While Aguttes opened its 'Instruments and Bows' department in the first half of 2023, the auction house is now creating a 'Collector Cards' department, with its first auction taking place on 18 October 2023 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. From the end of August, specialist François Thierry will be organising appraisal days in Brussels, Geneva, Lyon, Marseille and Neuilly-sur-Seine.

A first 'Collector's Cards' auction, 18 October 20233
Aguttes specialises in collectible cards such as Pokémon, Magic and other TCGs (Trading Card Games), as well as sports cards. All these categories of card will feature in the catalogue on 18 October 2023. With estimates ranging from €100 to €30,000, the catalogue will include a complete set of the first French edition of Pokémon (1999), as well as sealed products that are extremely rare on the market. This feature reinforces the fun aspect of these collections, with buyers discovering the contents of the booster after purchase by opening it. Originally, some cards were more widely distributed than others, leading collectors to acquire numerous packs and, in order to obtain the rarest ones, to multiply the number of duplicates. This explains, in part, the organisation of a large secondary market via communities and the appearance of many cards on resale platforms, known as marketplaces.

The relevance of auctions for this second market
Aguttes decided to draw on its expertise, particularly in the field of collections, to select exceptional cards, offer them individually, describing them in a catalogue, and organise exhibitions or appointments to enable collectors and investors to see them before each auction. The auction house makes it possible to buy with complete confidence, thanks to the expert appraisal carried out on each item, which is legally binding on the auction house and its expert. In short, at Aguttes, collector cards benefit from the same guarantees as works of art entrusted to the auction house in terms of conservation, handling and transfer of responsibility. As a trusted third party, this new department makes it easier for collectors to buy or resell their collectible cards, while at the same time ensuring that transactions, storage and transportation are secure.

Sports cards
Collector's cards are a rarity in auction rooms, but Aguttes is the first auction house in Europe to focus on sports cards. Among the lots to be auctioned at Aguttes on 18 October 2023 is the Panini Select Kylian Mbappe Silver, estimated at €600-700.


Panini Select Kylian Mbappe Silver - Patch Card Gradé 8 MGC
2020 - Panini card with a piece of the jersey worn during a France team match by Kylian Mbappé.
Graded by Majesty Grading Company 8
Estimate: €600 - €700

A new Panini München/Münich 74 album, estimated at €11,000 / €12,000, should be of particular interest to fans. Not only are there very few copies of this album in the world, but the conditions in which it was preserved - it was placed vertically like a book to avoid any pressure or crushing on the cards and elastic bands - and the fact that it was sealed, make this copy extremely rare.


PANINI New album München/Münich 74
Complete Panini album sealed in original factory - Perfectly sealed with no tears. Very few copies known in the world. Condition and sealed, extremely rare.
The albums were originally positioned vertically like books to avoid any pressure or crushing on the cards and rubber bands.
Preservation in a dry, dark environment, no swelling or traces of humidity, the album has its original colours. Provenance: Ex-collection of a Panini Italy Modena manager. Collection built up over the years.
Estimate: €11,000 - €12,000

In France, the sports card market is dynamic around football and basketball. Aged between 25 and 60, 85% of fans are men. These cards serve no purpose other than to make souvenirs. The numbering of some of them has created a market. In some ways, these cards are reminiscent of the lottery at La Française des Jeux: buying a booster always brings surprises and rekindles a gambler's side. The production of these cards is regulated, but requires players to purchase licences.
The old Panini sticker images gave rise to these collector cards. Unlike their predecessors, these cards are characterised by their rarity and numbering. An article by Olivier Haralambon published on 28 August 2020 in L'Équipe Online tells the story of these cards, which first appeared in 1961 in Modena (Italy). Two Italian newsagents decided to sell both small pictures of footballers and an album in which to collect them". Today, binders have replaced these albums as a way of storing the cards. As for the stickers, they were an immediate worldwide success, and so began the Panini - L'Equipe Online saga.

Trading Card Game (TCG)
There are also cards you can play with, and it only takes 2 or 3 rare cards to create a market. Geek enthusiasts aged between 15 and 35 are snapping them up and building up their collections. Trading Card Game (TCG) refers to a card game inspired by the Pokémon universe and, to a large extent, the original video games. The selection in this first sale will include "Pokemon: Sealed Booster Basic Set known as "Heavy" Visual Dracaufeu", estimated at €1,400 / €1,500. This version is described as "heavy" because the weight of the booster reveals the presence of a holographic card.


