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$18.991 × $18.99
May wasn’t just a repeat of April momentum—it blew right past it. The industry graded over 2.4 million cards, up 14% from May and a wild 36% over last year.
For the fourth straight month, we’re seeing new highs. However, the sports card world is still lagging behind.
Pokémon is carrying the slack here. Indeed, the TCG engine keeps humming, and even with some surprises from the sports side, the overall story is volume, volume, volume. Here are the sports card grading trends for May, 2025.
The TCG wave remains relentless. In May, TCG accounted for 61% of PSA’s total, which was identical to May. Football remains the only sport that can keep pace, but every other major category continues to lag behind.
| Type of Submission | Numbers Submitted In May | Movement in Comparison To April |
| TCG | 1,000,100 | +7% |
| Football | 211,000 | +13% |
| Baseball | 189,700 | -2% |
| Basketball | 126,200 | +6% |
| Non-Sport | 37,600 | -1% |
| Hockey | 23,100 | 0% |
| Soccer | 20,800 | +6% |
The growth of TCG is significant, especially considering the high numbers it achieved previously. So it’s starting from a very high point.
However, the development of football has significantly surpassed baseball as the most popular sport in the world. This marks the end of a long period of baseball dominance.
| Grading Company | Number of Submissions | Movement from April |
| PSA | 1,650,000 | +6% |
| CGC | 570,000 | +67% |
| SGC | 145,000 | -13% |
| BGS | 59,000 | +3% |
PSA keeps pulling away. CGC’s huge jump is the biggest story—fueled (of course) by a very impressive jump in TCG, to the tune of 26%. SGC’s backlog hit is real, and Beckett is flat.
There is a danger that as CGC grows as an alternative to PSA for Pokémon, the other two sports grading companies will become irrelevant. Some might say that has already happened.
| Decade | PSA (Sports Only) | PSA (TCG Only) | BGS (Sports Only) | SGC (Sports Only) | CGC (TCG Only) |
| 2020s | 68.5% | 79.5% | 66.5% | 53.3% | 65.2% |
| 2010s | 6.6% | 8.6% | 8.1% | 4.5% | 13.4% |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 6.5% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 13.2% |
| 1990s | 7.9% | 4.8% | 13.2% | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| 1980s | 5.8% | 0.1% | 4.4% | 9.7% | 0.1% |
| 1970s | 3% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 7.5% | 0% |
| 1960s | 2.5% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 6.7% | 0% |
| The 1950s and earlier | 2.4% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 10.1% | 0% |
Very little movement in terms of the dominance of ultra-modern. The weakness of sports is exacerbated by the recent weakness of the vintage market as well.
Gem rates are an essential part of the grading companies’ identities. SGC has always been known for having the most challenging grades, while BGS traditionally is the easiest for getting gems, though they differentiate between different levels.
| Decade | PSA (Sports Only) | PSA (TCG Only) | BGS (Sports Only) | SGC (Sports Only) | CGC (TCG Only) |
| 2020s | 43.2% | 59.2% | 53.5% | 34.8% | 66.7% |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 39.5% | 38.6% | 26.7% | 59.7% |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 11.3% | 19.4% | 9.3% | 67% |
| 1990s | 14% | 7.9% | 10.8% | 6.9% | 22.8% |
| 1980s | 12.5% | 9.8% | 2% | 3.5% | 22.2% |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0% | 0.3% | 0% |
| 1960s | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| The 1950s and earlier | 0% | 0.2% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
After some significant changes in May, especially a drop for BGS, May was fairly static with no real changes. The classic order of SGC being the toughest, BGS the easiest and PSA has been restored and has held for a few months now.
