Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary Sparks Surge in PSA Card Grading

The Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has confirmed that Pokémon trading cards now dominate its grading submissions, officially surpassing sports cards as the franchise approaches its 30th anniversary. The grading giant reports that 2025 marked the first time trading card games (TCG) eclipsed sports memorabilia in submission volume, with Pokémon representing approximately 90% of all TCG items processed.

To put the surge into perspective, PSA graded 1.5 million Pikachu cards in 2024 alone. That single-year figure nearly matches the 1.6 million Michael Jordan cards the company has graded in total since its founding in 1991. The data highlights a mass market shift where nostalgic cardboard has become as liquid as vintage sports assets, fueled by headlines of rare 1999 Pokémon cards selling for five-figure sums.

While the video game series continues its momentum through Pokémon Scarlet and Violet expansions, the collectible market has taken on a life of its own. “Previously, Michael Jordan was kind of our most graded athlete slash character of all time,” Elizabeth Gruene, PSA’s head of pop culture, told Polygon. “We graded 1.5 million Pikachu cards just last year.”