Sports Market Insight Issue 16 (6/22/25-6/29/25) Graden Cards LLC

🏆 Sports Market Insight – June 22, 2025

By Graden Cards LLC

🔥 What’s Moving the Market?

The summer sports card market is heating up — fast. Between MLB midseason hype, NBA Draft speculation, and the NHL Awards buzz, collectors are aggressively shifting inventory and reinvesting. Football training camp chatter has also revived skill-position prospects, while the TCG market continues to find strength in sealed modern.

Three key themes this week:

• Prospect call-ups are driving quick flips

• Retired legends' autographs are outperforming base cards

• Raw card arbitrage is making a comeback thanks to PSA’s streamlined economy tier

⚾ Baseball Cards: Who’s Hot?

Jordan Lawlar is back — and this time, he’s producing. Since his mid-June return, his power-speed combo has sparked demand. His 1st Bowman Chrome Autos are seeing 22% week-over-week growth.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) is another breakout name. Though he was quiet at first, his glove and sneaky pop are keeping investors glued to his flagship rookies.

Pitchers of note:

• Paul Skenes remains nuclear — a gem mint PSA 10 1st Bowman Sapphire Auto /99 sold for $3,380 this week.

• Chase Dollander (Rockies) is quietly gaining traction; his Chrome Draft autos are up 14% in the last 10 days.

Buyers’ Note: 2025 Bowman Hobby cases are drying up. Wax prices jumped to $2,050 per case from $1,760 just two weeks ago. If you're holding wax, this could be your exit.

Underrated Play: Junior Caminero cards — low pop PSA 10s, big upside if he gets hot post-All-Star break.

🏈 Football Cards: Preseason Buzz Starts Early

Quarterbacks are climbing again.

• Anthony Richardson is being priced like a top-5 MVP candidate. His Prizm Silver RCs just hit $225 in PSA 10.

• Will Levis has rebounded — his Optic Autos are quietly seeing 30% more eBay volume this month.

Collectors are chasing:

• Bijan Robinson Kaboom! inserts and Marvin Harrison Jr. NIL cards, especially low-numbered Leaf and Bowman U Chrome.

Sell Warning: The Sam Howell hype has all but vanished — move while there's still liquidity.

Value Play: Tank Dell National Treasures RPAs. With Stroud’s rise, Dell’s upside is real — and underpriced.

🏀 Basketball Cards: Eyes on the Draft

The NBA Draft is set for June 26th, and the market is watching Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and Reed Sheppard closely.

• Bronny James buzz is at its peak — his 2023 Bowman Chrome University Auto /99 BGS 9.5 sold for $1,325.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a silent riser. PSA 10 Silver Prizms are up 11% month-over-month, largely due to collector confidence, not just investor flips.

Veteran buyback candidates:

• Klay Thompson could be a sneaky offseason pickup — rumors of a move to a contender are swirling.

Set to Watch: 2024-25 Prizm Draft Picks — early leaks show strong design, and demand will spike post-Draft.

🏒 Hockey Cards: End-of-Season Shifts

With the Stanley Cup now behind us, eyes are on award winners and trade buzz.

• Connor McDavid Trophy parallels are on fire. 2023 SP Authentic Auto /25 just closed at $2,480 — highest comp this year.

• Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin are gaining hobby love after postseason performances.

Hot Rookie: Cutter Gauthier Young Guns — low PSA pops and strong scoring.

Deep Value: 2021 Metal Universe Champions inserts — still underappreciated with iconic designs and low pop counts.

⚽ Soccer Cards: Euro 2024 Drives Demand

As Euro 2024 enters knockout stages, modern stars are seeing instant upside:

• Jude Bellingham Topps Now Autos have doubled in under 2 weeks.

• Lamine Yamal is the hottest youth star in Europe — his 2023 Panini Futera Auto /35 sold for $690 raw.

Sneaky Play: Cristiano Ronaldo Topps Chrome Sapphire parallels from 2021-2023. Scarcity + iconic player = safe floor.

🃏 TCG Corner: Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! & GPK

Pokémon

• 151 Ultra Premium Collection boxes are nearly gone at major retailers. Market price now $179.

• Charizard ex SAR PSA 10s from Paldean Fates are stabilizing at $225 — possibly a bottom.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

• LOB (Legend of Blue-Eyes) reprint foils are down, but sealed OG booster packs remain strong.

• Starlight Rare chase cards from recent sets like "Duelist Nexus" are holding 1.2x MSRP box value.

Garbage Pail Kids

• 2024 Chrome Series 6 Sapphire cards are seeing niche demand, especially low-numbered atomics.

• Consider submitting clean hits to PSA — gem rates on these are surprisingly high, and prices reflect that.

💼 Investing Tip of the Week

Follow the pop reports.

Instead of just tracking prices, analyze population reports on PSA and BGS. When low-pop cards start moving — especially in non-flagship sets — it's usually a sign that collectors are ahead of flippers. That’s where the biggest short-term ROI can be found.

Bonus: Search eBay by “newly listed” + "best offer" for raw cards. It’s one of the fastest ways to find underpriced arbitrage flips.

💬 Message from the CEO

It’s wild to think we’re halfway through 2025 already. Every week, I’ve watched this market evolve — and it's you all, the buyers, collectors, and sellers, who keep this hobby alive.

From PSA returns to card shows to late-night eBay auctions — I know what it’s like to grind. Whether you're flipping cards or holding long-term, I appreciate you being here.

Let’s keep building this thing together.

– Aiden Long | CEO DeskGraden Cards LLCwww.gradencards.com