Michael Jordan, Shohei Ohtani, Caitlin Clark and hot rookies top 2025 eBay sales, trends

From Michael Jordan to Shohei Ohtani and Caitlin Clark, the top athletes and biggest names in sports dominated the sports collectibles market in 2025.

Those names show up often in eBay Collected, the global marketplace’s annual trend report highlighting the athletes, characters and artifacts that attracted international attention and fueled collector demand in 2025.

eBay

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Powered by eBay marketplace data, the biggest sports moments, from game-changing performances to new trading card and memorabilia drops, are reflected eBay marketplace sales data.

“For 30 years, eBay has been the destination for collectors and fans to find, sell and shop for the things they love, and it's fascinating to watch trends emerge and evolve,” said Adam Ireland, eBay’s VP and GM of Global Collectibles. “This year saw collectors seeking blind boxes, search spikes for rookie talent alongside demand for icons like Shohei Ohtani staying strong, and of course, the continued popularity of Pokémon across vintage cards and new releases.”

Here's a look at the trends and sales data that highlighted the sports collectibles market in 2025:

MOST POPULAR

The most searched athletes in 2025:

NBA

Michael Jordan

eBay

Victor Wembanyama

Kobe Bryant

LeBron James

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

NFL

Jayden Daniels

JJ McCarthy

Caleb Williams

Screenshot eBay

Bo Nix

Drake Maye

eBay

MLB

Shohei Ohtani

eBay

Ken Griffey Jr.

Mickey Mantle

Paul Skenes

Goldin

Elly De La Cruz

NHL

Wayne Gretzky

Connor Bedard

Sidney Crosby

Mario Lemieux

WNBA

Caitlin Clark

Paige Bueckers

Cameron Brink

Sophie Cunningham

Sabrina Ionescu

ROOKIES RISING

Collectors flocked to eBay to search for record-setting athletes and the hottest rookies across sports. Here’s the athletes who saw their searches skyrocket in 2025.

• Nick Kurtz hit 36 home runs in his Rookie of the Year season. +23,000%

• Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship as a rookie. +1,900%

• Cooper Flagg was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. +1,500%

Topps

• Drake Maye made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. +620%

• Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NFL goals record. +600%

• Pete Crow Armstrong had a 30-30 season in his second MLB campaign. +490%

• Roman Anthony hit .292 with a 140 wRC+ in 71 games as a rookie. +470%

• Amen Thompson averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Rockets to the #2 seed in the NBA Western Conference. +160%

• Shohei Ohtani won his fourth MVP and led the Dodgers to their second straight World Series. +110%

*Percentages based on global searches on eBay year over year from Jan-Sept 2025 vs. Jan-Sept 2024).

STILL THE GOAT

A signed 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card sold for $2.7 million, the highest price ever paid for a trading card with an aftermarket signature. The iconic card, graded PSA 9 with a 10 auto, was sold by Goldin in October.

Goldin

GLOBAL SUPERSTARS

Most searched athletes by home country:

US: Michael Jordan

UK: Lewis Hamilton

Canada: Connor Bedard

Germany: Michael Schumacher

France: Victor Wembanyama

Topps

*Based on collectibles searches from eBay.com, eBay.ca, eBay.uk, eBay.de, eBay.fr from Jan-Oct 2025.

QUIRKY COLLECTIBLES

Sports collectors didn’t just search for trading cards in 2025. Some quirky, offbeat collectibles commemorating special or iconic moments also attracted strong demand.

Masters Gnome

On the final day of The Masters on April 13, searches for the beloved gnomes increased nearly 170% on eBay.

LeBron Kenbassador Doll

When the LeBron James Kenbassdor Doll was released on April 14, eBay users searched for the doll over 1,900 times per hour.

George Costanza Bobblehead

When the Yankees brought back the viral Seinfeld bobblehead in August, searches for ‘Costanza bobblehead’ increased more than 1,000% compared to the month prior.