Pokemon : Sealed Booster Base Set "Heavy" Visual Shootout
1999 - Pokémon booster from the Basic Set with the Drake / Charizard visual, sealed new. This is the "heavy" version because the booster is weighed and reveals a holographic card.
Estimate: €1,400 - €1,500

One of the rarest items in this sale, with an estimate of €5,000 / €6,000, is the perfectly preserved "New Sealed Display Yu-Gi-Oh! La Légende Du Dragon Blanc Aux Yeux Bleus Version Française", now impossible to find. This is the first edition released in France for Europe, different from the Canadian version.


Brand new sealed display Yu-Gi-Oh! The Legend Of The Blue-Eyed Dragon French version
2002 - Sealed display, perfectly preserved and no longer available.
First edition released in France for Europe, different from the Canadian version.
Estimate: €5,000 - €6,000

'Black lotus retro frame 30th graded 9.5 MTG Grade', this legendary card, reissued in its old frame version, is one of the few known examples (estimate €16,000 / €20,000).


Black lotus retro frame 30th graded 9,5 MTG Grade
2022 - Mythical Magic the Gathering © card reissued in its old frame version in perfect condition, graded 9.5 by MTG Grade.
Very few known copies.
Estimate: €16,000 - €20,000

Estimated at €13,000 / €14,000, "Card #188 - 2019 Panini Fortnite Series 1 Prototype "Recon Specialist"" is a prototype and one of only 3 known examples. This card changes visually between the prototype version and the final one. Although this card was not intended to end up in the hands of collectors, Panini has confirmed and proven its existence.


Card #188 - 2019 Panini Fortnite Series 1 Prototype "Recon Specialist" 2019 - Unreleased Prototype, this card exists in 3 known copies.
It changes visually between the Prototype version and the final version: card #188 in the final version is "Heartbreaker"; There is also a transparent EPIC logo.
This card was not intended to end up in the hands of collectors, but its existence has been proven by Panini.
Estimate: €13,000 - €14,000

Creation of a 'Collector Cards' department
On 21 December 2021, Aguttes and Vodafone auctioned the very first SMS in history, "Merry Christmas", in the form of an NFT (non-fungible token). The auction house is now creating a new TCG (Trading Card Game) department, which will hold its first auction on 18 October 2023. Always attentive to the interests of its collectors and new market trends, the auction house is now specialising in collectible cards such as Pokémon, Magic and other TCGs, as well as sports cards, and welcomes specialist François Thierry to its team. François Thierry works closely with a renowned grading company to authenticate and certify the cards entrusted to him, so that they can be offered in the best possible conditions.

From the end of August, François Thierry will also be offering days of expert appraisals devoted to his speciality:
- Brussels: 23 August 2023
- Geneva: 24 August 2023
- Marseille: 28 August 2023
- Lyon: 29 August 2023
- Neuilly-sur-Seine: 30 August 2023

A growing market
Since the 1970s, this market has been highly successful in the United States, and in recent years has exploded in France and Europe, as evidenced by the proliferation of dedicated fairs and their growing visibility on social networks. Although many of these cards represent a very good investment, they are still rare in auction rooms.
Buying from an auction house offers a degree of security, as each lot is appraised. In the case of Pokémon, the most expensive card sold for €5 million in April 2022: a Pikachu illustrator, of which only 39 exist worldwide, and only 4 of them have been found. Licences have never produced so much, and the market is booming.

Five reasons to invest in collectors' cards :
- A market that has endured for several decades
This market has existed in France for 30 years, and in the United States since the 1970s. Across the Atlantic, it continues to grow, particularly with sports cards. Enthusiasts identify strongly with sportsmen and women. 
- An international market
While the United States is the market leader, in Europe, Germany, Italy and the UK are also leaders.
- A fast-growing market in France
In France, the first trade fair dedicated to these collector cards was held in Lille. The market there is flourishing thanks to football. You need to target players who are well known to the general public, to maximise your collection.
- Another way to live out your passion for sport
- A collection that's easy to keep 
These cards take up very little space and are easy to store.

To find out more about our department, click here.

Collector's cards public auction
18th October 2023

Contact
François Thierry
thierry.consultant@aguttes.com
+33 (0) 1 84 20 04 14