I would like to welcome readers to the year 2025. And while we still dont have flying cars, we do have several collecting categories that are on fire right now. We also have at least two surprising collecting categories that have cooled significantly when compared to their high price points from just a few years ago. I have often lamented how the only constant in the antiques and collectibles trade is change, and every now and then I like to take a look at some of the most popular markets in the trade and give my commentary on where these markets are currently and where I think they are headed. As always, this commentary is based on my own market analysis of looking at completed auction sales and sell-through rates of various items. We will start with the markets that are currently on fire and then, in another upcoming article, talk about the markets that have cooled. You are welcome to disagree with my analysis, but I would urge you to use caution if you do because I am obsessed with sales numbers and market research. Now onto the list. 3. Numismatics (U.S. coins and currency) The year 2024 proved to be a very strong year for graded coins and paper money. The market for large-size U.S. currency (produced from 1861-1928) continues to dominate the U.S. paper money market along with small-size high denomination notes like the $500 and $1,000 Federal Reserve Notes bringing substantial premiums if graded by a top tier third-party grading company like PMG or PCGS and in uncirculated condition. Notes of this caliber are selling for about 20 to 40 percent higher than they were just a few short years ago. Large-sized silver and gold certificates regularly see demand outstripping supply through top tier auction sites like Heritage Auctions and Stacks & Bowers. In the graded coin world, all popular U.S. classic series are incredibly strong. Morgan silver dollars, Peace dollars, and Walking Liberty Halves are all popular series to collect and be prepared to pay a premium for anything that is in MS-63 or higher that is a scarce or key date. CAC (Certified Acceptance Corporation) stickered graded coins are commanding premiums anywhere from 10 to 40 percent at present time, and I expect this trend to continue in 2025 and beyond. Top Tips for Collectors and Investors The premiums on popular classic third-party graded silver coins is very high at present time. If you have deep pockets and can afford to go after graded gold coins, there are substantial values waiting to be had. The $1 gold coins and even some of the smaller gold denomination coins like the popular Indian Head $2.5 and $5 gold pieces hold incredible opportunity if and when the market shifts. Look at surviving mintages and population reports and you can buy certain gold coins that are truly scarce that can be seen selling for a fraction of the price of a scarce high grade Walking Liberty Half. Just be sure to look for quality over quantity. There is definitely a golden (pun intended) opportunity here for patient collectors and investors alike. 2. Modern-era Pokmon cards and products Forget vintage Pokmon cards for now. There is mass-speculation on mass-produced current Pokmon cards, boxed sets, and booster boxes. The return of the speculator mindset has once again hit the Pokmon collector market with a vengeance. Upcoming Pokmon products are being allocated and once again resellers are hoarding product, which is causing prices on the secondary market to skyrocket. Believe it or not, modern-era Pokmon cards were one of the hottest markets in 2024, and the trend continues going into 2025. Certain Pokmon cards and sets have literally doubled and tripled in value over the last year. If you want proof, just check out the shelves at your local Target or Walmart stores, or ask any kid. You are guaranteed to see a lot of empty shelf space, especially on popular Pokmon sets like Pokmon 151 and the recently released Surging Sparks. Top Tips for Collectors and Investors While Pokmon is here to stay, this trend will eventually pass, and if everyone is hoarding all the same stuff and keeping it all factory sealed until the price rises, what do you think is going to happen to the prices on all of this stuff? There is nothing wrong with holding some of these products if you love them and just want to own them, but your best course of action here is to sell when you can turn a profit. This is the advice Pokmon collectors just dont want to hear. There was a time when modern-era Pokmon products were sitting unsold and unwanted, and we can easily return to that time once again. Use caution in this market if you are buying for the long term. Always remember that speculation is the mother of all evils. 1. Graded vintage Star Wars action figures from the 1970s/1980s The world of action figure collecting changed exponentially when AFA (Action Figure Authority) grading came on the scene in the early 2000s. It would take many years for the market to take notice, but today toy grading is almost as popular as comic book grading and easily on par with video game grading. That said, one toy line has been doing phenomenally well on the secondary market, and that is the market for high grade factory sealed vintage Kenner Star Wars action figures produced from 1977 to 1984. This market is up an average of 20 to 50 percent in 2024 alone, when compared to what similar top tier examples were selling for back in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Still, this market is not without its own unique risks and potential pitfalls. Vintage factory-sealed and carded action figures are inherently fragile and, unfortunately, even third-party grading does not always adequately protect these well over 40-year examples that were cheaply mass-produced and meant to be opened up and played with back when they were first produced. However, that is also why this market is currently booming. High profile examples carry a premium in this market. Top Tips for Collectors and Investors There still lies some opportunity in this market, but I tend to prefer the more esoteric items that can also be third-party graded. Star Wars Revenge of the Jedi and similar proof cards dont have a lot of the issues that fragile carded factory-sealed action figures do, and neither do certain graded vintage advertising pieces. It is here where some value and opportunity lies, in my opinion. That said, dont expect prices to turn down any time soon as Star Wars is still a coveted property and still relevant in the modern era, even if the last few films in the franchise were poorly received by fans. And that concludes three of the hottest markets in the antiques and collectibles trade heading into 2025! Next we will look at two collecting markets that have cooled significantly over the last year. Stay tuned. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.