Global Star Trading Card Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2026-2032
Description
The global Star Trading Card market size is predicted to grow from US$ 1614 million in 2025 to US$ 3616 million in 2032; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2026 to 2032.
In the context of collectibles, a Star Trading Card, often simply called a Star Card or Photocard (especially in the K-pop and Asian entertainment industries), is a small, collectible card featuring a picture of a celebrity, idol, athlete, or fictional character known as a "star." These cards are typically produced as merchandise to promote a specific music group, drama, film, sports team, or entertainment franchise. They often include the star's name, group affiliation, and sometimes a printed signature or other unique design elements. They are highly sought after by fans for collecting, trading, and displaying, often fetching high values in the secondary market due to their rarity, limited edition status, or specific photo/design.
The market for Star Trading Cards has witnessed an explosive period of growth and transformation over the past decade, moving from a niche hobby to a significant global collectible asset class. This expansion is fundamentally driven by two main factors: the digitalization of fandom and the concept of scarcity driving value.
In the Western market, the traditional sports trading card sector (featuring major league athletes) has seen unparalleled investment, with premium, graded cards fetching six- and even seven-figure sums, establishing a clear precedent for high-value collectibles. This investment momentum has begun to spill over into celebrity and entertainment cards. Meanwhile, in the Asian market, particularly within K-pop, the photocard (PC) segment has become an integral part of album sales and concert merchandising. These cards are strategically issued in vast quantities, but with high randomization and frequent limited-time releases, creating artificial scarcity that fuels relentless "completing the set" behavior among fans. The value of these photocards is often directly tied to the star’s popularity, current activities, and the card's perceived difficulty to obtain (e.g., promotional PCs or those exclusive to specific concert venues).
From a market valuation standpoint, Star Trading Cards offer a unique blend of emotional connection (fandom) and financial speculation (collectibility). The rise of sophisticated third-party grading services (PSA, Beckett) adds a layer of standardization and trust, allowing collectors to verify authenticity and condition, thus justifying higher prices. Furthermore, the market's future looks robust due to globalization and social media's impact. Platforms like Instagram and dedicated trading apps connect international collectors instantaneously, turning local rarities into global commodities. This strong infrastructure, coupled with the continuous output of new "stars" and collectible series, suggests that the market will continue its upward trajectory, evolving into a recognized alternative investment similar to art or vintage comics.
LPI (LP Information)' newest research report, the “Star Trading Card Industry Forecast” looks at past sales and reviews total world Star Trading Card sales in 2025, providing a comprehensive analysis by region and market sector of projected Star Trading Card sales for 2026 through 2032. With Star Trading Card sales broken down by region, market sector and sub-sector, this report provides a detailed analysis in US$ millions of the world Star Trading Card industry.
This Insight Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global Star Trading Card landscape and highlights key trends related to product segmentation, company formation, revenue, and market share, latest development, and M&A activity. This report also analyses the strategies of leading global companies with a focus on Star Trading Card portfolios and capabilities, market entry strategies, market positions, and geographic footprints, to better understand these firms’ unique position in an accelerating global Star Trading Card market.
This Insight Report evaluates the key market trends, drivers, and affecting factors shaping the global outlook for Star Trading Card and breaks down the forecast by Type, by Application, geography, and market size to highlight emerging pockets of opportunity. With a transparent methodology based on hundreds of bottom-up qualitative and quantitative market inputs, this study forecast offers a highly nuanced view of the current state and future trajectory in the global Star Trading Card.
This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Star Trading Card market by product type, application, key players and key regions and countries.
Segmentation by Type:
Classic Card
Metal Card
Plastic Card
Segmentation by Classification:
Sport Cards
Non-Sport Cards
Segmentation by Sales Channel:
Online Channel
Offline Channel
Segmentation by Application:
Baseball
Football
Basketball
Others
This report also splits the market by region:
Americas
United States
Canada
Mexico
Brazil
APAC
China
Japan
Korea
Southeast Asia
India
Australia
Europe
Germany
France
UK
Italy
Russia
Middle East & Africa
Egypt
South Africa
Israel
Turkey
GCC Countries
The below companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing the company's coverage, product portfolio, its market penetration.
Panini
Fanatics
The Upper Deck Company
Futera
Leaf Trading Cards
Please note: The report will take approximately 2 business days to prepare and deliver.
