In February 2025, a Pikachu Illustrator card sold for $16.49 million, eclipsing the previous record for the most expensive trading card ever sold – a signed basketball card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant that went for $12.93 million in 2025. The sale underscored a dramatic shift in the collectibles market, one where Pokémon cards have overtaken sports cards in popularity and investment value.
For decades, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) built its reputation grading sports memorabilia, with Michael Jordan cards consistently topping the charts. According to Elizabeth Gruene, PSA’s head of pop culture, the company graded 1.5 million Michael Jordan cards over its history. However, in just the last year, PSA graded 1.5 million Pikachu cards. This surge in Pokémon submissions reflects a broader trend: trading card games (TCGs) surpassed sports cards in the number of cards graded at PSA in 2025, with Pokémon accounting for roughly 90% of all TCGs graded.
The Pokémon TCG’s dominance isn’t occurring in isolation. Gruene notes that collectors are increasingly diversifying their portfolios, seeking out emerging categories beyond Pokémon. “Many collectors are looking to diversify their collections or discover emerging categories before they reach the level of demand we’re seeing with Pokémon,” she said. Several other franchises with established fan bases are experiencing a surge in collectible card game interest.
One such franchise is “One Piece,” the long-running Japanese manga and anime series. The “One Piece” trading card game, launched in 2022, has seen a remarkable rise in popularity. PSA graded approximately 10,000 “One Piece” cards in 2022, but that number spiked to 144,000 in February 2024 alone – a 700% increase. A Los Angeles Dodgers promotional card featuring the character Monkey D. Luffy sold for $15,000 on eBay in November 2025, according to The Athletic.
Another established TCG, “Magic: The Gathering,” is likewise attracting renewed attention from collectors, and investors. A pristine condition Black Lotus card from “Magic: The Gathering” sold for $3 million in April 2024. Gruene attributes this resurgence to the release of more collectible card lines and collaborations with other popular franchises, such as Marvel and Final Fantasy.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” is also experiencing a revival, coinciding with the approach of the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026. Gruene points to nostalgia as a key driver of interest in these collectible franchises. Whereas some “Yu-Gi-Oh!” cards have reportedly sold for millions in private sales, including a unique “Tyler the Great Warrior” card that fetched $300,000 on eBay in 2023, the increased demand is leading to cards being quickly cleared from store shelves.
“The whole world is starting to realize just how popular these franchises are,” Gruene said. Overall value of Pokémon cards has spiked by 20% in the past six months, with some individual cards skyrocketing by as much as 150%, according to Gruene.
