Adults aged 25 to 45 drive the collectibles market, accounting for over 58 percent of collectors in the United States. This demographic represents the sweet spot where disposable income meets deep nostalgia, and nowhere is this more evident than in the Pokemon card market, where collectors who grew up with the original 1999 releases now have the financial means to chase the cards they could never afford as children. The phenomenon extends beyond trading cards into the broader “kidult” category, where adults 18 and older represent 55 percent of the toy collectibles market share and generated $1.8 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone. The answer becomes more nuanced when you break it down by collector behavior rather than raw numbers.
Millennials aged 25 to 40 make up the largest segment of high-end trading card investors and represent 54 percent of all first-time buyers entering the collectibles market. Meanwhile, Gen Z participation has grown 40 percent faster than any other demographic on auction platforms since 2020, signaling a generational shift that will reshape what gets collected and how. A 30-year-old bidding on a PSA 10 Base Set Charizard operates in a fundamentally different market than a 22-year-old hunting for modern Pokemon releases. This article examines who actually spends money in the collectibles market, why nostalgia-driven adults dominate purchasing decisions, and how generational preferences are reshaping demand for different card eras and formats.
Table of Contents
- Who Actually Spends the Most on Collectible Cards?
- The Kidult Phenomenon Reshaping Toy and Card Collecting
- How Gen Z Is Changing What Gets Collected
- Where Male and Female Collectors Diverge
- Why Nostalgia Spending Peaks in Middle Age
- The Rise of First-Time Collectors
- What the Growth Numbers Mean for Card Values
- Conclusion
Who Actually Spends the Most on Collectible Cards?
The data points overwhelmingly to millennials as the primary spending force in the trading card market. This generation, currently aged 25 to 40, combines peak earning potential with a childhood steeped in Pokemon, sports cards, and the broader collectibles boom of the 1990s. When a millennial drops $5,000 on a graded vintage holographic, they are not just buying cardboard””they are purchasing a tangible piece of their own history. This emotional connection translates directly to spending behavior, with nostalgia driving 62 percent of millennial buyers according to market research. The spending pattern differs significantly by card category. In sports cards, millennials dominate the high-end investment segment, treating graded cards as alternative assets alongside stocks and real estate.
The Pokemon market follows a similar pattern, though with a broader age range. Collectors now in their 40s and 50s, those who experienced the original Pokemon phenomenon as young adults or collected alongside their children, are at peak earning years and investing in objects tied to their own cultural memory rather than traditional fine art or antiques. However, raw spending power does not tell the complete story. Gen Z collectors represent the fastest-growing segment by participation rate, even if their average transaction value skews lower. A 20-year-old collector might make dozens of smaller purchases on modern releases while a 35-year-old focuses on a single high-value vintage acquisition. Both drive market activity, but through different mechanisms.
The Kidult Phenomenon Reshaping Toy and Card Collecting
The term “kidult” describes adults who collect toys, trading cards, and other items traditionally associated with childhood, and this demographic now commands approximately 34 percent of revenue share in the toy collectibles market. This is not a fringe phenomenon. In G12 countries from January through June 2025, kidults drove $27.5 billion in toy sales, up 7 percent year-over-year. The Pokemon Trading Card Game sits squarely within this category, attracting adult collectors who outnumber child players in many local game stores and at major tournaments. Roughly 59 percent of Gen Z and millennials consider themselves kidults, with 63 percent reporting that nostalgia motivates their collecting behavior.
This self-identification matters because it removes the stigma that once surrounded adult collectors. A 35-year-old building a complete Base Set collection no longer needs to justify the hobby””the market has normalized adult participation to the point where they represent the primary customer base, not an exception to it. The limitation here involves market sustainability. A nostalgia-driven market depends on new generations forming similar attachments to contemporary products. If today’s children do not develop the same emotional connections to modern Pokemon sets, the supply of adult collectors 20 years from now may look very different. The kidult phenomenon works because millennials had particularly formative experiences with collectible products during the 1990s boom, and replicating that intensity of attachment is not guaranteed.
How Gen Z Is Changing What Gets Collected
Gen Z collectors present a distinct profile from their millennial counterparts, with preferences that will reshape the market over the coming decade. Over 52 percent of Gen Z and millennial buyers prefer non-sports content due to cultural relevance, and younger collectors show clear preference for contemporary releases over vintage cards from the pre-1970s era. In practical terms, this means a Gen Z Pokemon collector might prioritize completing a modern Scarlet and Violet set rather than chasing vintage Base Set cards. The digital dimension further separates generational preferences. Over 46 percent of Gen Z collectors prefer digital collectibles, a stark contrast to older generations who overwhelmingly favor physical cards.
