In a world where nostalgia and investment opportunities often cross paths, the trading card industry has once again proven its mettle by achieving another sensational milestone. The numbers are astonishing; in June 2025, a staggering $305.7 million was exchanged for sports and trading cards, cascading across major marketplaces and auction houses. This marks the largest single month ever recorded in the realm of trading cards, according to the reputable data wiz, Card Ladder.
For those tracking this thrilling boom, the figure not only surpasses but leaves the previous record of $303.22 million, set just a few months earlier in March, in the dust. There’s no telling where the final number will land as late submissions and straggling stats may make it rise even further as the reports continue to stream in throughout early July.
Fueling June’s robust sales was the online retail giant, eBay, which alone accounted for a jaw-dropping $245 million in card sales. But eBay was not alone in basking in trading card glory. Goldin, an esteemed auction house in the collectibles arena, contributed a healthy $32 million to the coffers, while Fanatics Collect didn’t lag far behind, delivering an additional $27 million for the month. In total, Card Ladder toted up to an impressive 5.2 million individual transactions in June—the second-most ever logged on its robust platform.
The spotlight sale of the month, twinkling brightly from Goldin’s vault, was a 2009-10 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual NBA Logoman card starring none other than the court legends, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. This gem earned a cool $1.16 million, standing as the solitary seven-figure card sale in June’s illustrious lineup.
Yet, this grand event wasn’t marked by solitary flash sales alone. Across the marketplace, there were unicorns roaming in the form of high-value cards. A total of six cards broke the $500,000 barrier, a thrilling 68 managed to breach the $100,000 mark, and 239 stampeded over the $50,000 plateau. These numbers paint a vivid picture of a flourishing high-end market that continues to captivate both hardcore collectors and eager investors alike.
Meanwhile, the parallel universe of card grading saw an equally dazzling explosion. With a 25% increase over last year, GemRate recorded a fruitful 12.4 million cards already graded in 2025. Of these, a formidable 7.2 million were Trading Card Games (TCGs) and non-sports cards, with Poké-frenzy carrying the torch. Pokémon, the beloved franchise that never seems to lose its magic, dominated the scene with ferocity—97 of the top 100 most graded cards at PSA this year donned the Pokémon moniker.
This record-sharding month isn’t just an anomaly but a crescendo in what’s proving to be a robust first half of 2025 for all things cards. The allure surrounding these collectibles continues to grow, buoyed by the surging passion not only for sports memorabilia but also for Trading Card Games (TCGs) spanning diverse universes, from fantastical realms to animated empires.
For the aficionados and collectors glued to news of card markets, this could be the harbinger of what lies ahead—a precursor to more shattering of ceilings and a beacon of what’s to come in the ever-evolving landscape of trading cards. Each card, glossed and edged, carries within its cardboard confines stories of sporting legends, mythical creatures, and exciting narratives that spark joy across generational and geographical divides.
As we arc past the midway point of this thrilling year, eyes will remain keenly focused on how this beloved hobby transcends mere pastime status and marches boldly into the realm of serious investing and cultural heritage. For now, collectors continue to revel in their treasures while investors delight in charts that look more bullish than a raging Charizard in mid-flight, promising exhilaration, nostalgia, and, perhaps most significantly, an increased valorization to all those storied pieces of cardboard canon.
