Sports Market Insight Issue 17 (6/27/25-7/4/25) Graden Cards LLC

🏆 Sports Market Insight – Week of June 27, 2025

Presented by Graden Cards LLC – Trusted Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles Brand

🔥 All-Sports Market Overview

This week’s card market is showing signs of quiet strength leading into the 4th of July weekend. Hobby momentum is shifting back toward long-term holds over quick flips — and the smart money is watching.

• Auction houses saw mixed results this week. PWCC’s June Premier Auction ended soft on some mid-tier stars but high-end vintage performed well, especially pre-1970 baseball and early football legends.

• Fanatics Live continues to grow with a spike in new breakers entering the platform. It’s bringing fresh eyes to modern wax, and savvy investors are grabbing Fanatics-exclusive parallels before they jump.

• Internationally, we’re seeing rising demand for Messi, Mbappé, and Wemby in France, especially ahead of the Olympics. If you're holding their cards, this could be your window.

📈 Hot Segments This Week:

• Multi-sport lots (great eBay movement)

• RPA cards of 2023–2025 rookies

• Raw PSA 10-eligible cards selling fast

🏈 Football Cards

The football card market is heating up fast — no surprise as preseason buzz grows.

• Caleb Williams cards are steadily climbing, with base chromes and autos increasing 10–12% week-over-week. His early appearances at Bears practices have been sharp, and demand is picking up on eBay.

• Anthony Richardson is running hot again, with collectors speculating he’ll make a big leap in 2025. His Prizm autos and Silver parallels are on the move.

• Meanwhile, vintage football is quietly surging, especially 1970s HOFers. Keep your eyes on Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, and O.J. Simpson rookie cards.

🚀 Quick Flip Tip:2024 rookie wide receivers like Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze have undervalued autos. Grab now before training camp videos surface.

⚾ Baseball Cards

Baseball is volatile right now — and that’s a good thing for investors.

• Elly De La Cruz is scorching hot with both base and numbered cards spiking. His Topps Chrome Sapphire RCs jumped nearly 18% this week.

• Jackson Holliday’s market dipped slightly after being sent back to AAA, but long-term holders aren’t panicking. Opportunity for entry here.

• Juan Soto remains the most consistent veteran performer in the hobby. His 2016 Bowman Chrome autos are holding strong despite Yankees' slump.

🧠 Prospect to Watch:Keep a close eye on Walker Jenkins – hitting well in A-ball and showing solid discipline. Bowman Chrome autos are undervalued.

🏀 Basketball Cards

NBA buzz is mostly draft-focused — and there’s still plenty of movement.

• Bronny James’ Prizm Draft Picks cards dropped this week after initial hype, but serial-numbered and autograph parallels are still fetching solid premiums.

• Victor Wembanyama continues to lead the market, with Gold Wave and /99 Prizm parallels setting new highs. His 2023 cards are still among the most liquid in the entire sports card hobby.

• Don’t sleep on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With Olympic hype and MVP whispers, his Prizm Silvers and Select Courtside parallels are moving.

📉 Sell Alert:Veteran fringe stars like Julius Randle and Khris Middleton are seeing drops across the board. Time to liquidate if you haven’t already.

🏒 Hockey Cards

The NHL Draft gave hockey cards a nice summer jolt.

• Macklin Celebrini cards are now hitting pre-order stages for UD releases. Watch his market skyrocket once Young Guns arrive.

• Connor Bedard’s Young Guns PSA 10 still hovering around $400–$450 — still a great long-term stash if you believe in Chicago’s rebuild.

• Stanley Cup hype helped McDavid and Draisaitl, but both have cooled slightly post-Finals. Wait for next season to see a real spike.

🧊 Sleeper Play:Look into Logan Stankoven — hobbyists love his skating and offensive potential. RCs are creeping up in popularity.

⚽ Soccer Cards

Olympic anticipation = sneaky buying window.

• Mbappé’s rookie cards are hot again as he prepares to play on home soil. 2018 Prizm and Select RCs are climbing.

• Jude Bellingham is also trending up, boosted by strong Euro Cup play. 2020 Topps Chrome autos are in high demand.

• Lionel Messi’s low-numbered cards (especially Argentina kits) are heating up across Goldin, eBay, and Alt.

⚽ Gold Tip:Look for 2022 World Cup parallels — these are starting to be seen as historical anchors for the modern soccer card boom.

🃏 TCG Corner

Pokémon | Yu-Gi-Oh! | Garbage Pail Kids

• Pokémon 151 is still in demand, especially sealed ETBs and binder collections. PSA 10 hits from Mew and Charizard are leading sales.

• Garbage Pail Kids sketch cards from newer Topps releases are moving better than expected. Artists with fan bases (like David Acevedo) are in demand.

• Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary boxes are moving fast — especially sealed — as nostalgia drives a strong collector wave.

🎴 Play of the Week:Buy raw Pokémon EX era holos and grade. Pop counts are low, and many are just sitting in cheap binders.

💡 Weekly Investing Tip

Auction lots are your friend.

Right now, many sellers are listing lots of 10–100 cards — rookies, parallels, inserts — and starting them at $1. These are often overlooked by casual bidders, meaning you can grab them at low prices, pull a few gems, and easily break even (or profit) by flipping what’s worth grading or selling individually.

Target search terms like:

• “player lot”

• “rookie parallel lot”

• “insert lot Topps Prizm”

• “SSP auction lot”

Then, check comps individually to extract value.

💼 Message from the CEO

Hey collectors,

As we close out June, I just want to say thank you for being part of this wild ride. The card market is constantly evolving, but that’s what keeps it exciting. Here at Graden Cards LLC, we’re not just about selling cards — we’re here to help you win.

Got something to consign? Have a question? Want advice? Just reach out — we’re always here.

Stay sharp,Aiden Long | CEO DeskGraden Cards LLC