3 Trading Card Games to Collect Beyond Pokémon

One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! are emerging as popular alternatives for card game collectors.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

As Pokémon sparks a new wave of collectors, investors are eyeing other trading card game franchises like One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! as potential investment opportunities. These games have seen a surge in popularity and value, with some rare cards selling for thousands or even millions on the resale market.

Why it matters

The collectible trading card market is expanding beyond just Pokémon, providing new avenues for collectors and investors to diversify their portfolios. These alternative franchises have built strong fan bases over the years and are now attracting attention for their investment potential, as rare cards from these games can fetch high prices.

The details

One Piece, a popular anime series that recently got a live-action Netflix adaptation, has seen a meteoric rise in its trading card game. PSA, a company that authenticates and grades trading cards, has seen a 700% spike in the number of One Piece cards it has graded over the last six months. Magic: The Gathering, one of the oldest modern trading card games, has also seen renewed interest, with a pristine condition Black Lotus card selling for $3 million in 2024. Yu-Gi-Oh!, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 along with Pokémon, has maintained a strong presence in the collector scene, with some of its rarest cards selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

  • Netflix released a live-action 'One Piece' series in 2023.
  • A pristine condition Black Lotus card from Magic: The Gathering sold for $3 million in April 2024.
  • The 'Tyler the Great Warrior' Yu-Gi-Oh! card sold for around $300,000 on eBay in 2023.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon will both celebrate their 30th anniversaries in 2026.

The players

One Piece

A popular anime series that has been on screens since 1999 and recently got a live-action Netflix adaptation. The One Piece trading card game, released in 2022, has seen a meteoric rise in popularity.

Magic: The Gathering

One of the oldest modern trading card games on the market, debuting in 1993. It has seen renewed interest in recent years, with more collectible card lines and collaborations with other franchises.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

A trading card game that exploded in popularity after the anime series released in 2000. It has maintained a strong presence in the collector scene and is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026, the same year as Pokémon.

Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA)

A company that authenticates and grades trading cards based on their condition. PSA has seen a major shift in its business, with trading card games like Pokémon taking over the bulk of its work.

Elizabeth Gruene

The general manager of pop culture at Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA).

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Many collectors are looking to diversify their collections or discover emerging categories before they reach the level of demand we're seeing with Pokémon.”

— Elizabeth Gruene, General Manager of Pop Culture, Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) (Business Insider)

“Nostalgia is a major driver of collectibles.”

— Elizabeth Gruene, General Manager of Pop Culture, Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) (Business Insider)

The takeaway

As the collectible trading card market continues to evolve, investors and collectors are looking beyond the dominant Pokémon franchise to diversify their portfolios. Emerging franchises like One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! are gaining traction, with rare cards from these games fetching high prices on the resale market. This trend highlights the growing demand for alternative investment opportunities in the trading card space.