Copyright Benzinga
Demand for Pokémon cards and trading cards has surged in recent years, a trend that Rally co-founder Rob Petrozzo has witnessed firsthand, driven by interest in high-end collectibles from users and auction houses. Trading Card/Pokémon Demand Increases Rally operates like a stock market for collectibles. It offers fractional shares in many categories, including sports cards, Pokémon cards and sports collectibles. Trading cards — especially Pokémon cards — have experienced a surge in demand in 2025, following a significant growth period during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many collectors trade cards, or did during their childhood, the sector is also seeing an increase in those viewing it as an investment. Demand is high for rookie cards and other unique offerings from top players or upcoming prospects. "Shark Tank" host Kevin O'Leary recently unveiled two purchases of 1-of-1 trading cards, as part of an investment group. The group paid $12.9 million for a Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant 1-of-1 and $10 million for a Michael Jordan/LeBron James 1-of-1. The cards are viewed as investment by O'Leary and could bring more investors to the sector. "I mean it never hurts to have big names in the space who people look at as having a high level of financial sophistication like Kevin O'Leary," Petrozzo told Benzinga in an interview. Petrozzo, who is the Chief Product Officer at Rally, said O'Leary's buys represent a "true rush to quality," as the cards purchased were actual 1-of-1s that are unique and scarce. The Rally co-founder said investors and collectors are now also looking for 1-of-1 cards and cards with high rarity. "We've seen that on Rally." Petrozzo said Rally has tried to offer a mix of blue-chip assets in the trading card category for years, along with rare rookie cards of some of the top prospects in leagues today. "That's the stuff we've tried to look at." Petrozzo said Rally has been selling some of its assets, which are owned by users on the platform, at auction with auction houses seeking top vintage trading cards and rare modern cards. Users on the platform vote on whether to take items to auction or keep them trading on the Rally platform, with users able to buy and sell shares similar to stocks. "The market is so hot right now." As for what's hottest, it might be Pokémon cards, Petrozzo told Benzinga. "Pokémon is hotter now than it's probably been in four years." Pokémon is co-owned by Creatures Inc, Game Freak and Nintendo Co (OTC:NTDOY). While older Pokémon cards are among the most valuable, the company continues to release new sets every year and new video games for Nintendo consoles, helping to boost popularity year in and year out. Rally has several rare individual Pokémon cards, including a complete set of 1999 1st Edition cards, all graded PSA 10. Petrozzo said Rally has been getting offers on some of its Pokémon assets, but not quite at 2021 numbers that were among the highest for the franchise. "The generational franchise are the ones that always come around." Petrozzo said Pokémon has built-in fans across multiple age groups. Sports collectibles, meanwhile, sometimes rely on new stars like Shohei Ohtani (MLB) to get fans and collectors excited. "Sports rely on new superstars to keep the space moving." Read Also: Jurassic Park Meets Stock Market: Rally Brings Record-Breaking Dinosaur Offering To Investors Retailers See Benefits From Growing Demand While Rally offers rare cards for collectors and investors to own shares in, some collectors also favor the method of buying and opening pack to find the rare cards themselves. Buying packs typically has limited success rates. However, it presents a high-risk, high-reward opportunity for collectors and investors to participate in the trading card sector. Packs and boxes of unopened trading cards could contain cards worth thousands of dollars. And this growing demand is helping retailers sell them. Benzinga recently reported that Target (NYSE:TGT) and Walmart (NYSE:WMT) are among the retailers seeing a spike in trading card sales. Target predicts it could have over $1 million in annual revenue from trading cards. Revenue for the category is up 70%. The retailer said Pokémon is the top draw for the category. Walmart is also experiencing strong growth in online card sales as part of its Walmart Marketplace segment. The category is up 200% year-over-year from February 2024 through June 2025, according to CNBC. Read Next: EXCLUSIVE: How You Can Own A Piece Of A Warren Buffett Autograph, An Increasingly Rare Asset Image: Shutterstock
