Man who sold Pokemon cards to buy house now needs to sell more to pay $11k fine

A 26-year-old man who managed to buy his first house by selling Pokemon cards now needs to sell more to keep his house after being fined $11,000 by his HOA.

For some people, selling Pokemon cards has become big business over the last few years. The iconic trading cards have, again, spiked in price and popularity, so you might be sitting on a goldmine if you can find your original childhood collection.

In the case of Carter Eck, the 26-year-old used his Pokemon card collection to be able to afford the down payment on his first home. He bought it back when he was 23, but could now lose it over fines from his HOA.

Speaking to Action 9 News, the North Carolinian said that his HOA claims he owes them $11,000 for dues and late fees, as well as needing to fix an issue with his fence. That means he now needs to sell more Pokemon cards.

Man needs to sell more Pokemon cards over fines

Eck also took to the r/F*ckHOA subreddit to give some further details about his plight, calling it a “wild, full-circle moment,” now that he’s back to selling his cards.

“When I reached out to the management company to figure out where I was even supposed to be sending my HOA payments, they told me they couldn’t help me and to call their attorney instead. I have that in writing. Out of the $11k they’re claiming I owe, only about $840 is actual dues. The rest is fines,” he said.

“Now, with the 30th anniversary of Pokémon happening this year, I’m in the position of having to sell my collection just to pay for a lawyer to keep that same house. Kind of a wild full-circle moment.”

The homeowner noted that he has received other fines with “no notice, no warning, no time to fix it,” despite trying to figure things out with his HOA.

“My hearing is November 23rd, 2026. There’s a lot that still has to happen between now and then, but things are moving in the right direction. More updates to come,” he added. 

Plenty of social media users have sympathised with Eck needing to sell further cards too.