Tariffs are driving investors to Pokmon and Mickey Mantle these arent your grandfathers trading cards

Since its invention, Wall Street has dictated what counts as a “real” investment.Stocks? Absolutely.

Property and real estate? Of course.But trading cards? Too sentimental.

Too niche.Too “hobbyist.”That outdated perception is shifting fast. As tariffs begin driving up the cost of imported goods, consumers are increasingly turning toward domestic assets already here — resale markets, collectibles and trading cards are seeing a surge in demand as investors seek out alternatives beyond the traditional mix of stocks and bonds.

Collectibles have emerged as a legitimate asset class: a $600 billion+ global industry, with trading cards alone valued at more than $15 billion as of 2024.These are no longer just nostalgic artifacts — they’re financial instruments with real staying power.Trading cards share many characteristics with assets banks already recognize as legitimate investments.Long before blockchain promised digital scarcity, cards were verifiable, limited-edition assets with authentication and passionate collector bases.

Unlike many speculative digital assets, trading cards have survived recessions, inflation, market crashes and now a tariff-driven economy — proving their resilience.At Alt, we’ve tracked millions of transactions across graded trading cards on major marketplaces, and the data tell a compelling story: The trading card market is not only vibrant — it’s growing.In 2024 alone, graded-trading-cards transactions (across markets) grew by 17.8% compared with 2023 and by 68.7% compared with 2021, reflecting steady and sustained interest in the category over the past four years.Total transaction value also grew by 10.35% year-over-year from 2023 to 2024, signaling buyers’ increased confidence and participation.

Particularly notable is the momentum in the sub-$1,000 category, where both transaction count and value grew by nearly 18% — a clear indicator trading cards remain accessible, investable and relevant to a broad range ...