February saw the major trading card grading companies, including PSA, SGC, CGC, and Beckett, authenticate a combined total of over 1.6 million cards. While this figure represents a slight dip from January's numbers, it indicates a substantial 25% year-on-year growth. Sports cards accounted for 55.5% of these submissions, with the remaining cards belonging to the TCG category, featuring popular series like Pokemon and Magic The Gathering.
PSA led the charge by grading 1.24 million cards, with baseball cards dominating their submissions. Shohei Ohtani and NFL Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud were the standout athletes for the month, with thousands of their cards undergoing the grading process. Ohtani's recent shift to the Dodgers and Stroud's late-season surge in the NFL contributed to their popularity, with 26,800 Ohtani cards and 16,400 Stroud cards graded by PSA in February alone.
The trend continued across other grading services, with modern cards from recent football and baseball releases seeing the most action. SGC's data reflected a similar preference for contemporary cards, with Michael Jordan, Ohtani, and Stroud leading their most-graded athlete list. ISA Grading and CGC also processed significant numbers of sports cards, though their focus extended to the TCG category.
This spike in card grading activities underscores the dynamic nature of the collectibles market, highlighting the rising interest in both veteran icons like Michael Jordan and emerging stars such as Ohtani and Stroud. As the hobby continues to evolve, these grading statistics offer insights into current trends and collector preferences, signaling a vibrant future for sports card collecting.