In a blockbuster development reminiscent of a climactic Pokémon battle, the world of card grading has witnessed a seismic shift. Today, Pokémon cards, those colorful rectangles of nostalgia and strategy, have officially seized the top spot from the once-reigning sports cards. According to recent data from GemRate, Pokémon has not just tiptoed into the realm of third-party grading; it has bulldozed past every conceivable competitor, claiming its territory with shimmering pride.
In the first half of 2025, Pokémon cards strutted their stuff, accounting for a whopping 97 out of the top 100 most-graded cards at PSA, one of the four major authenticators revered in hobby circles. Non-sports and Trading Card Game (TCG) cards were the bellwether of a broader transformation, comprising 59% of all graded submissions during the same period.
The numbers speak volumes—even in the hushed tones of a library card catalog. A staggering 7.2 million TCG and non-sports cards were graded from January through June this year. This is not just a mere footnote in the annuals of card collecting; it’s a 70% year-over-year leap that could rival the acrobatics of an Olympian. Sports cards, on the other hand, limped in with a decline, their 5.1 million submissions marking a 9% drop over the same timeframe.
The top-grades list left sports fans gasping. Dominating the leaderboard is the Japanese Iono’s Wattrel Battle Partners Promo No. 232, registering a jaw-dropping 45,600 submissions. Yet, when it comes to brand recognition and sheer ubiquity, nothing quite captures the essence of the Pokémon universe like Pikachu. With over 345,000 graded Pikachu cards this year alone, the beloved yellow mascot continues to electrify collectors.
Notably, a standout is the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” a collectible birthed from a whimsical brainchild of a collaboration between Pokémon and the Van Gogh Museum. It’s a masterpiece of crossover appeal, earning itself the title of the most-submitted Pokémon card ever at PSA with nearly 84,000 entries. Even amidst the economic principle of supply and demand, the allure endures, with PSA 10 examples flitting off auction blocks for over $900, much like art in full bloom.
And where do sports cards sit in the pantheon of popularity, you might ask? They’ve fallen far behind, with only three making a begrudging cameo in PSA’s top 100: the 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels rookie, the 2024 Panini Instant Caitlin Clark WNBA ROY card, and another Jayden Daniels artifact from Donruss. Each card clocked in with submissions hovering between 8,800 and 10,500—barely enough to qualify as a blip on the Pokémon-dominated radar.
The monthly breakdown of June was an emphatic rubber stamp on this trend. TCG and non-sports cards continued their victory lap, comprising 63% of submissions. PSA alone graded 911,000 in the category, positively dwarfing the sports card total which scraped together 743,000 submissions across all four major grading firms.
Among the grading juggernauts, CGC Cards has been quite the trailblazer, surfing the Pokémon wave to astounding heights. With 2.18 million cards graded so far in 2025, CGC is tantalizingly close to replicating its entire output from 2024. Out of these, an eye-popping 1.8 million were TCG or non-sports, solidifying the firm as a Pokémon powerhouse.
Conversely, Beckett, once a titan in the industry, has seen their glory days recede like an ebbing tide. Now sitting at the fourth spot among major graders, Beckett has graded 366,000 cards in 2025, with competitive solace found in that 214,000 were Pokémon or TCG-related submissions.
The heart of Pokémon’s resurgence, however, might be traced to its strategic alliances. The ongoing PSA partnership with retail giant GameStop since October has enticed over 1 million grading submissions. This synergy has propelled the franchise’s resurgence, sending ripples across the retail landscape.
Retail echoes the loud trumpets of Pokémon’s popularity as aficionados brace for sellouts, endure lines that rival theme parks, and navigate customer purchase limits. New releases vanish almost instantly—leaving nothing but empty shelves and desperate whispers of “gotta catch ’em all.”
As the year unfolds, it’s clear that Pokémon’s grip on the card grading world is not just firm but fiercly tenacious. The franchise’s ability to adapt and capture the imaginations (and wallets) of both nostalgic collectors and new enthusiasts alike promises a future that is as vibrant and dynamic as a game night battle. Who could have predicted that Pikachu’s energy-charged cheeky smile would lead to a takeover of epic proportions? Certainly no one who underestimated the power of a tenacious small creature with electrifying ambitions.