Pokemon trading cards are no longer just childhood souvenirs. Some of the rarest copies are now treated as alternative investment assets, and in certain periods they have generated returns that have exceeded the performance of the S&P 500 index, according to an analysis cited by CNBC. Data provided by Card Ladder shows that: during the pandemic boom, but also in a new wave of growth in 2025, the Pokemon card market recorded significant gains; these performances exceeded the average annual