In the dazzling realm of collectible cards, a seismic shift has occurred, akin to a Pikachu doing the Electric Slide at the Pokémon World Championship. It’s 2025, and Pokémon cards have officially snatched the crown of collectible card royalty, strutting past sports cards with an air of effortless dominance. According to GemRate’s latest report, Pokémon cards aren’t just in vogue—they’re practically setting the trend, with an astonishing 97 of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA stamped with the Pokémon logo. Who knew that creatures confined within tiny digital capsules could hold such sway over cardboard enthusiasts?
Beyond swaying the hearts of collectors, these cards have wielded their charm over third-party grading companies. For those not so enveloped in the trading card game world, grading is akin to getting your high school diploma—but for cards. It governs their condition, authenticity, and market value. As of the first half of 2025, non-sports and TCG (Trading Card Game) cards such as Pokémon account for an impressive 59% of graded submissions across the four top-tier authenticators, usurping sports cards, previously considered Titans of the grading arena. With numbers as stunning as these, one might picture TCG cards adorned with tiny crowns, with sports cards lagging behind as nobles in a card castle.
From January to June, a staggering 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards made their way onto the grading stage, marking a meteoric 70% increase since the same period last year. In a shocking twist, submissions for sports cards dwindled to 5.1 million—a decline of 9%. As they say in the world of cartoons and collectibles, the numbers don’t lie. It seems the folks from Pallet Town have pulled a decisive win in this round.
Among specific cards, the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232 has claimed the title of the most graded single card this year, boasting over 45,600 submissions. Yet, standing tall among them all, Pikachu—the pint-sized, electric Swiss army knife of the franchise—remains the face of Pokémon, with over 345,000 renditions being graded. Leading this sparkling charge is the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” a relic from the collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum. Astonishingly, this card has earned nearly 84,000 submissions, and despite its populous nature, PSG 10 conditions can fetch princely sums exceeding $900.
Sports cards, however, lie in stark contrast. They’ve hardly etched a footprint in this new grading landscape, with just three sports cards elbowing their way into PSA’s top 100 submissions: the 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie card (#347), the Caitlin Clark WNBA ROY card from Panini Instant 2024, and another Jayden Daniels card from Donruss (#389). Each of these saw submissions floating between 8,800 and 10,500. In what could feel like a tactical retreat, sports cards have evidently ceded ground to their TCG counterparts.
Focusing on June alone, TCG and non-sports cards comprised a whopping 63% of grading submissions. PSA dominated this scene with 911,000 cards graded, in comparison to a mere 743,000 sports cards across the quartet of major grading houses. Meanwhile, CGC Cards has carved out its niche, surfing on the Pokémon wave to grade 2.18 million cards in 2025. Of these, over 1.8 million involve TCG or non-sports, rousing figures that nearly match its entire output last year.
Our friends at Beckett, while idyllic and revered once upon a time, have seen a noticeable slump. Now, Beckett ranks fourth among the cardinal graders, grading some 366,000 cards, with a hefty portion—approximately 214,000—being occupied by Pokémon or TCG-related characters. One man’s decline is another’s trade advantage.
Speaking of advantages, PSA’s rapid rise is partially attributed to its ongoing partnership with GameStop, a union first minted back in October 2024. This alliance heralded a deluge of over 1 million grading submissions, catapulting the Pokémon phenomenon to even greater heights. This partnership is truly the Venusaur in Pokémon’s Garden of Eden, germinating enthusiasm and submissions alike.
On the retail front, Pokémon mania isn’t just a matter of ceremony; it’s a fervent craze reminiscent of Black Friday sales with a fairy tale twist. Card aisles witness sellouts reminiscent of a magician’s vanishing act, throngs of enthusiasts form endless lines, and wise retailers now impose per-customer restrictions as cards vanish faster than a Ninetales’ apparition. With fervent demand outpacing supply, Pokémon’s iron grip on the infernal card collectors’ world appears unyielding, reluctant to loosen its clutch anytime soon.
Whether this meteoric rise heralds a long-lasting era or is a sparkling burst of temporary fervor remains as mysterious as a Mew lurking in the tall grass. However, one thing stands as clear as a well-graded, mint-condition Charizard: Pokémon, in its charming evolution, has firmly staked its claim on the top of the grading world for the foreseeable future.
