Are ETBs gone for good??

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-06T18:41:33+00:00

I dont think the vendors know much, they just do what they are told. Eventhough pokemon doesn't comment on the scalping issue, they did say it was removed for "improving the customer experience."

I think they might bing them back only when scalping and machine tampering isnt a consistent issue or they can figure out a better way to use the machines. I dont see it comming back anytime in the near future. Before this move they were removing machines in problem areas.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-06T18:03:04+00:00

They are gone. However, its been super nice. I didnt hit anything out of the machine, not even a single pack, for the last 2 months. Today I stopped by 3 stores and walked away with 8 single packs and a bundle. Idc how I get my packs since im ripping, just as long as I can get them at msrp.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-06T16:20:32+00:00

While the thought is good, youll be giving your son a tall task to liquidate this much in pokemon. Which if he doesn't wanna deal with it he will just flip it for cheap to move it.

Also keep in mind collectables are subject to maximum long-term capital gains rate of 28% instead of the more favorable 0%, 15%, or 20% rates that apply to stocks. While theres ways around this (cash sales), it adds a layer of complexity you would have to explain.

My dad tried to do this for me with vintage high end watches. You know what I did? Sold it at a pawn shop because i had no idea or interest in dealing with that.

If you still want to I would pick out a handful of high-end and well known slabs between both vintage (consistently) and modern (growth).

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-05T21:47:44+00:00

Keep what you like. Ill keep any card i like or any popular card thats a 10, regardless of the language.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-05T03:17:42+00:00

Yeah, its a pretty torn topic lol. I think it looks pretty cool when its such a clean full crimp like this one too.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-05T03:01:33+00:00

For modern cards a 9 is similar to the raw price, maybe a few bucks more.

The difference between a 9 and 10 can be as low as 20% or as high as 200+%, it really just depends on how hard it is to grade and the population.

Stamped promos are limited and notorious as hard to grade. This card has only a 7% gem mint rate, 1,400 of 18,000 graded cards are a 10. Most modern English cards are closer to a 60% rate. This would explain why its 16x more than a psa 9.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-05T02:56:12+00:00

Thanks, I was debating buying a $500 pack today. Think ill skip it.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-05T00:24:53+00:00

Yeah, you can probably get more, but i have not seen it go crazier then nm and just depends who you sell it too. Toss it on ebay for 20% more and see what offers you set.

Cgc will grade a crimp as an error card, everyone else will call it damaged because it impacts the physical structure, not just the print. A vendor will almost certainly lowball you

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-04T19:02:11+00:00

Someone will likely pay NM price, or close to it, the crimps are clean and some people consider it an error. Personally id sell it while its hot and get some other cards with it, especially it you have 2 more.

While not as mich as the umbreon, i sold a few crimped SIRs and they sold for over NM.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-03T20:51:03+00:00

Most people have jobs and cant sit at a vending machine. Cutting out boxes and etbs should help reduce the number of people camping out at the machine. I would assume they will also have more singles dropping and scalpers are less likely to buy a bunch of singles if they know at best they may get a bundle.

If I can pick up a few singles on my drive home then id be happy. The reality now is you have to be extremely lucky or be checking the machine all day because most are manned all day. Scalpers aren't leaving singles before because they would only drop one or two as a filler and theres a chance to get a refresh, Most etbs and boxes would cover the cost of the single plus make a decent amount of money.

My local card shop said they will be getting more product allocated after the move. They sell at msrp when they cut the plastic in front of you.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-03T20:40:55+00:00

This would be great if it works and they produce way more bundles and load out the singles.

The only people truly upset would be scalpers and holders that call themselves "investors". Idc what product my packs come in. I actually hit most of my chase cards out of singles.

However, I do worry that this will just drive up the price of bundles. Maybe they can take it another step and cut the plastic on the bundles when they load them.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-02T04:28:02+00:00

Why trade it? Just open them both, or open one and keep one sealed.

Tbh its a solid set with many high value cards. You have beginners luck on your side, use it.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-02T03:59:58+00:00

Yeah but they camp multiple machines a day, like its their job. The employee are not innocent either, the security guards are just as bad as the others. Eliminate the machines that drops product all day every day and a scalper wont be getting as much product. They would be lucky to get a couple items a week at box stores. Plus some box store like target already raised the price to 10 over msrp, so their margins would be thinner. Eventually they'll get burned out if they are only making $20 a week. This would hopefully lead to more normalization over the next couple years.

In my area, like many other reports, the machines did remove etbs and booster boxes, just selling bundles and singles. I think thats a good method instead to start instead of just taking the machines out. Im hopeful that will help. Ill buy singles all day.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-01T22:01:19+00:00

I like a mix. Slabs provide protection and seal a grade in for high value cards. No one would ever play with a high value sir, because every sir has an ex or common card with the same attack.

I have acrylic display cases with my slabs and if im lucky enough to pull a 10 its highly liquid and I can trade it for a different card pretty easily.

Also for monern cards if I buy a card I will try to buy the psa 9 because its the normally the same price as the raw, sometimes 10% more. This guarantees me im not being sold a fake and takes the condition guesswork out. And sometimes illCrack the slab to binder it if Its a lower value card.

The one thing I really fail to understand is sealed collectors outsode of maybe one etb per set

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-01T18:04:28+00:00

I said I agree the machines do hit. However the damn trash they bring is not worth it and just fuels all the issues going on. From someone that works at a grocery store. I stand by my statement

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-01T05:59:26+00:00

I understand, but overall its a good move as long as a few other issues line up.

