Buying and selling playing cards of the sport “Magic” are situated in a store the place a “Magic” event is going down.
Frank Rumpenhorst | image alliance | Getty Pictures
As screentime soars and know-how races forward, a low-tech pastime is again in an enormous means: amassing buying and selling playing cards.
The cardstock depicting all the things from NFL standouts to Pokémon and even Taylor Swift is without doubt one of the hottest toy classes in shops this 12 months. Large-box retailers are stocking up forward of the vacations, anticipating that demand will prolong past conventional toy consumers like youngsters and collectors.
“We see buying and selling playing cards being a scorching gifting class for all ages that we’ll gasoline with newness and with unique drops,” Rick Gomez, Goal’s govt vp and chief business officer, advised CNBC. “We’ll have new releases practically each week through the holidays that is going to drive demand. And these make for excellent items and nice stocking stuffers.”
Strategic buying and selling card gross sales — which exclude sports activities — are up 103% year-to-date by way of August, whereas non-strategic card gross sales, which are usually collectible popular culture or sports activities playing cards, are up 48%, based on market analysis agency Circana.
Goal’s buying and selling card gross sales are up practically 70% year-to-date, with annual income from the class anticipated to prime $1 billion.
Gross sales on some on-line platforms are rising even quicker. Walmart Market reported a 200% bounce in buying and selling card gross sales from February 2024 to June 2025, with Pokémon gross sales up greater than tenfold year-over-year throughout the identical interval, the corporate first advised Axios. The retailer has even launched a brand new weekly influencer livestream collection targeted on sports activities collectibles.
Since 2021, strategic card gross sales have grown by $891 million, or 139%, to complete $1.5 billion, based on Circana. Gross sales of non-strategic playing cards and collectible stickers climbed by $565 million, or 156%, to $925 million in the identical interval, Circana mentioned.
Millennials and Gen Z prospects have been essential for progress, mentioned Juli Lennett, vp and trade advisor for Circana’s U.S. toys apply.
“Plenty of adults are shopping for these as a result of it brings them again to a time once they had no cares on the planet,” Lennett mentioned. “It is an inexpensive luxurious with the financial system proper now. Some could not afford playing cards as children and now they’ve their very own cash and nobody’s there to say ‘no’.”
Some consumers additionally deal with playing cards like various investments. Via August, the worth of Pokémon playing cards has delivered a cumulative return of three,821% since 2004, based on an index by analytics agency Card Ladder, the Wall Avenue Journal reported. To fight on-line resellers, many shops now restrict purchases to 2 packs per buyer.
Whereas the buying and selling card class has boomed this 12 months, not everyone seems to be satisfied the phase will increase gross sales through the peak vacation buying season. Inside the previous six months, 19% of adults mentioned they bought Pokémon playing cards for themselves, signaling they might not be shopping for them for others within the weeks forward, based on Circana.
“There was regular progress within the class, however a big chunk of consumers are buying for themselves. There is not as a lot gifting right here as you see in different toys,” Lennett mentioned.
Pokemon playing cards launched in 1999
Yvonne Hemsey | Hulton Archive | Getty Pictures
A year-round rush
What buying and selling playing cards might lack in vacation aptitude, they make up for in consistency.
Playing cards stand aside from most toy classes in two key methods: they’re regularly self-purchased and never “tremendous seasonal,” Lennett mentioned.
“Playing cards promote simply as effectively in March or July as they do in December,” she mentioned. “That makes them very engaging to retailers attempting to offset seasonal danger.”
Goal, which frequently will get a bump from merchandise tied to holidays, has tried to capitalize on the year-round fervor for playing cards.
“We expanded our assortment. We elevated the variety of drops that now we have. We put buying and selling playing cards in a extra distinguished place in retailer, did bolder shows and the enterprise has responded,” Gomez mentioned. “We do not see the enterprise slowing and we see it persevering with to develop in reputation.”
Pokémon stays the class’s prime performer, with card gross sales topping $1 billion final 12 months — it is the primary toy model to hit that milestone within the U.S., based on Circana. Sports activities playing cards are additionally rising in popularity, significantly amongst teen boys, with NFL packs main the cost.
“Numerous completely different persons are coming in to purchase. You could have your grownup collector who’s shopping for for themselves, however we additionally see plenty of households coming in with children requesting them and asking their mother and father for buying and selling playing cards,” Gomez mentioned. “It is an amazing reward for folks, for teenagers, particularly in the event that they know that they are into sports activities or Pokémon.”
Whereas modern releases are booming throughout individuals aged eight to twenty-eight, classic playing cards — sometimes pre-Seventies — have not related as strongly with Gen Z and Gen Alpha collectors.
“Nearly all of my prospects aren’t on the lookout for classic,” Matthew Winkelried, CEO of New York-based Bleecker Buying and selling, advised CNBC. “Youthful individuals do not need to dig by way of Sixties playing cards except they see a Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron. Plus, the shortage and value of classic playing cards make it a troublesome entry level.”
Topps buying and selling playing cards are organized for {a photograph} in Richmond, Virginia.
Jay Paul | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
Altering prospects
After a near-collapse within the Nineties as a consequence of overproduction, the buying and selling card trade has rebounded. Progress has been significantly sturdy for the reason that pandemic, propelled by a mix of nostalgia, group and, for some, funding potential.
“You continue to have the sport gamers, and that is a very tight-knit group,” mentioned Jason Howarth, senior vp of promoting and athlete relations at Panini America, which provides sports activities playing cards to retailers like Goal and Walmart. “Amongst sports activities followers, there’s an enormous sense of camaraderie round buying and selling. And with Pokémon too, I’ve heard sport nights nonetheless play a serious function in protecting that ecosystem alive.”
For these seeking to playing cards as a retailer of worth, Pokémon playing cards typically show to be a stronger funding than their sports activities counterparts, mentioned Winkelried of Bleecker Buying and selling.
“Perhaps a extremely touted rookie joins the league, and you purchase their card early hoping it will rise in worth,” he mentioned. “The worth can change week to week. It is unstable like a inventory.”
He added: “Pokémon is sort of a commodity. Pikachu cannot tear an ACL or get a DUI. Provide is restricted, so the market is extra steady.”
Trying previous the vacations, main retailers are specializing in constructing the class’s long-term future. Goal is betting on unique units, restricted specialty drops and drawing a extra numerous shopper base.
“We’re taking a look at reaching not solely breadth of age with buying and selling playing cards, but in addition gender,” Gomez mentioned.
That course of is already underway. The WNBA is now one of many fastest-growing segments in sports activities playing cards, significantly amongst younger women.
And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, soccer is poised to surge subsequent.
“Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese have finished wonders for the WNBA buying and selling card enterprise,” Howarth mentioned. “As soon as it hits June, the U.S. market goes to be taken over by soccer. Followers already know the worldwide stars like Messi, however with the World Cup being held right here, at the least 4 or 5 gamers will skyrocket in reputation and get acknowledged.”