This shift has implications for everything from product design to resale platforms. A 22-year-old collector might view digital Pokemon card collections through official apps as equally legitimate to physical binders, while a 40-year-old collector may dismiss digital assets entirely. Consider the example of modern alternate art cards. These contemporary releases with premium artwork command significant prices despite lacking vintage status, driven largely by younger collectors who value aesthetic appeal and current availability over historical significance. A Special Art Rare from a 2024 set can sell for hundreds of dollars not because of age or scarcity, but because it resonates with the collecting preferences of a younger demographic.
Where Male and Female Collectors Diverge
Trading card collecting remains predominantly male, with 67 percent of collectors identifying as such. This gender imbalance influences everything from product design to community spaces, though the gap has narrowed compared to previous decades. Pokemon occupies an interesting position here, as its broader cultural appeal attracts a more diverse collector base than sports cards, which skew even more heavily male. The gender disparity creates both opportunity and limitation.
Underserved female collectors may find less competition for certain items but also fewer community touchpoints and less representation in content creation and event organization. For the market as a whole, a more balanced gender distribution would expand the total addressable market significantly, and some brands have begun tailoring products and marketing to attract more female collectors. However, demographic surveys in collectibles often reflect who participates in visible market activities like auction bidding and convention attendance rather than the full scope of collection. Casual collectors who do not engage with secondary markets or collector communities may present a different gender distribution than what shows up in industry data.
Why Nostalgia Spending Peaks in Middle Age
Collectors in their 40s and 50s represent a distinct market force despite smaller raw numbers than the 25-45 demographic. These are individuals at peak earning years, often with paid-off mortgages and children who have left the house, redirecting discretionary income toward their own interests. When a 48-year-old decides to complete their childhood Pokemon collection, they bring spending capacity that younger collectors cannot match. The tradeoff involves time horizon. A 25-year-old building a collection has decades to acquire pieces gradually, waiting for optimal prices and accepting that certain cards may take years to locate.
A 50-year-old collector may prioritize speed over value, paying premiums to complete collections quickly rather than waiting for better opportunities. This urgency benefits sellers and auction houses but can lead to overpayment when nostalgia overrides rational price assessment. Market analysis from major auction houses confirms this pattern. High-profile sales of vintage cards often go to buyers in this older demographic, driven by the desire to own pieces they could only dream about during childhood. The PSA 10 Base Set Charizard that sells for six figures typically goes to someone who remembers pulling their first Charizard in 1999, not a younger investor viewing the card purely as an asset.
The Rise of First-Time Collectors
The collectibles market is not just retaining existing collectors but actively adding new ones, with collectors aged 25 to 40 making up 54 percent of all first-time buyers. This influx explains the 48 percent rise in millennial collectors documented in recent market research. New entrants bring fresh capital and different perspectives, often beginning with accessible modern products before working backward to vintage material.
A typical entry pattern involves a lapsed collector returning to the hobby after a decade or more away. Someone who collected Pokemon cards in elementary school, stopped during high school, and rediscovered the hobby in their late 20s represents a common profile. These returning collectors often underestimate how the market has professionalized during their absence, encountering grading services, authentication requirements, and price guides that did not exist or were not widely used during their original collecting period.
What the Growth Numbers Mean for Card Values
The global collectibles market reached $306.44 billion in 2024 and projects to hit $535.50 billion by 2033, growing at a 6.6 percent compound annual rate. The toy collectibles segment, which includes trading cards, sits at $52.2 billion in 2025 with a much faster projected growth rate of 24.6 percent. These numbers indicate sustained demand, but they come with an important caveat: not all segments will grow equally.
Market growth concentrated in new product releases does not necessarily lift vintage prices, and growth in digital collectibles may come partially at the expense of physical cards. Pokemon as a brand benefits from its multi-generational appeal and continuous new releases, but individual card values depend on collector preferences that shift with demographic changes. The 40 percent faster growth in Gen Z auction participation signals where the market is heading, even if millennials currently dominate total spending.
Conclusion
The collectibles market runs on adults aged 25 to 45, with millennials representing the largest segment of high-value buyers and Gen Z showing the fastest participation growth. For Pokemon card collectors, this means the primary competition for vintage cards comes from other nostalgia-driven adults with disposable income, while modern releases appeal to a broader and younger demographic. The kidult phenomenon has permanently changed market dynamics, making adult collectors the core customer base rather than an afterthought.
Understanding these demographics matters for both buying and selling decisions. If you are selling vintage Base Set cards, your likely buyer is a millennial with childhood memories of the original releases. If you are selling modern alternate art cards, the market skews younger and more amenable to digital platforms. Collecting remains fundamentally emotional, but the emotions driving purchases vary predictably by age, creating identifiable patterns in what gets collected and what it sells for.
