Pokémon Sets Not Yet Released, Already Priced Over $500

Hype is building around the anniversary sets of the Pokémon Trading Card Game even before their official release. According to Polygon, the price of the 30th Anniversary Ultra Premium Collection on the secondary market has already exceeded $500. Some sets have reached buyers ahead of the official launch, and unboxing videos are drawing collectors' attention.

The sets feature special Espeon and Umbreon cards, as well as exclusive Future Rare versions of Pikachu. However, the main source of interest is the pack's contents: buyers receive 30 boosters, one of which is dedicated exclusively to the Classic Collection featuring reprints of well-known cards.

Among them are Charizard and Lugia. At the time of Polygon's publication, these cards were selling for approximately $155 and $192, respectively. For comparison, one of the most expensive modern cards from the main anniversary series, Mew, was valued at around $77.

The publication attributes the price difference primarily to availability: classic reprints are harder to obtain from regular anniversary boosters. A separate Classic Collection pack narrows the range of possible cards and makes the set particularly appealing to those collecting this specific part of the series.

However, the mass release of the collection could change the situation. The more sets buyers open, the more individual cards will appear for sale. This could drive down their prices, though predicting the scale of the drop in advance is impossible.

High prices for sealed sets are also not guaranteed to last. According to Polygon's observations, other anniversary products have already dropped in price: the Elite Trainer Box, which was selling for nearly $200 two months ago, can now be found for around $100.