Trading cards always used to be centered around baseball rookies, and later, football stars have grown into a huge empire that spans music, superheroes, and even politics. Cards are prized for their art, nostalgia, entertainment, and collectability.
Driven by new launches, conventions, and technology, keep reading to learn how the world of trading cards has evolved to where it is in 2025.
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The National Sports Collectors Convention
While the card industry has been growing for years, the scale of this impact was on full display at the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention, which was the largest one yet.
At the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, there were over 600 dealer booths, dozens of autograph signings, grading services, and more, with attendance expected to go over 100,000.
The show is no longer a single-sport marketplace but a crossroads of all types of entertainment, whether it be sports or other interests.
Superhero Cards
Collectors aren’t the only ones leaning into the expansion of trading cards. Popular card brand Topps released a 2025 Chrome Marvel set featuring 200 cards in the base set, featuring names like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and more. Other Marvel-themed decks from Topps include Mint Marvel with a 100-card base, a Garmbit’s Deck insert, and Dr. Doom Comic Cuts.
Each piece is not only a piece of superhero memorabilia, but a piece of art too. DC publishers and other manufacturers are following suit, creating lots of sets that cater to comic fans and chase-driven investors.
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Music Industry & Politics
The hobby has also spread to music and politics. Panini Prizm’s Rolling Stones set has become a hit, with a roughly 100-card chromium celebration pack of the band’s career. It’s a clear sign of how legacy artists are being applied to the collecting world, and how much of an impact they still have.
Indie artists, bands, and smaller artists are experimenting with album-themed card releases to bundle merch with bonus tracks.
Political trading cards are also a new avenue to explore. The website PoliticalTradingCards.com displays several collectible cards from Joe Biden to Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The cards are used both as memorabilia and campaign merchandise during election periods.
Rapid Growth in the Industry
According to Market Decipher‘s 2025 report, the global trading card market was at roughly $13 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach around $21 billion by 2034. The quick rise in growth is attributed to nostalgia, millennial demand, the rise of online marketplaces, and digital adoption.
North America is a particularly strong region for trading card popularity, and this growth continues to be monitored by manufacturers, retailers, and investors. This rapid growth could also be a sign of chase culture and speculative interest, which could fluctuate over the upcoming years.
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New Technology/Authentication
Technology has transformed what a trading card can be. The industry often refers to blockchain-backed authentication, digital twins that help collectors verify and display holdings online, and AR/QR integrations that link the physical card to a multimedia experience. These developments pull in more interest and show more manufacturers taking advantage of technology to reach a wider audience with launch windows and retailer exclusives.
Grading has also become a focal point in the trading industry, with many looking to have authenticated, high-grade material. The grading ecosystem has transformed into a gateway to the high-end market, turning details like condition and provenance into primary drivers of value.
The Community Around Cards
While many headlines comment about the rising prices of cards, the collectors emphasize the community being built with so many more fans interested. This includes online forums, livestreams, local clubs, and conventions.
Larger events also target various age groups with youth outreach programs and charity activations to continue to grow the interest in trading cards.
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The Future of Cards
While trading cards are more popular than ever in 2025, the shift is more a diversification than a single boom. With cards being made not just for sports but artists, political figures, and superheroes, there is a trading card group for everyone.
As the industry grows, it will have to learn how to contend with dedicated collectors versus fandom excitement, and whether this will affect it in a positive or negative way. For now, the hobby is at the forefront of collecting.
