From Pokemon to T1, global fandoms open new market for Korean resellers

Korean sellers are finding new opportunities in the global collectibles market, as overseas buyers are willing to pay a premium for rare, hard-to-find items, with trading card sales by Korean sellers on eBay more than tripling year-on-year in the third quarter.

EBay said Friday that Korean sellers in the Collectible Card Games Category saw the highest sales growth among all Korean sellers on the global e-commerce platform from July to September this year. Trading cards featuring characters, artists or celebrity athletes fueled platform users’ attraction toward the Korean resellers.

The most popular trading cards featured characters from the globally popular animated franchise Pokemon and iconic League of Legends esports team T1. The top-selling item in the category was the 2026 KOREA MEGA FESTA Magikarp card, which also ranked ninth in overall sales among Korean sellers on eBay.

The Riftbound X 2025 World Champion T1 Signature Edition Card fetched a premium even during prelaunch sales, demonstrating a global fandom around the product itself and the team represented by professional gamer Lee Sang-hyeok, who is known more widely as Faker. Four of the card’s related products clinched spots in the Top 10 in the category during the third quarter.

LEGO was another hot item sold by Korean sellers on eBay. Thanks to the brand, which commonly releases editions featuring popular franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, the Building Toys Category posted the second-highest sales growth among Korean sellers in the three-month period. Those that were no longer produced or were manufactured in a limited volume were in high demand among Korean sellers. The LEGO 10190 Market Street set, for example, was ultimately purchased for $4,271 — 57 times its original retail price.

K-pop merchandise also attracted demand from global fans. BIGBANG, which is preparing for a world tour to celebrate its 20th debut anniversary, drew interest from collectors. Merchandise from BTS member J-Hope's collaboration with Japanese fashion brand Human Made and Stray Kids' Run It Seoul concert also attracted international buyers. BTS ranked second only to Michael Jackson in the music category of eBay's quarterly Hot Keywords Report, reflecting continued global interest in the group's merchandise.

Tools and workshop equipment also emerged as a growing category for Korean sellers on eBay during the quarter, recording the third-highest sales growth. Popular items included sanders, magnetic drills and vacuum pumps.

Korean sellers are finding new opportunities in the global collectibles market, as international buyers increasingly seek out rare and exclusive items. In the trading card category, Korean-language cards account for a much smaller share of available products than their English and Japanese counterparts, but limited Korean editions and exclusive promotional cards are attracting collectors overseas because of their rarity.

“Various products presented by Korean sellers, including trading cards, LEGO and K-pop merchandise, are achieving strong results by capturing the attention of global fandoms,” said eBay Japan's Yoo Chang-mo, who is also head of cross-border trade at eBay Korea.

“As new global growth opportunities for Korean sellers are expanding beyond fandom-based goods into diverse categories such as power tools, industrial equipment and auto parts, we will continue to support them so they can demonstrate their competitiveness in a broader market.”