If you’ve been keeping an eye on the world of card grading, then you might already know that sports cards are yesterday’s news, at least for now. In 2025, Pokémon cards have slashed their way to the top of the submission leaderboard, a feat akin to a critical hit from a well-timed Thunderbolt. According to data from GemRate, Pokémon cards currently make up a staggering 97 of the top 100 most-graded cards sent to PSA, giving baseball, basketball, and football cards the unfortunate role of benchwarmers.
The trading card game (TCG) boom has reached fever pitch, with non-sports and TCG cards occupying 59% of all graded submissions across the big four authenticators in the first half of 2025. It’s as if Pikachu, Charizard, and the gang have decided to form their own exclusive league, leaving traditional sports stars in their wake.
Imagine this: from January to June of this year, zealous collectors had a total of 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards graded. This represents a jaw-dropping 70% increase from the previous year—a statistic that must have baseball cards weeping in their binders. Meanwhile, sports card submissions fell to 5.1 million, reflecting a 9% dip that is as uncomfortable as catching a pokémon with no Pokéballs.
The crown jewel in this cacophony of card madness is the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232, which alone saw over 45,600 copies submitted to PSA. But if you thought Pikachu would just sit quietly while another card claimed glory, you’re sorely mistaken. The beloved electric rodent, decked out in a classy Grey Felt Hat from the Van Gogh Museum collaboration, has been graded nearly 84,000 times this year. This notable Pikachu has managed to snag PSA’s title of the most-submitted Pokémon card ever. Yet even with supply numbers worthy of an avid hoarder, this card can command over $900 for a flawless PSA 10 example. It’s a price tag that illustrates Pikachu’s power transcending the card collector’s realm and tapping into the broader cultural zeitgeist.
Sports cards, meanwhile, are left with a scattered presence in the top 100. With only three cards making it into the upper echelons of submissions—two featuring the much-lauded Jayden Daniels and one celebrating Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Rookie of the Year accolade—sports cards are playing a different ballgame in the land of Pokémon dominance. Each managed to capture between 8,800 and 10,500 submissions, an impressive feat until you stack them against the multi-thousand Pikachu numbers.
Breaking the monthly figures for June, TCG and non-sports cards comprised 63% of all submissions. PSA single-handedly churned through 911,000 of these, dwarfing the combined sports card submissions of 743,000 shared across all four major grading firms. Here, PSA leads the charge, bolstered by its savvy partnership with GameStop. The October-launched collaboration has already funneled over a million grading submissions to PSA, marking a symbiotic relationship that recalls the best trainer-pokémon pairing.
In the grading arena, CGC Cards has nearly doubled its output compared to last year, thanks largely to Pokémon’s thriving demand. Having graded over 2.18 million cards so far, with more than 1.8 million being TCG or non-sports, CGC is right at the heart of this collectible resurgence. Competitor Beckett, however, seems to have lagged behind, slipping into the fourth spot as it has only graded 366,000 cards in 2025, 214,000 of which are Pokémon or TCG-related. It seems the winds of popularity weren’t blowing quite as favorably in Beckett’s direction.
Retail dynamics echo the frenzy observed in the grading world, with new Pokémon releases prompting long lines, rapid sellouts, and retailer-imposed buying limits. In shops around the globe, fans and collectors alike compete in a real-life Safari Zone hunt, each hoping to snag their coveted cards before supplies inevitably run dry.
So, what does this mean for Pokémon’s future grip on the collectible card market? Bet on more of the same: records shattered, lines drawn, and cards flying off the shelves faster than Scyther’s Slash attack. While sports cards regroup for a potential comeback, Pokémon’s ascent seems unstoppable, surf-riding on cultural waves unseen since the ’90s Pokémon craze first gripped the world. Will there be room for a future where Pokéballs and footballs share headline dominance? Only time—and a few million more Pikachu cards—will tell.
