COLLECTOR REFERENCE
Pokémon collecting statistics.
Current numbers on collecting, grading, and marketplace demand, gathered from named sources and kept in one easy-to-cite place.
Last updated August 31, 2026
The short version.
Pokémon remains one of the hobby's most active collecting categories, from sealed releases to graded singles. The numbers below are source-specific, so each statistic includes its date and the original publisher for context.
Approximate active card collectors in the United States
PSA reported that more than 9 million active card collectors joined the hobby since 2023, bringing its estimate to about 30 million U.S. collectors.
Source: PSA Backlog Tracker Reported 2026Pokémon cards printed in 2025
PSA reported that The Pokémon Company printed 10 billion cards in 2025 alone, a useful marker of the scale behind current set collecting.
Source: PSA Backlog Tracker Reported 2026PSA grading-capacity growth since 2021
PSA says it increased grading capacity nearly five-fold since 2021 as submissions grew across the hobby.
Source: PSA Backlog Tracker Reported 2026Most-submitted category at PSA in 2026
PSA identified Pokémon as its most-submitted category in 2026, placing modern and vintage Pokémon at the center of current grading activity.
Source: PSA, February 2026 Reported February 2026Grades for one 2025 Pikachu promo
PSA listed 222,343 grades for the 2025 Japanese McDonald's Pikachu promo, its most-graded Pokémon card of the 2020s at the time of publication.
Source: PSA, February 2026 Reported February 2026Pokémon searches per minute on eBay.com in 2025
eBay reported that shoppers searched for Pokémon more than 360 times per minute on eBay.com during 2025.
Source: eBay, February 2026 Reported February 2026Highest-value singles on eBay in 2025 featuring Charizard
eBay said Charizard accounted for five of its 10 highest-value trading-card singles sold in 2025.
Source: eBay, February 2026 Reported February 2026Trading-card sellers motivated by sharing a passion
In eBay's 2025 internal survey, 45% of trading-card sellers said sharing their passion for specific items motivated them to sell.
Source: eBay 2025 Recommerce Report Reported 2025METHODOLOGY
How these numbers are selected.
This page only includes figures published by the named organization. A company report can describe its own marketplace, customers, or grading activity, not the entire hobby. Dates are shown because collecting trends move quickly and statistics should not be treated as permanent.
Primary sources used: PSA's Backlog Tracker, PSA's 2026 grading report, eBay's 2026 Pokémon marketplace report, and eBay's 2025 Recommerce Report.
Cardboard Superstars, "Pokémon Collecting Statistics: 2026 Reference Page," updated August 31, 2026. https://cardboardsuperstars.com/trading-card-statistics