Can Jayden Daniels continue his tenure in first place? Which of the young QBs who all had strong months in May will join him at the top?
| Athlete | Amount Submitted In May | Movement from April |
| Jayden Daniels | 29,400 | +16% |
| Michael Jordan | 15,100 | -2% |
| Bo Nix | 13,000 | +23% |
| Caitlin Clark | 12,600 | +17% |
| Shohei Ohtani | 12,000 | -10% |
| Caleb Williams | 10,500 | +29% |
| Drake Maye | 10,300 | +30% |
| JJ McCarthy | 9,500 | +28% |
| Victor Wembanyama | 9,400 | -13% |
| Michael Penix Jr. | 8,400 | +17% |
Daniels keeps going from strength to strength. The belief in him in the hobby runs deep. It is also notable that as Paul Skenes dropped out of the top ten (just barely, he is at 11) Ohtani is the only baseball player remaining in the chart. Meanwhile, there are six football players here.
| Character | Amount Submitted In May | Movement from March |
| Pikachu | 65,800 | +1% |
| Charizard | 61,800 | -1% |
| Eevee | 37,500 | +10% |
| Mew | 25,500 | +5% |
| Umbreon | 25,100 | -2% |
| Wattrel | 17,300 | +40% |
| Sylveon | 14,200 | +3% |
| Blastoise | 13,400 | +5% |
| Espeon | 11,800 | +2% |
| Leafeon | 11,600 | -1% |
As always, Pikachu and Charizard remain solid at the top. But the third place keeps changing. Last time it was Umbreon, but now the bushy tailed Eevee takes that spot and with a very strong month.
| Characters or Athletes | Amount Submitted In May | Movement from April |
| Pikachu | 65,800 | +1% |
| Charizard | 61,800 | -1% |
| Eevee | 37,500 | +10% |
| Jayden Daniels | 29,400 | +16% |
| Mew | 25,500 | +5% |
| Umbreon | 25,100 | -2% |
| Wattrel | 17,300 | +40% |
| Michael Jordan | 15,100 | -2% |
| Sylveon | 14,200 | +3% |
| Blastoise | 13,400 | +5% |
| Bo Nix | 13,000 | +23% |
Once again, three athletes in a Pokémon-dominated top ten.
The 2024 Panini Prizm Football set has been in the top spot for a very long time now for sports, with 2025 Pokemon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX in the same position for TCG. Was there any change?
| Set | Number Graded In May | Change from April |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Football | 34,200 | +14% |
| 2024 Panini Donruss Football | 18,400 | +49% |
| 2024 Panini Mosaic Football | 9,900 | -3% |
| 2023 Panini Prizm WNBA | 6,400 | +93% |
| 2023 Panini Select Football | 4,200 | -2% |
| 2024 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Autographs Baseball | 3,900 | +4% |
| 2024 Topps Chrome Update Baseball | 3,600 | -9% |
| 2024 Panini Donruss Downtown! | 3,400 | -11% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Basketball | 3,300 | +113% |
| 2023 Panini Prizm Prizmatic Football | 3,200 | +10% |
Yup, Prizm Football has held on to the first place and it has even increased its lead at the top. Donruss also had a good month. But the rise of Prizm WNBA is the most impressive one this month, almost doubling submissions.
| Set | Number Graded In May | Change from April |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX | 66,100 | -12% |
| 2023 Pokémon MEW EN-151 | 53,800 | +4% |
| 2023 Pokémon Sword & Shield Crown Zenith | 39,400 | +1% |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese SV9-Battle Partners | 32,900 | +28% |
| 2023 Pokémon Japanese Sv2a- Pokémon 151 | 31,200 | +10% |
| 2025 Pokémon Pre-EN Prismatic Evolutions | 30,200 | +16% |
| 2025 Pokémon Ssp EN-Surging Sparks | 28,900 | -7% |
| 2023 Pokémon Svp-SV Black Star Promo | 21,800 | +9% |
| 2025 Pokémon Jtg EN-Journey Together | 20,800 | +744% |
| 2023 Pokémon Svp EN-SV Black Star Promo | 19,600 | +35% |
| Set | Number Graded In May | Change from April |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX | 66,100 | -12% |
| 2023 Pokémon MEW EN-151 | 53,800 | +4% |
| 2023 Pokémon Sword & Shield Crown Zenith | 39,400 | +1% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Football | 34,200 | +14% |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese SV9-Battle Partners | 32,900 | +28% |
| 2023 Pokémon Japanese Sv2a- Pokémon 151 | 31,200 | +10% |
| 2025 Pokémon Pre-EN Prismatic Evolutions | 30,200 | +16% |
| 2025 Pokémon Ssp EN-Surging Sparks | 28,900 | -7% |
| 2023 Pokémon Svp-SV Black Star Promo | 21,800 | +9% |
| 2025 Pokémon Jtg EN-Journey Together | 20,800 | +744% |
Yup. 2024 Panini Prizm Football is the only sports release in the combined chart. TCG is returning to the dominant position it was in a year ago.
