This article was written in partnership with eBay Australia.
Trading card games have gone from a schoolyard hobby to a massive industry, from schoolyard tournaments with cards costing a couple dollars from the local newsagent to Pokémon Neo Genesis boxes selling for upwards of $40,000* on online marketplaces like eBay Australia, proving that trading cards are the ultimate collectables.
For decades, trading card games have captured the hearts of players and collectors, cementing their position as the must-have collectables. It’s not just the play factor, either; there’s a wonderfully heartwarming nostalgic charm attached to Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana and other TCGs.
Even if you haven’t played a TCG for years, you’ll absolutely remember opening your first pack. There’s something truly magical about tearing open a booster pack or box and seeing the glint of a holo foil card or uncovering a real rarity. It feels like winning one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets, and that’s a feeling that never goes away. Years later, we can still recall the buzz from gingerly opening our first pack of Vampire: The Masquerade Cards (no, we’re not ashamed about it!).
Over the years, trading card games have evolved from a schoolyard pastime to a global phenomenon, embraced by people of all ages, with adults sharing the love of the game with their children. Even for those who don’t play, just owning the cards is a chance to connect with a fandom. If you’re looking to dive back in, here are three of the hottest trading card games right now.
Pokémon: The Pokémon Trading Card Game has captivated players across the ages, and next year will be the Pokémon TCG’s 30th anniversary, a chance for us to celebrate this much-loved franchise much like the Pokémon brand itself. Based on the Game Boy video games from 1996, it’s ballooned into a massive franchise and left its mark on multiple generations.
The trading card games lets fans collect, trade, and battle with their favourite Pokémon, from Pikachu to Charizard to the weirdly adorable Mimikyu and beyond. Pokémon has something for everyone, whether you’re a long-time trainer or are just starting your journey with the latest edition.
Create the perfect deck to battle it out with your friends, summoning powerful Pokémon and using Trainer cards to boost your strategies, with varied and often stunning designs that breathe new life into old Pocket Monsters. Or choose to collect the cards you love or the ones that fetch the highest value, like that Neo Genesis box. It’s one of the reasons we love Pokémon so much, it’s all up to you.
Disney Lorcana: Next is Disney’s Lorcana, a true slice of magic, Lorcana is the trading card game that finally does justice to all those wonderful characters Disney has gifted to the world, from princesses to heroes to villains and back again. This TCG transcends generations, drawing upon on the boundless love that exists for Disney’s characters. We all have a favourite Disney Princess, villain or hero that we watched over and over again as a kid… now is your chance to own or play with a piece of them!
A PSA 10 Mickey Mouse card sold for over $5,500* on eBay Australia. But it’s not just the big names like Mickey, Elsa and Stitch that feature in Lorcana, either. Want to see Basil the Great Mouse Detective go up against Hades from Hercules? Lorcana enables that and other dream crossovers, in a range of gorgeous art styles, and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The last franchise on our list here is the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! which spawned from a popular manga. Yu-Gi-Oh! has captivated fans for over 25 years, a magical battleground where iconic monsters, spellcasters, and warriors come to life, from the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the mischievous Dark Magician or Exodia The Forbidden One. A Yu-Gi-Oh! card sold for over $4,000* last year on eBay Australia ⏤ a PSA 10 Elemental Hero Flame Wingman card, proving people will do anything to get their hands on the cards to complete their prized collection or pull on their friends as a trump card.
Duelists of all ages have been summoning their favourite creatures, passing on the thrill of the game to the next generation. Konami has gone out of its way to keep the game fresh for new and old players, adding new cards and mechanics such as the Dark Armed Dragon, a menacing creature that can only be special summoned. Bolstered by Konami’s efforts and the enduring appeal of the anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh has gone from strength to strength.
How to get started:
So where do you go to grow your Pokémon, Lorcana, or Yu-Gi-Oh! card collection? Whether you’re investing in rare cards, completing that last missing piece for your deck, or starting from scratch, eBay is the ultimate destination for all things trading card games.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a special card, want to fill your pockets with sealed packs or explore all that amazing merchandise, including massively oversized Pokémon plushes, eBay is your one-stop shop. From nostalgic sets to hard-to-find international releases and booster boxes, you’ll find it all in one place.
Searching for your next card is a breeze, with no more endlessly scrolling through listings. eBay’s vast range across their trading card marketplace lets you find exactly what you’re after with minimal effort. You can filter by game (Pokémon, Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other game), condition (graded or non-graded), and card type, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
eBay’s marketplace is utterly unmatched, with local and global inventory just a button click away. And if you’re looking to refine your collection, it’s the perfect place to sell those cards you no longer need or want. Those Pokémon cards you shoved in the attic might be worth more than you think!
Some of our favourite cards right now to pickup are the wonderfully ridiculous Disney Lorcana Hunny Wizard, Pokemon’s powerhouse Charizard ex and Yu-Gi-Oh!’s multi-drawing Mulcharmy Fuwalos.
With eBay’s protection policies, and money back guarantees, both buyers and sellers can trade cards with confidence, knowing you’re backed by secure transaction guarantees. These and other seller protections make it the safest place to buy and sell cards. Plus, there are regular promotions and special discounts that can make it even cheaper to complete the gaps in your collection.
So, whether you’re looking to expand your Lorcana deck, upgrading your Pokémon collection, or build the ultimate Yu-Gi-Oh! deck, eBay is your go-to for trading card game collectables. If you’re ready to relive the magic explore eBay’s massive trading card and collection and find your next treasure here.
*eBay Australia sales data 1 Jan 2023 – 1 Jan 2025.
Published: Mar 21, 2025 9:11 PM UTC