In a dazzling display of collector fever and market momentum, the trading card industry has just conquered a new summit. June 2025 etched itself into the annals of hobbyist history with an awe-inspiring $305 million splurge on sports and trading cards. According to data compiled by Card Ladder, this financial frenzy marks not only the single most bountiful month in recent memory but the largest on record, tipping slightly over the previous high of $303.22 million reached in March of the same year. And as additional data trickles in through early July, the already colossal figure might just swell a bit more.
A significant cornerstone of this tremendous surge was eBay, the perennial marketplace giant. Charged with an astounding $245 million in card sales single-handedly, eBay’s role was akin to that of an economic juggernaut in the trading card domain. Meanwhile, Goldin and Fanatics Collect were not far behind, contributing an impressive $32 million and $27 million, respectively. All told, June saw an astounding 5.2 million individual transactions pass through Card Ladder’s tracker, a number that almost strains credulity and positions it as the second-highest tally ever charted by the platform.
Taking the spotlight amongst June’s card gala was an opulent gem from Goldin—a 2009-10 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman card boasting two basketball titans, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. This enshrined piece of cardboard glory ascended to stratospheric heights, claiming a triumphant $1.16 million price tag, and stood alone as the month’s singular seven-figure sale. Such celebrated transactions illuminate a burgeoning high-end market where dreams of substantial investments and profound appreciation are materializing into reality.
Beyond the grandiose, the market exhibited numerous other significant transactions—six hallowed cards eclipsed $500,000, a remarkable 68 sold beyond the $100,000 mark, and a hearty battalion of 239 were whisked away in excess of $50,000. The statistics speak volumes, whispering the tale of a market thriving vibrantly on the higher planes of luxury collectibles.
In tandem with the surge in sales, grading activity reached unprecedented heights. The experts at GemRate disclosed that a remarkable 12.4 million cards have received their sacred grading stamps thus far in 2025—a robust 25% leap over the numbers seen the previous year. Teasing intriguing trends, a lion’s share of these graded gems, approximately 7.2 million, hailed from TCG (Trading Card Games) and non-sports domains. Here, a household name stole the show: Pokémon. Indeed, Pokémon continues to flex its dominance, with a staggering 97 of the top 100 most graded cards at PSA this year belonging to these beloved creatures from various collections.
As June’s spectacular figures close the ledger on the first half of 2025, the trading card hobby stands confidently on a foundation of enthusiasm that shows no signs of abating. Across the sprawling spectrum from sports to TCGs and beyond, the momentum is palpable, cascading through the community with an invigorating vitality.
Within this fervent tableau, collectors and investors find themselves navigating waters that are both exciting and demanding, where every transaction could herald a jackpot or simply serve as a cherished addition to a personal collection. The industry’s landscape is more like a sprawling patchwork of passionate enthusiasts, savvy investors, and hopeful speculators, each seeking their respective fortunes in printed cardboard treasures.
And what does the future hold for this thriving market? As we venture deeper into 2025, the path forward radiates with the promise of sustained growth. With new releases slated by leading trading card publishers and a continually swelling collector base, opportunities abound. Recent collaborations and innovations within sectors like blockchain technology, providing ways to ensure authenticity and provenance, and the inexorable allure of nostalgia all contribute to a market poised not just for sustainability but an expansion of epic proportions.
This is truly an era of golden opportunity for those entrenched in the world of trading cards. So, whether you’re a wide-eyed rookie learning the ropes or a shrewd veteran navigating with precision, strap in for what promises to be an exhilarating journey further into the heart of a booming hobby, where every card holds a story, and every transaction is an open door to the world of dreams on cardboard canvas.