Sports
| Card | Number Graded In May | Change from April |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Jayden Daniels #347 | 2,700 | +6% |
| 2024 Panini Donruss Jayden Daniel #389 | 2,000 | +18% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Caitlin Clark #22 | 1,000 | +120% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Bo Nix #309 | 900 | +4% |
| 2024 Topps Now Offseason Roki Sasaki #OS13 | 900 | -7% |
| 2024 Panini Donruss Jayden Daniels Optic Preview-Pink Optic Preview-Pink #389 | 800 | +103% |
| 2024 Paini Donruss Rated Rookies Retro Jayden Williams #11 | 800 | +22% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Caleb Williams #301 | 800 | +10% |
| 2204 Panini Donruss Bomb Squad Jayden Daniels #29 | 700 | +43% |
| 2024 Panini Prizm Drake Maye #329 | 700 | +15% |
An incredible 8 of the top ten cards are football items. Only one baseball card among the lot. But interestingly enough, the biggest riser is a WNBA card. Caitlin Clark fever in the hobby is real.
| Card | Number Graded In May | Change from April |
| 2024 Pokémon Japanese SV-P Promo Iono’s Watrel Battle Partners Box Purchase Campaign #232 | 17,100 | +41% |
| 2025 Pokémon Svp EN-SV Black Star Promo Eevee Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box #173 | 12,600 | +24% |
| 2023 Pokémon Mew EN-151 Charizard EX Special Illustration Rare #199 | 5,900 | 0% |
| 2024 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX Umbreon EX Special Art Rare #217 | 5,700 | -13% |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese SV9-Battle Partners N’s Reshiram Art Rare #109 | 4,500 | +19% |
| 2024 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX Sylveon EX Special Art Rare #212 | 4,500 | 0% |
| 2023 Pokémon svp EN-SV Black Star Promo Pikachu W/Grey Felt Hat Pokemon X Van Gogh #85 | 4,200 | +24% |
| 2025 Pokemon Japanese SV9-Battle Partners Lillie’s Ribombee Art Rare #105 | 4,200 | +40% |
| 2025 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX Flareon EX Special Art Rare #200 | 3,900 | +4% |
| 2024 Pokémon Japanese Sv8a-Terastal Fest EX Vapreon EX Special Art Rare #211 | 3,800 | +1% |
April’s top card, the2024 Pokémon Japanese SV-P Promo Iono’s Watrel Battle Partners Box Purchase Campaign #232 has increased its lead at the top. In fact, it jumped an entire 41%.
The longtime number 1, 2023 Pokémon svp EN-SV Black Star Promo Pikachu W/Grey Felt Hat Pokemon X Van Gogh #85 jumped back into the race. Meanwhile, 2025 Pokemon Japanese SV9-Battle Partners Lillie’s Ribombee Art Rare #105 also gained quite a bit.
Once again, there is no combined chart as it is identical to the TCG chart, since none of the sports cards made it.
May proved that the card grading surge isn’t slowing down—at least not for TCG. Pokémon and its friends continue to power the industry, keeping the lights on for grading companies and dominating every combined chart.
While football is the only sport that’s managed to keep up, even it can’t match the sheer scale of TCG submissions.
The data this month shows just how much the landscape has shifted: ultra-modern cards are the clear standard, and the old baseball-first worldview is officially over. It’s a new era, and collectors are voting with their submissions.
The gap between the major grading companies is only getting wider. PSA and CGC are riding the TCG tidal wave, while SGC and Beckett struggle to find their footing in a market that cares less and less about vintage and traditional sports. Backlogs, shifting interests, and the rise of alternatives are changing the game.
But if there’s one lesson from May, it’s this: the hobby is moving fast, and it’s not waiting for anyone to catch up.
As economic uncertainty looms and tastes keep evolving, the only thing that seems certain is more change. For now, TCG remains king, football is fighting to stay in the ring, and every other sport is looking for a spark. But overall the bottom line is this: the overall numbers for grading just keep growing.
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Cardlines June 30, 2025 7:01 pm