In a world where collectors often debated the value of sports cards against trading card games (TCGs), the victor for 2025 is clear: Pokémon has surged to the top, leaving many antique sports cards in the dust of their display cases. Recent statistics released by GemRate, the industry’s grading data maestro, emphasized a seismic shift in collectors’ focus.
Perhaps it was inevitable, as nostalgia coupled with strategic genius gave Pokémon the upper hand this year. According to the report, Pokémon cards made a striking 97 out of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), signaling an overwhelming love for all things Pikachu and beyond. The data underlined that in the funhouse of collectibles, non-sports cards — prominently featuring TCG contenders — composed 59% of all graded submissions across the four main grading titans.
From January to June alone, this colorful category unleashed a deluge of 7.2 million graded cards, a praiseworthy 70% uptick from last year. Sports cards, by contrast, seemed a bit deflated, tallying up to 5.1 million—a slight but telling 9% downward tick in the same window.
Within the TCG whirlwind, a Japanese card took the lead: Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232 became the most graded card of the year, with over 45,600 copies marching into grading labs. Yet, true to form, Pikachu retained its throne as Pokémon’s brightest star. This year alone, the electric mouse generated more than 345,000 graded imprints, including a mesmerizing run of the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” edition. Its partnership with the Van Gogh Museum transformed this quirky card into PSA’s most-submitted individual Pokémon card.
Despite its commonality, this felt-hat Pikachu isn’t losing its charm in terms of value; mint-condition examples scored PSA 10 grades have fetched upwards of $900. Speak about having your collectible cake and eating it too!
Judging by their crickets-like presence in the top 100 card submissions, sports cards showcased some cracks in their collectibles foundation. Only a mere trio — the 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie, Caitlin Clark WNBA ROY card from Panini Instant, and another Daniels masterpiece from Donruss — managed to break this Pokémon-dominated shell, with their submissions hovering between 8,800 and 10,500.
The trend bore further scrutiny into June’s figures, reinforcing TCG’s hold with 63% of PSA’s submissions being non-sports. Despite the fierce competition only in the perennial football and basketball seasons, Pokémon cards flew off shelves and into the treasure troves of delighted collectors.
The curious case of CGC Cards exemplifies Pokémon’s gravitational pull. Having graded a whopping 2.18 million cards up till now in 2025 — a number hot on the heels of its entire 2024 output — CGC found over 1.8 million of their submissions steeped in the TCG and non-sports realm. On the strikingly less sunny side, Beckett’s submissions slipped to a distant fourth place, noting a significant dip with only 366,000 cards graded this year; a mere 40% glittered with Pokémon or TCG.
PSA’s meteoric rise, however, might also owe a nod to its ingenious GameStop partnership. This alliance, forged in October, reeled in a spectacular haul exceeding a million grading submissions, becoming a conduit for Pokémon’s unstoppable momentum.
On the street level, Pokémon’s resurgence leads to a frenetic environment for those seeking the newest trading card treasure. Retailers face sold-out signs and impatient fans, with frantic lines and strict buying caps becoming the norm. New releases evaporate from shelves in a fiscal fever dream driven by a demand that seems as eternal as Pikachu’s cheerful presence.
With this sweeping wave in 2025, Pokémon has not only blasted ahead in terms of sheer grading numbers but has culturally configured itself as a mighty force in the collectibles sector. It’s a grand spectacle where trading card games metamorphose into epic adventures, rightfully marking their space among philatelic legends and autograph alchemists. As this colorful card universe continues to expand and enchant, one thing remains clear — Pokémon’s magnetic charm is set to hold the hobby world in its grip for many more moons to come.
