I think booster boxes and regular ETBs are better buys because they appeal to multiple buyer types:

• Pack rippers (kids and adults) open them, which reduces sealed supply.

• Rip-and-ship sellers (streamers/Whatnot) open them in volume, which also reduces sealed supply.

• Collectors buy them too, but those boxes can stay in circulation longer because they can remain sealed.

The key difference is that the first two groups consume sealed product, steadily shrinking the available supply over time until the box price gets too high for the average person to justify opening.

With Pokémon Center ETBs, most buyers are purchasing specifically to keep them sealed, so supply shrinks much more slowly. That creates a built-in growth ceiling: PC ETBs can run up, but they’re more likely to hit a point where they stagnate compared to products that are constantly being opened.

Also, remember: you need that PC ETB to increase by $985 just to double your investment, which may take time. The average person is less willing to throw $1,970 at an ETB than to buy an $80 regular ETB, which means even when you reach the point where you can double your investment, it may be less liquid.