In the realm of collectibles where sports cards once flexed their muscles and dominated, a new champion has entered the ring and thrown a mean Thunderbolt: Pokémon cards. Yes, the world of grading—which once reveled majorly in the glories of iconic sports memorabilia—is now being swept away by a tide of animated creatures that battle and evolve in a universe filled with nostalgia, whimsy, and an ever-present sense of adventure.
It turns out that Pokémon, that ever-adorable but fiercely competitive franchise, has captured the hearts—and certainly the wallets—of collectors in a big way by 2025. According to the latest insights from GemRate, the colorful and mystifying ensembles of pocket monsters have claimed the throne in the grading universe. Astonishingly, Pokémon cards constitute a jaw-dropping 97 out of the top 100 most-graded submissions at PSA, the parameter against which all others appear dimmed by comparison.
Gone are the days when collectors pinned their hopes on grabbing pristine rookies of star athletes; now, it’s radiant Charizards and illustrious Pikachus being scrutinized under expert eyes. And it’s not just a fleeting fad or a ripple of curiosity—the numbers tell a very bold tale. With non-sports and TCG (Trading Card Game) cards making up a hefty 59% of all graded submissions across the four major authenticators in the realm, combined efforts have brought forth an impressive palette of data.
From January to June, a staggering 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards were placed under the expertise of graders—a sizable 70% surge from the previous year. Comparatively, sports cards languished with 5.1 million submissions, a disappointing 9% decline that suggests many a sports aficionado now finds the shuffling of Pokémon decks more engaging than a ball game.
Leading the grades this year is a card as enigmatic as Pokémon itself: the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232, bewitching the graders with over 45,600 copies submitted. But lo and behold, while Wattrel basks in the limelight for now, the true superstar of 2025 remains Pikachu. Bearing over 345,000 graded examples in just a few months, Pikachu is more than just the face of the franchise; it’s an indomitable force of collectible nature, particularly the coveted “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” an ode to a cosmic collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum which boasts an eye-popping figure of 84,000 submissions and still sells for a princely sum—exceeding $900 for a PSA 10.
The world of sports cards, meanwhile, has been relegated to a quieter corner, with only a select trio of sports cards squeezing into PSA’s top 100: notably, shining stars from the world of basketball and football, reflecting the relentless global interest in these athletes, but comparably overshadowed by the electric surge of Pokémon enthusiasm.
Even as the calendar trickled into June, the trend didn’t buckle under pressure. TCG and non-sports cards accounted for a hefty 63% of submissions, a testament to the burgeoning clout of these new cultural titans. With PSA grading an impressive 911,000 in this genre, sports cards found themselves graciously trailing with a combined total of 743,000.
Amongst the grading houses, CGC Cards is proof of how Pokémon fever is reshaping the landscape, grading 2.18 million cards so far this year, a spike that nearly matches its efforts throughout the entirety of 2024. Unsurprisingly, 1.8 million of that fair share hailed from the TCG realm. Meanwhile, Beckett appears to be experiencing a drought, slotting into fourth place with a diminishing output, where just 214,000 of its 366,000 cards bore the Pokémon touch.
But bayonets mustered are not just swayed by collectors’ hunger; partnerships such as PSA’s ongoing kinship with GameStop have funneled over a million grading submissions since last October, a collaboration that’s driving this industry upheaval.
In stores, Pokémon remains the proverbial goose that lays golden eggs. Its intoxicating charm has led to shelves emptying like magic, lengthy lines forming as people clamber to see what marvel they might score, and even stringent per-customer purchase limits becoming routine. The fervor enveloping each new release doesn’t whisper of dissolving; it roars of an insatiated, unbreakable grip on our cultural imagination.
As 2025 unfolds, Pokémon cards aren’t just playing their part in taking down the sports card colossus—they’re weaving a narrative that could very well redefine what it means to be king in the kingdom of collectible treasures.
