The vibrant world of Pokémon has officially outpaced traditional sports in the world of collectible card grading, as evidenced by 2025’s staggering figures. Fueled by nostalgia and a fervent fanbase that refuses to grow up, Pokémon cards now lead the grading revolution, leaving other collectible cards in the dust. In what can only be described as a seismic shift in the card collecting universe, Pokémon has taken its rightful place at the top of the podium.
According to a report from GemRate, a name that has become synonymous with trusted data in the collectibles industry, Pokémon cards make up an eye-popping 97 of the top 100 most-graded cards at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a venerable grading body whose seal can make or break a card’s market value. Non-sports trading card game (TCG) submissions accounted for 59% of all graded entries across the major authenticators in the first half of 2025. This fascinating statistic marks Pokémon as not just a franchise, but a cultural phenomenon with staying power.
Crunching numbers reveals a whopping 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards landing on graders’ desks from January through June. This marks a stunning annual leap of 70%. Meanwhile, sports card submissions managed just a 9% year-over-year decline, rounding out to 5.1 million. Clearly, a shift in collector’s tastes is reshaping the hobby landscape.
Among Pokémon’s impressive roster, the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232 emerges as the most graded card of the year with over 45,600 submissions. Its appeal lies as much in its scarcity as in its design— the kind of card that collectors dream of uncovering in a booster pack. However, if there’s an absolute monarch in this kingdom of cards, it’s unquestionably Pikachu. Over 345,000 iterations of this beloved yellow rodent were graded in 2025, with the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” a charming nod to the Van Gogh Museum partnership, entering legend with close to 84,000 graded copies. Despite its abundance, this card can fetch over $900 in perfect condition, hinting at the hypnotic allure of the franchise’s mascot.
In stark contrast, sports cards are seeing their star fade. Only three titles managed to infiltrate PSA’s echelon of 100 most-graded: the nascent 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie, the 2024 Panini Instant Caitlin Clark WNBA ROY card, and another Jayden Daniels, courtesy of Donruss. Each drew submissions ranging from 8,800 to 10,500, numbers significantly eclipsed by Pokémon’s heavy hitters.
The burgeoning field of graded submissions reflects a June to remember, where TCGs and non-sports cards claimed 63% of submissions, with PSA grading a staggering 911,000 cards in this vibrant category alone—dwarfing the 743,000 sports cards graded across all major parties.
CGC Cards, meanwhile, is surfing the Pokémon tidal wave with style, grading 2.18 million cards this year. It’s a number that rivals the company’s entire 2024 production, with over 1.8 million of those being TCGs or non-sports.
Yet not all giants enjoy the same momentum. Beckett’s once-formidable presence has dwindled, falling to fourth place among leading graders. In 2025, it has managed to grade a mere 366,000 cards, roughly 214,000 of which were Pokémon or TCG-related.
PSA’s meteoric rise also owes much to a strategic alliance with retail titan GameStop. Since October, this partnership has added a remarkable 1 million submissions to PSA’s tally, propelling this unstoppable trend forward.
The retail scene mirrors the hustle and bustle of animated Pokémon battles. Shelves empty almost as fast as they’re stocked, and fans brave long lines only to discover purchase limits per customer. As each new release dazzles the market and demand balloons, the stranglehold Pokémon has on collectibles is as tight as an Arbok grip.
What we’re witnessing isn’t just another collectible boom; it’s a renaissance for Pokémon, underpinned by thousands of card aficionados. This new era in the trading card world reveals that the pocket monsters are more than just a childhood memory—they are an undeniable force in the collectible community, commanding respect, awe, and impressive investment returns. Their surprising dominance hints that the entrenched culture of Pokémon isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