In the context of collectibles, a Star Trading Card, often simply called a Star Card or Photocard (especially in the K-pop and Asian entertainment industries), is a small, collectible card featuring a picture of a celebrity, idol, athlete, or fictional character known as a "star." These cards are typically produced as merchandise to promote a specific music group, drama, film, sports team, or entertainment franchise. They often include the star's name, group affiliation, and sometimes a printed signature or other unique design elements. They are highly sought after by fans for collecting, trading, and displaying, often fetching high values in the secondary market due to their rarity, limited edition status, or specific photo/design.
The market for Star Trading Cards has witnessed an explosive period of growth and transformation over the past decade, moving from a niche hobby to a significant global collectible asset class. This expansion is fundamentally driven by two main factors: the digitalization of fandom and the concept of scarcity driving value.
In the Western market, the traditional sports trading card sector (featuring major league athletes) has seen unparalleled investment, with premium, graded cards fetching six- and even seven-figure sums, establishing a clear precedent for high-value collectibles. This investment momentum has begun to spill over into celebrity and entertainment cards. Meanwhile, in the Asian market, particularly within K-pop, the photocard (PC) segment has become an integral part of album sales and concert merchandising. These cards are strategically issued in vast quantities, but with high randomization and frequent limited-time releases, creating artificial scarcity that fuels relentless "completing the set" behavior among fans. The value of these photocards is often directly tied to the star’s popularity, current activities, and the card's perceived difficulty to obtain (e.g., promotional PCs or those exclusive to specific concert venues).
From a market valuation standpoint, Star Trading Cards offer a unique blend of emotional connection (fandom) and financial speculation (collectibility). The rise of sophisticated third-party grading services (PSA, Beckett) adds a layer of standardization and trust, allowing collectors to verify authenticity and condition, thus justifying higher prices. Furthermore, the market's future looks robust due to globalization and social media's impact. Platforms like Instagram and dedicated trading apps connect international collectors instantaneously, turning local rarities into global commodities. This strong infrastructure, coupled with the continuous output of new "stars" and collectible series, suggests that the market will continue its upward trajectory, evolving into a recognized alternative investment similar to art or vintage comics.
LPI (LP Information)' newest research report, the “Star Trading Card Industry Forecast” looks at past sales and reviews total world Star Trading Card sales in 2025, providing a comprehensive analysis by region and market sector of projected Star Trading Card sales for 2026 through 2032. With Star Trading Card sales broken down by region, market sector and sub-sector, this report provides a detailed analysis in US$ millions of the world Star Trading Card industry.
This Insight Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global Star Trading Card landscape and highlights key trends related to product segmentation, company formation, revenue, and market share, latest development, and M&A activity. This report also analyses the strategies of leading global companies with a focus on Star Trading Card portfolios and capabilities, market entry strategies, market positions, and geographic footprints, to better understand these firms’ unique position in an accelerating global Star Trading Card market.
This Insight Report evaluates the key market trends, drivers, and affecting factors shaping the global outlook for Star Trading Card and breaks down the forecast by Type, by Application, geography, and market size to highlight emerging pockets of opportunity. With a transparent methodology based on hundreds of bottom-up qualitative and quantitative market inputs, this study forecast offers a highly nuanced view of the current state and future trajectory in the global Star Trading Card.
This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Star Trading Card market by product type, application, key players and key regions and countries.
Segmentation by Type:
Classic Card
Metal Card
Plastic Card
Segmentation by Classification:
Sport Cards
Non-Sport Cards
Segmentation by Sales Channel:
Online Channel
Offline Channel
Segmentation by Application:
Baseball
Football
Basketball
Others
This report also splits the market by region:
Americas
United States
Canada
Mexico
Brazil
APAC
China
Japan
Korea
Southeast Asia
India
Australia
Europe
Germany
France
UK
Italy
Russia
Middle East & Africa
Egypt
South Africa
Israel
Turkey
GCC Countries
The below companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing the company's coverage, product portfolio, its market penetration.
Panini
Fanatics
The Upper Deck Company
Futera
Leaf Trading Cards
Please note: The report will take approximately 2 business days to prepare and deliver.
Table of Contents
73 Pages
- *This is a tentative TOC and the final deliverable is subject to change.*
- 1 Scope of the Report
- 2 Executive Summary
- 3 Star Trading Card Market Size by Player
- 4 Star Trading Card by Region
- 5 Americas
- 6 APAC
- 7 Europe
- 8 Middle East & Africa
- 9 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends
- 10 Global Star Trading Card Market Forecast
- 11 Key Players Analysis
- 12 Research Findings and Conclusion
Pricing
Currency Rates
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