A man from Oxfordshire packed in a law career to sell Pokemon cards for a living.
Richard Page, from Shrivenham, began selling his childhood games consoles and Pokémon Cards on eBay for something to do and as a way to save money.
With the profits from his sales the 34-year-old opened a wholesale account and began selling Pokémon cards as a business under the name Neo Cards and Collectables.
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Mr Page works alongside his husband, Graeme, who handles the bookkeeping and accounts while he focuses on selling, packing and social media.
Neo Cards has now won a prestigious eBay for Business Awards 2022, with Mr Page winning a £10,000 cash grant and a package of business and marketing support to help their business thrive and grow over the coming year.
The eBay for Business Awards is an annual celebration of eBay’s hundreds of thousands of small and medium sized businesses in the UK.
This year, six small businesses beat out almost 1000 other applicants to be crowned winners at the eBay Open seller conference in Birmingham.
Pre-loved helped this year’s businesses win big, with resale businesses - selling everything from trading cards and second-hand tech - winning in five out of six categories.
Mr Page said: “Concerned I would lose my job during the pandemic; I started selling my childhood Pokémon cards on eBay to save some money - just in case.
“The business quickly took off during lockdown and has enjoyed a whirlwind of growth ever since. I am over-the-moon to have won the Essentially eBay Award - I never imagined a childhood hobby of mine would become an award-winning business one day!
“I am now able to work for myself and be part of a hobby that I love – it’s a dream come true.”
Murray Lambell, general manager of eBay UK, said: “Each year I’m blown away by the calibre of the small businesses who enter the eBay for Business Awards. This year has been no exception, and I am deeply impressed by each of our winners, including Neo Cards and their trading card business. Congratulations!
“Building a successful business is a fantastic achievement: it takes real knowledge, skill and determination to weather the types of challenges I know our small businesses have faced. While tough times lie ahead, I’ve seen just how resilient our entrepreneurs are - and we will do everything we can to support them.”
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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