Korean trading cards rising assets for global collectors

Collectable trading cards are becoming increasingly profitable for Korean sellers as demand surges in the global market, with some cards selling for tens of thousands of dollars. According to global e-commerce platform eBay, Korean sellers of trading cards recorded double-digit year-on-year sales growth in the first quarter. Their overall sales on the platform ranked 10th by country in 2024 and spiked to sixth the following year.

As of the first quarter, the figure rose to third. Korean sellers’ trading cards are largely categorized into intellectual property (IP) characters and sports. Their values are determined by their rarity and grade by third-party valuation.

At the center of the Korean sellers’ market presence is Pokemon, a wildly popular franchise spanning games, anime, movies and trading cards introduced in 1996. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the animation’s trading cards have recently seen explosive demand, topping an IP chart with the 10 highest sales among Korean sellers on eBay. Behind the Korean sellers’ popularity is a rising global demand for trading