In an industry historically dominated by sports memorabilia, the tables have decisively turned as Pokémon cards charge to the forefront of the grading world in 2025. According to the latest GemRate data, Pokémon has become the heavyweight champion of card submissions, leaving sports cards to lag behind like an out-of-shape Snorlax.
The numbers are nothing short of electrifying—97 out of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA, the largest card grading company, now belong to the Pokémon universe. It seems that Pikachu and friends have become the new MVPs in the hearts of collectors, whether they’re wielding a Grey Felt Hat or just channeling their inner cuteness.
Non-sports and Trading Card Game (TCG) cards have also outpaced their athletic counterparts, accounting for a staggering 59% of all graded submissions across the industry’s big four authenticators in the first half of the year. This surge perhaps reflects a broader cultural shift where fantastical battles and whimsical creatures provide an escape hatch from the everyday grind, outshining real-world sporting exploits.
From January to June, a whopping 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards were graded, representing a tremendous 70% increase compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, sports cards, typically stalwarts of the grading game, saw submissions steadily decline to 5.1 million, marking a 9% decrease. Perhaps, once again, fantasy can sometimes outpace reality in captivating the collective imagination.
The Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232 has emerged as the most graded individual card this year, with over 45,600 copies passing through expert hands. But it’s Pikachu, the franchise’s adored mascot, who remains the shining star with over 345,000 graded cards in 2025 alone. The whimsical “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” card from the Van Gogh Museum collaboration tops the charts, boasting nearly 84,000 submissions. Despite its saturated presence, achieving a pristine PSA 10 grade still renders it a collector’s dream, with recent sales soaring past $900. Who would have thought? Pikachu proving itself to be more valuable than stocks!
Sports cards, on the other hand, seem to have taken a back seat, struggling to elbow their way into the CPA’s top echelon. Only three sports entries have managed to break into the top 100: the much-anticipated Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie card, the Panini Instant Caitlin Clark WNBA Rookie of the Year card, and another Jayden Daniels creation from Donruss. Each enjoyed submissions ranging from 8,800 to 10,500—a respectable showing but dwarfed by Pokémon’s pervasive popularity.
The trend of TCG dominance solidified further in June, with non-sports cards constituting 63% of submissions. PSA alone churned through 911,000 cards in this category, effortlessly outscoring the total 743,000 sports cards reviewed by all four leading grading companies. The message is loud and clear: Pokémon isn’t just playing a game; it’s winning the championship.
CGC Cards, in particular, has caught the Pokémon wave. A staggering 2.18 million cards have been graded this year, almost mirroring their entire 2024 output, with more than 1.8 million of these being TCG or non-sports related. It’s like the Pokémon universe has injected Vertexium energy into grading figures, propelling them skyward.
As for Beckett, it appears that the force isn’t as strong with them. They’ve slid into fourth place among the major graders, with Pokémon and TCG making up over half of the 366,000 cards they’ve dissected this year. Talk about a paradigm shift.
Adding further fuel to the Pokémon frenzy is PSA’s strategic alliance with GameStop. Since October, their collaboration has coaxed one million submissions out of the woodwork, acting as both a catalyst and a mirror reflecting the sheer scale of Pokémon’s hold on the hobby.
Retail environments have akin to Pokémon craze arenas, with stock flying off the shelves swifter than a dodging Jolteon. Widespread sell-outs have led to customer limit caps and snaking lines—telltale signs of the insatiable demand for that magical packet of cards that might just contain the next Gray Felt Hat Pikachu or another coveted treasure.
It appears that in 2025, the winds have definitively shifted. Sports cards find themselves succumbing to a drizzle of mundane gray while Pokémon bathes in a golden glow, proving that sometimes, the fantastic trumps even the most valiant touchdowns and homeruns. Amidst this revolution, the Pokémon franchise continues its striding march into the hearts of fans across the globe, juggling nostalgia with fresh innovations. A revolution with impact as transformative and electrifying as any evolution stone.
