Pokemon card values rise amid Logan Paul Pikachu auction

Pokémon cards aren’t just childhood collectibles anymore.

Some owners are increasingly treating popular trading cards from the 1990s and 2000s as alternative assets; Some of the rarest cards outperform traditional benchmarks. S&P 500 In recent years.

During key periods such as the pandemic boom and another surge in 2025, trading card indices tracking Pokémon sales have posted gains well above the S&P 500’s long-term average annual return of 10% to 12%, according to trading card valuation tool Card Ladder. The comparison is not perfect; stock data spans decades, while trends in trading card values ​​are shorter and more volatile; but the superior performance in some windows is still striking.

The rise in prices is due to scarcity, ratings and an influx of wealthy buyers pursuing a limited number of high-end assets.

At the high end this dynamic is clear. A rare Pikachu Illustrator card owned by influencer and wrestler Logan Paul sold for more than $16 million in February, breaking the record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction.

“There are some people who are trying to get the rarest, highest-grade cards and try to get them off the market for as long as possible,” said Ken Goldin, an auctioneer whose online marketplace is owned by the owner. eBayHe delivered and sold Paul’s rare Pokémon card. “You may never see that card go on sale again in our lifetime.”

This supply squeeze helps explain why prices can rise and why a small portion of the market is driving most of the gains.

Goldin added that the condition of a card, especially one that measures its rating up to 10, can make or break its value.

“You can have a 10 point card [perfect score] “And no one cares whether the underlying card matters or not,” Goldin said. “But when you have the right card it becomes critical, especially in Pokémon where there is a huge bonus for 10.”

That premium may be excessive, Goldin said. A $100,000 card in excellent condition, as assessed by leading authentication and grading company Professional Sports Authenticator, might fetch only 1% or 2% of that value in much lower condition.

Outside of the rarest cards, retail investors and collectors are reopening dusty scrapbooks from 20 or more years ago and hoping to strike gold. The boom in card sales accelerated with the stimulus money and increased interest in alternative assets during the pandemic. Spending on non-sports trading cards, including Pokémon, increased 350% between 2020 and 2025, according to market research firm Circana. At the same time, celebrities such as Post Malone, Steve Aoki and Kevin O’Leary have also increased mainstream attention.

“We’re seeing people use this as an alternative asset and wealth distribution,” Goldin said. “Whether this will become more institutionalized over time is still to be determined.”

However, the risk remains for hopeful investors in the market. The same forces that drive gains also create risk. Prices are volatile, heavily influenced by hype, and card prices lack the stability and track record of traditional markets.

Still, some highly sought-after Pokémon cards continue to outperform the market.