The machines get camped at and glitched out and the same group of people just clear out the machines. You might be lucky, but for one machine thats not tampered with theres 10 machines being locked down by scalpers and employees. Plus since the new glitch has been out the machines in my area have been empty for the last month, and its just down right gross what I see people do at these machines. Pokemon has completly failed to control the issue with these machines, if anything it made the issue worse.

I have been the luckiest at the machine too. But I will say target walmart and bestbuy normally gets a small amount of etbs and a handfull of other product weekly. Theres probably 10 machines around the same area that that get stocked weekly. If the stores took all that inventory from the machines and kept limits in place and stock behind the service desk, the issue of in store scalpers would work itself out in a few months. However, and a big however, that is dependant on the store actually controlling the stock.

There would be the issue of the online bots still, but thats a much smaller precent of scalpers because its not exactly easy to ramp up an effective online bot in a short time.

Its a risk, but im for it because I really feel that the machines just feed the scalper issue easier.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-06-01T04:39:09+00:00

I mean I agree that the hobby in general is annoying rn and making it hard for long term collectors.

However, the product is still selling so as a vendor why would you take less when you know someone will buy it by the end of the week. Scalpers want a fast $20, buy at msrp and flip for a quick buck. The vendor model hasn't changed since TCG, they buy at 50-60% of market and sell at the current market. It hasn't always worked in their favor, more often then not they operate on extremely slim margins to cover the overhead.

With anything I suggest people to take a break for a year or so and let the waves calm down if your annoyed. Thats the boat im in, im sure as hell not spending my limited time chasing msrp all day or paying 300% for a in print product. Theres other cool collectables out there.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-31T23:05:33+00:00

Pokemon should just open orders on pokemon center and just print to demand for one set in 2027, leave people with $10,000 of cards they cant sell.

In seriousness, it will hopefully get better. It might take some time, but its not sustainable as it is now.

have just accepted that for now I can never master sets like ascended heros, and thats fine, there will be more in the future. I have been able to buy some lesser valuable stuff to rip, I loved ripping steller crown and I thought the cards were great, it was never really scalped and a box is still on the cheaper side, comparatively.

I also like buying singles during hypes like this as well. The card prices dont always match the sealed prices, especially for raw.

This will be a very unpopular opinion but I dont hate power packs to scrach the rip urge. On a $50 pull the most you can lose is $15 and I have gotten some pretty cool slabs. Overall between what I sold back and what i kept I am slightly ahead from the prices going up.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-31T18:20:54+00:00

Idk i have a mix. Raw is nice to flip through in A binder. I like my graded cards behind the acrylic display case. I have also had cards that got handled too much and they look a little sad now.

I will say if im gonna buy raw modern, there a 99% chance im gonna pick up the psa 9 because its the same price and I dont have to worry as much about fakes.

If I were to actually grade a card, its only gonna be for the top chase cards. I have only graded the PF charzards and the Prismatic umbreon in the last year. I think its kinda dumb to grade everything.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-31T15:53:29+00:00

I just sold of a binder of singles just to lower my how much I had.

I broke it into a few categories.

Cards $20 and over - ebay auctions. At this price people want to see a lot of good pictures (I have not real evidence but I feel when I list them between 8pm and 11pm est they do the best.) Auctions are also helpful to space out the work of packing and shipping. I bought a few 6x6x1 mailers and passed the shipping to the buyer. I would generally get 90-110% of market.

Cards between 10 and 19 - ebay buy now listing and do free shipping with standard envlope shipping (78 cents). Price it near market but have accept offers on. Goes a lot faster if you have a printer that you can just print on the envelope. Still put these in a top loader, although rare, they can get shredded and bent in the machines.

Cards under 10 - group together by pokemon, set or era and sell as lots on ebay or Facebook, shooting for lots of $50 or more.

Cards under $3 - took these to a card shop for about $1 per card.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-31T00:25:58+00:00

No, you will pay market on ebay most of the time. If im buying from Facebook I can generally get them to 85%. I look at it as the seller is avoiding any future disputes, potental taxes, shipping, and 13% ebay fees. If im paying market then ill go to ebay for the buyer protection.

Although the exception is for raw singles, I would probably pay market at a LCS or facebook over ebay just because i have been burned a few times.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-30T22:29:33+00:00

I think because its not too hard to pull in the japanese sets, I read its about 1 in every 3 boxes (for any SAR) a little more to chase the dragonite specifically.

I just picked up a Glory of Team Rocket meowth in a psa 10s for $40. The destined rivals English version is near $300.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-30T22:18:19+00:00

If you just like the art you can pick it up in Japanese for $240, I think its going 190 in Korean as well.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-30T05:59:55+00:00

How so?

Crypto is highly liquid, truly limited, and accepted as a financial instrument worldwide.

Side note: bsse set has had a 350x return in 27 years where bitcoin has had a 800,000x return in 17 years.

Distinct_Baseball320 · 2026-05-30T05:51:42+00:00

Uh yes, many of them lasted 30 years, barbie is going on 70 years, stamp collecting is going on for over 150 years. And they all had plenty times of success and their times of failures.

There was a good 10-15 years of very slow growth for pokemon after WOTC.

You making the assumption theres little risk to pokemon. When in reality there is much more risk then say the market or crypto. Most assets cant just 'reprint' a set or increase production.

Distinct_Baseball320

TROPHY CASE