Are Pokémon Cards Outperforming Index Funds Over 20 Years?
People often wonder if collecting Pokémon cards beats putting money into boring index funds that track the stock market. Index funds like those following the S&P 500 have given steady returns around 7 to 10 percent a year over long periods, after inflation and fees. But Pokémon cards? They might do better in some cases, especially rare ones, though it’s riskier and not for everyone.
Think about the numbers. The trading card market, including Pokémon, exploded lately. A PSA Market Report shows the PSA-graded trading card market grew 700 percent since 2020, thanks to more people hunting sports and pop culture cards.[1] Grand View Research says the whole trading card industry hit 44 billion dollars in 2023 and could double to 98 billion by 2030, growing at 8.2 percent a year.[1] That’s faster than many index funds.
Pokémon cards stand out. In 2022, a top-grade Illustrator Pikachu sold for 5.275 million dollars to Logan Paul. That same year, a perfect Shadowless first edition Charizard went for 420,000 dollars.[1] These are kid’s cards worth houses now. The hobby got huge during the pandemic, with celebrities jumping in, making prices climb.
No exact 20-year study pops up just for Pokémon cards versus index funds. But look at similar collectibles. A 2022 study in the Journal of Research in International Business and Finance checked Lego sets from 1987 to 2015. They averaged 11 percent yearly returns, beating stocks, bonds, and gold.[1] Some rare Lego like the Millennium Falcon jumped 8,000 percent. Pokémon cards follow a lot of the same rules: rarity, condition, and hype drive value.
Over 20 years, top Pokémon cards from the 1990s base set have done well. First edition holos in gem mint condition often sell for thousands today, up from pennies back then. Not every card wins, though. Common ones sit flat or drop. You need to pick winners, store them right, and grade them with PSA for top dollar.
Index funds are safer. They spread risk across hundreds of companies. The S&P 500 cost of equity hovered around 8 percent in late 2025, meaning solid but not wild growth.[2] Pokémon cards can surge like Nvidia stock did, tripling fast, but they crash too if trends shift.[2][3]
For collectors, it’s fun plus potential profit. Check sites like PokemonPricing.com for real-time values. Buy what you love, hold long-term, and watch grades. It might not beat indexes every year, but hits like that Pikachu show the upside.[1]
