In a startling display of nostalgia and high-stakes investing, the trading card industry has once again proven its formidable presence on the collectibles scene. June 2025 witnessed a staggering $305.7 million splurge on sports and trading cards, catapulting to an all-time high. For enthusiasts and investors alike, this month will go down in hobby history books, breaking yet another industry record and surpassing the previous $303.22 million mark set in March.
The data, dutifully compiled and verified by Card Ladder, tells a story of burgeoning interest and deep-pocketed enthusiasm. It’s a passion that manifests not as a fleeting hobby but as an ever-expanding marketplace brimming with diversity—spanning everything from sports icons immortalized on cardboard to the whimsical allure of magical creatures from Pokémon.
The undisputed mammoth in this card kingdom is eBay, responsible for propelling a substantial portion of the sales. A colossal $245 million of transactions streamed through its platform in June alone, evidencing its powerful sway over hobbyists around the globe. Not far behind, Goldin Auctions raked in a robust $32 million, serving as the stage for adrenaline-fueled bidding wars and legendary finds. Meanwhile, Fanatics Collect added a not-so-shabby $27 million to the month’s pot, further proving that competition in this sphere is not for the faint of heart.
Amidst this whirlwind of bidding and bartering, one card emerged as the undisputed king of June’s auction scene: a 2009-10 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman relic card adorned with the iconic visages of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Goldin Auctions hosted the high-stakes showdown that concluded with this cardboard masterpiece selling for a jaw-dropping $1.16 million, making it the solitary seven-figure sale of the month.
Beneath the glittering peaks of these sky-high sales, the market’s vigor is not solely confined to rarefied air. Six more cards joined the ranks of high-value splendor, each soaring past the $500,000 thresholds. Expanding beyond that, 68 cards comfortably surpassed the $100,000 mark, while another 239 found new homes at prices north of $50,000. These numbers don’t merely reflect an uptick in prices but rather symbolize the growing strength and depth of the high-end market.
Meanwhile, not everything in the trading card world revolves around monumental auctions. The realm of card grading—an indispensable facet for verifiers and value-seekers—has also surged. According to the diligent number-crunching by GemRate, an astounding 12.4 million cards have been put through the grading gauntlet so far in 2025. This represents a robust 25% increase over the previous year, underscoring grading’s critical role in the hobby’s flourishing ecosystem.
Amongst the graded, the thematic siren call of Pokémon has never been louder. The darling of the grading world, Pokémon has managed to secure a whopping 97 out of the top 100 most graded spots at PSA this year. These mesmerizing pocket monsters claim hearts as well as they do market shares, continually captivating collectors across generations with their nostalgia-packed charm and potential profitability.
The electrifying month of June caps off an extraordinarily robust first half for the trading card hobby in 2025. As fresh data continues to trickle in, initial figures suggest that enthusiasm surrounding sports cards, TCGs (trading card games), and other vintage collectibles shows no sign of abating anytime soon.
This boom is underpinned by various factors: the tantalizing prospect of uncovering rare gems, the nostalgic desire to reconnect with pieces of childhood, and the very real allure of investment. Each transaction contributes to an intricate ecosystem flourishing at the intersection of passion and market dynamics, as faithful followers remain ever-eager to revisit a past unfurling like a vibrant trading card playmat.
This fervor also cements trading cards as a formidable player in the broader collectibles market. In an age where tangible assets often take digital backseats, what’s old is refreshingly new again. And as long as card sleeves continue to be filled, the hobby will keep thriving, one captivating piece of cardboard at a time.
