Step aside Wall Street, there’s a new big spender in town, and it’s all about paper and ink. Trading cards, which once were the province of schoolyard imperials and attic treasures, now bask in the neon glow of multi-million dollar deals, setting the collectors’ hearts—and bank accounts—aflame. The figures are astounding: in June 2025 alone, sports and trading card enthusiasts splurged over $305 million, an all-time high according to data from Card Ladder. This astronomical splash out eclipsed the previous record of $303.22 million from March, underlining how investment and nostalgia have melded into an irresistible combination for buyers.
This wild spending spree largely vaulted through eBay’s digital auction halls, where $245 million of cardboard and glossy enchantments changed hands. Not to be outdone, Goldin Auctions chipped in a shiny $32 million, with Fanatics Collect adding $27 million to this treasure trove pile. Altogether, Card Ladder recorded a dizzying 5.2 million individual card transactions throughout June—an unparalleled flurry of activity that stands as the second-highest transactional volume on their books.
The crown jewel of June’s trading card opulence came courtesy of Goldin, where a rare 2009-10 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman card featuring the likenesses of basketball demigods LeBron James and Kobe Bryant went for a slam-dunk price of $1.16 million. It was the singular seven-figure transaction this month, but there was plenty of hefty financial dribbling occurring just out of view. Six cards passed the $500,000 mark, while an entire treasure fleet of 68 cards smoothly skirted past the $100,000 price buoy. Meanwhile, 239 cards merrily sailed beyond the $50,000 horizon.
Grading activity has also surged to exhilarating new altitudes. GemRate, the oracle of card truth, reported that in the first half of 2025 alone, an eye-popping 12.4 million cards have been graded—a 25% leap from last year. Not surprisingly, the domain of TCG (Trading Card Games) and non-sports cards takes the lion’s share here, with a staggering 7.2 million cards being assessed. Pokémon cards, never a stranger to supremacy, led the charge. In fact, 97 out of the top 100 most graded cards at PSA this year bear the Pokémon insignia, proving that our love for Japanese pocket monsters knows no bounds.
This monumental June milestone stands as an emblem of resilience and growth for the trading card hobby—a sphere once earmarked for wax packs and musty card shops, which now thrives in a vibrant ecosystem of high-end auctions and passionate collectors. The market’s robustness isn’t attributed to simple nostalgia alone but has evolved to encompass recognition of cultural artifacts with tangible investment value.
Economic volatility doesn’t seem to scare these modern-day relic hunters. To the contrary, they see trading cards as a golden opportunity amidst global uncertainties, helping to preserve and potentially increase century-long cultural and financial interest. Each card is more than just a playable moment in a game; it’s a shard of history, a piece of artistic endeavor captured on a few inches of glossy paper.
The outlook for the rest of 2025 suggests more of the same—an uptick in both interest and investment across the board. Trading cards have steadfastly defied gloomy forecasts, emerging as icons of value and permanence, potentially building momentum across sporting genres, TCGs, and beyond.
Investment-wise, the era where trading cards merely mimicked knickknacks has ended. Cards are commodities that sustain the balance between scarcity and demand, and the interest driving these record-breaking figures speaks volumes. June’s figures are both a testament to a thriving market and a siren call inviting new players to join in the chase, gathering stories, victories, and yes, fortunes along the way. In the trading card universe, the sky might just be the limit.
