the Japanese playing cards was illustrated recently when one described as the "holy grail" sold for £30,000.
Earlier this year, a thief ransacked a games shop in Cwmbran, Torfaen, and made off with £65,000 worth of rare Pokemon cards - a loss the owner described as a "killer" blow to his business.
Playing cards that were once simply a fun part of childhood are increasingly being stashed away as pension policies, believes expert Elliot Riley-Walsh, from Anglesey.
