In a stunning turn of events, the beloved monsters of Pokémon have launched themselves past the dizzying heights of nostalgia to a whole new realm of obsession and collectible domination. 2025 has cemented Pokémon cards as the monarchs of the grading world, leaving their sports card rivals eating dust in their wake. According to recent data from the grading watchdogs at GemRate, Pokémon cards have claimed an overwhelming majority in the submissions department. Out of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA, a staggering 97 belong to the Pokémon franchise. This isn’t just a flash in the pan—it’s an outright takeover.
Trading card game (TCG) and non-sports cards have grabbed the lion’s share, accounting for 59% of all grading submissions among the four major certification behemoths this year. From January to June, some 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards found their way under the discerning eyes of graders, marking a monumental 70% surge compared to last year. Meanwhile, sports cards, those former stars of collecting fame, submitted a comparatively paltry 5.1 million, revealing a 9% dip over the same timeframe.
The year’s standout card thus far? The Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232, with an astonishing 45,600 copies submitted. But don’t despair if Iono doesn’t ring your nostalgia bell—Pikachu, with his iconic electric cheeks, remains the undisputed darling of the Pokémon gala. More than 345,000 Pikachu cards have been graded in 2025 alone. Leading the charge is the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” a masterpiece born of a whimsical collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum. Nearly 84,000 of these cards have been submitted, soaring past all other Pokémon cards to become PSA’s most-submitted treasure. And despite its colossal numbers, a mint condition PSA 10 still fetches handsome prices, with recent sales surpassing $900.
In the sports card sphere, the submissions barely made a ripple. Only three sports cards managed to creep into PSA’s top 100 chart. Making appearances are a pair of rookie cards—from 2024 Panini Prizm and Donruss respectively—featuring the football phenomenon Jayden Daniels, alongside a WNBA Rookie of the Year card for the court queen, Caitlin Clark. Each of these cards eked out somewhere between 8,800 and 10,500 submissions, which quite frankly, is small potatoes compared to the Pikachu palooza.
June painted a vivid picture reinforcing this dominant trend. TCG and non-sports submissions surged to 63% of PSA’s total, which alone graded 911,000 of these charming cards, steamrolling past the combined 743,000 total of sports cards across the four grading giants.
Amid this shift, CGC Cards has been riding high on Pokémon’s coattails, grading a whopping 2.18 million cards so far this year—approaching the entirety of their 2024 output in just six months! An eyebrow-raising chunk of these, over 1.8 million, are TCG or non-sports gems.
Beckett, another traditional powerhouse, is feeling the squeeze, slipping to fourth among the major grading companies. Of the 366,000 cards Beckett has examined in 2025, approximately 214,000 were Pokémon or TCG-centric. It seems the allure of catching ’em all has even left grading operations rethinking their game plans.
PSA’s meteoric rise in Pokémon grading submissions also owes its thanks to an ongoing alliance with GameStop. Launched in October, this partnership has harnessed over 1 million grading submissions, adding fuel to the ongoing Pokémon frenzy.
The fever pitch surrounding Pokémon cards has transcended mere numbers on a spreadsheet into an all-consuming retail juggernaut. Shelves become barren quickly with each new release, prompting retailers to implement restrictions and leaving some eager collectors in lines that stretch around the block. With demand reaching fever-pitch highs, Pokémon’s hold on the hearts of collectors and its undisputed leadership in card grading shows no sign of fading.
The spectacle of 2025 in the world of card grading isn’t just a testament to the enduring appeal of this playful franchise but a revelation about where true collecting zeal lies. While sports cards might have dominated yesterday’s turf, today’s world is squarely in the hands—or rather, the paws and wings—of Pokémon. The future, it seems, will continue to be as electrifying and unpredictable as a wild Pikachu attack.
