The trend: Trading card mania is proving to be a profitable tailwind for Target, eBay, and Walmart, as high-profile releases and collector enthusiasm drive spending.

A much-needed win: Trading cards are on track to become a billion-dollar business for Target this year, a rare bright spot for the struggling retailer.

• A savvy decision to lean into the category resulted in a 70% year-to-date sales jump YoY, driven by surging demand for Pokémon cards as well as healthy sales for NFL, MLB, and NBA packs.
• Target is doubling down ahead of the holiday season, teasing exclusive drops and other programs later this year that will appeal to enthusiastic collectors.

Competitors catch up: Unfortunately for Target, it faces stiff competition from the likes of Walmart and eBay.

• Walmart Marketplace is emerging as a popular destination for trading card collectors, with sales soaring by 200% between February 2024 and June 2025, the retailer told Axios.
• Walmart plans to keep that momentum by partnering with prominent trading card sellers, including a weekly shoppable livestream with WeTheHobby.
• Meanwhile, demand on eBay for trading cards and other collectibles has accelerated for 10 straight quarters, helped by initiatives to hone its appeal to hobbyist collectors as well as live shopping experiences.

Our take: The market for toys is increasingly being driven by demand for collectibles like Labubus and trading cards. That demand is strongest among adults, who see these items both as fun indulgences and investment opportunities.

• Roughly 1 in 5 adults have bought Pokémon trading cards for themselves, according to a March survey conducted by Circana. But only 1 in 4 of those customers play the game: The rest are either collecting them as a hobby or for display purposes, or buying to resell.
• With most growth these days coming from collectors, getting access to high-quality inventory—either by partnering with well-placed sellers or with manufacturers directly—will be crucial for staying ahead of the pack.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.