Pokémon again captured the hearts of collectors in 2025.
eBay released its annual Collecting Trends report Friday, highlighting the latest across categories this year, and three of the 10 most-searched terms were related to Pokémon as TCG cards and products continued to be red-hot.
"It's fascinating to watch trends emerge and evolve," Adam Ireland, eBay's VP and GM of global collectibles, said a statement. "This year saw collectors seeking blind boxes and rare Labubus, search spikes for rookie talent alongside demand for icons like Shohei Ohtani staying strong, and of course, the continued popularity of Pokémon across vintage cards and new releases."
Here are the top 10 most-searched collectible terms on eBay in 2025:
- Pokémon
- Pokémon cards
- LEGO
- PSA 10
- PSA
- LEGO Star Wars
- Hot Wheels
- Pokémon PSA 10
- Michael Jordan
- Football cards
Here are the top five most searched athletes in various categories:
TCG set releases:
- Pokémon Prismatic Evolutions
- Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy cards
- Pokémon Destined Rivals
- Pokémon Journey Together
- Magic: The Gathering Marvel’s Spider-Man
NBA:
- Michael Jordan
- Victor Wembanyama
- Kobe Bryant
- LeBron James
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
While Wemby rules among active players, MJ and Kobe still continue to dominate the hobby.
NFL
- Jayden Daniels
- J.J. McCarthy
- Caleb Williams
- Bo Nix
- Drake Maye
It is worth noting all five of the top football players this year were quarterbacks who were drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Major League Baseball:
- Shohei Ohtani
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Mickey Mantle
- Paul Skenes
- Elly De La Cruz
NHL:
- Wayne Gretzky
- Connor Bedard
- Sidney Crosby
- Patrick Roy
- Mario Lemieux
Just two of the top five in the NHL category are active players.
WNBA
- Caitlin Clark
- Paige Bueckers
- Cameron Brink
- Sophie Cunningham
- Sabrina Ionescu
The report also points out the surge in search volume for players in the news for record-breaking moments or exciting rookie campaigns.
Nick Kurtz, who burst onto the scene as an electric AL Rookie of the Year, saw his search volume leap 23,000%.
Top NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg’s volume jumped 1,500%, and Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal led his searches to climb 600%.
Additionally, viral sensations such as the Masters Gnomes drove interest (spiking 170% on the final day of the tournament), and LeBron James’ Kenbassadors Doll was searched 1,900 per hour on release day in April.
The average resale value calculated by eBay for sports cards per category was led by the WNBA at 130%, then followed closely behind by WWE (125%) and NHL at 40%.
Unsurprisingly, Labubus were the year’s biggest hit in the toy category, rising 2,600%.
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Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.