Welcome to the year 2025, where Pokémon cards have conquered the grading landscape with all the gallantry of an enthusiastic Pikachu chasing thunderbolts. Yes, you heard it right! The captivating allure of Pokémon cards has turned the collecting world upside down and left sports cards gasping for air as they tried to keep up with the whirlwind.
According to the latest statistics from GemRate, Pokémon cards have seized the grading scene almost entirely. An astonishing 97 out of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA, one of the leading third-party grading companies, belong to Pokémon. It’s as if Pikachu and friends have launched a formidable invasion, capturing the hearts of collectors and graders alike.
And it’s not just Pokémon stealing the limelight; non-sports and Trading Card Game (TCG) cards have collectively accounted for a heart-stopping 59% of all graded submissions across the four major authenticators in the initial six months of this year. More than just a passing fad, this is a Pokémon phenomenon!
From January through June, a staggering tally of 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards have been evaluated and awarded their respective grades—a spectacle that marks a jaw-dropping 70% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, sports card submissions have dwindled to 5.1 million, which represents a 9% decline in the same period. It’s clear that in collectors’ eyes, sports seems to have taken a backseat to the colorful and diverse world of Pokémon.
When examining individual cards, the pièce de résistance is undoubtedly the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232. This card takes the crown as the most graded single card of the year, with over 45,600 copies submitted for grading. Yet, it’s the inexorable Pikachu that remains the beloved mascot of the brand with over 345,000 graded appearances in 2025 alone. Central to this Pikachu mania is the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” card from the Van Gogh Museum collaboration, which has ascended to the throne as PSA’s most-submitted Pokémon card ever. Despite being as plentiful as digital Pokémon in augmented reality, some pristine PSA 10 examples of this card still fetch over $900—remarkable, indeed!
Turning our attention to the sports cards, it appears they are struggling to claw their way into the spotlight. A mere three sports cards have nudged their way into PSA’s top 100 graded list. Among them includes the youthful vigor of the 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie card (#347), the 2024 Panini Instant Caitlin Clark WNBA ROY card, and another appearance by Daniels with a Donruss card (#389). These represent glimmers of hope with submission numbers floating between 8,800 and 10,500.
The data from June continues to echo this seismic shift in preferences. TCG and non-sports cards composed 63% of all grading submissions. PSA graded a colossal 911,000 cards in this category alone in that month, outperforming the combined sports card total of 743,000 submissions across the leading grading entities.
Meanwhile, CGC Cards has experienced a tidal wave of Pokémon-induced activity. The company has graded a total of 2.18 million cards thus far in 2025, teetering close to its entire output from last year. An impressive feat where over 1.8 million of those cards fall under the TCG or non-sports umbrella.
Yet not all grading companies are on the same Euphony Express. Beckett’s grading volume has tumbled, securing its fourth-place status among the grading giants. Out of the 366,000 cards Beckett has assessed in 2025, around 214,000 relate to Pokémon or other TCG cards—a shift reminiscent of an Entei fleeing through a frozen tundra.
Amidst this grading gold rush, PSA’s spectacular success can be largely attributed to its ongoing liaison with GameStop. Their partnership, launched back in October, has attracted over 1 million grading submissions, propelling the boom forward with the efficiency of a Charizard in flight.
On the retail front, Pokémon cards have achieved an almost mythical status. Fans and collectors face a relentless battle against sold-out stock, serpentine queues, and per-customer purchase restrictions. New product releases vaporize off the shelves quicker than you can say “Poké Ball.” With insatiable demand driving the fervor to unparalleled heights, it seems that Pokémon’s hold on collectors’ affections is anything but temporary.
As we forge ahead into this vibrant era of collectibles, it’s evident that Pokémon is not just a card collection but a world of imagination where anything seems possible—including the toppling of the mighty sports card dynasty. Who could have predicted such a dynamic turn of events? In the world of Pokémon and TCG, expect the unexpected, and embrace the electrifying adventure!
