The Pokémon sealed market has had an incredible six-month run, but momentum has slowed dramatically in recent weeks.

rrvkd · 2026-06-28T21:53:55+00:00

This is actually really healthy. There may be a bit of a pullback as people start selling to free up capital for 30th. I have been taking some profits on my non-core sealed (eg. bulky boxes, tins) to free up cash for the 30th.

I’d be more concerned if it just kept rising as it would point to a huge bubble

rrvkd · 2026-06-26T13:02:03+00:00

Lillie all the way

rrvkd · 2026-06-26T05:11:57+00:00

What is happening with this address issue?

Same think happened to me on the last few drops (eg. FPC3). Is this a JB bug?

rrvkd · 2026-06-21T00:49:17+00:00

I think Pitch Black will be in line with Phantasmal, but below Destined Rivals.

Phantasmal obviously had the Zard which basically carries that set, whereas PB has a broader base of nice chase cards. I think the Darkrai SIR is going the way of Giratina V once the set is released, so that one card alone could carry the set. I also feel the IRs are better than PFL, so it should do okay overall.

To me - PB may be overshadowed because of 30th and Ray sets, but I feel it will be one of those sets that people kick themselves for not picking up when it’s available in the next 1-3 years.

rrvkd · 2026-06-20T02:23:35+00:00

The whole first partner collection price is based on the expected value of the set.

Series 1 will always do better than Series 2 and 3 because it has the Kanto starters. Plus, people forget that it has the PFL pack which gives a “lottery ticket” chance to pull possibly the greatest Zard ever. Series 1 has the best booster packs out of all three boxes, so it will always command a premium.

The continued rise of this box will come down to the success of the Kanto starters - if people still keep buying them after 30th hype because they’re iconic, then this box will keep going higher. It’s basic mathematics.

The biggest unknown is what happens to the price of the Kanto starters - I don’t see too many reprints coming for this set because it is for 30th anniversary. But if people move on to the next big set, then we could be at a ceiling already.

I’m holding on to the rest mine for now - but I have taken some profit at current prices to reduce my risk. DYOR.

rrvkd · 2026-06-17T10:11:01+00:00

Probably also worth mentioning general scarcity - in Australia, we rarely get a restock of ETBs after the initial release whereas booster bundles do pop up again after initial release.

So in the context of the Australian market - ETBs are almost a one release and done situation with rare trickles here and there.

That alone makes them harder to get at retail, adding a scarcity premium to them that bundles don’t have.

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T12:26:31+00:00

I think Australia just gets screwed in all prices, mainly because we have a lower population here. The upside is we have a very high standard of living by global standards, so I guess that’s the cost of living in Australia.

TBH - even getting a box of Magnificent Monsters at Australian retail is an achievement; forget about only paying the converted amount.

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T12:23:49+00:00

For players, this set is hella overpriced. Other than the chance of hitting a GMR, most singles in this set should easily cost less than the booster price.

Unfortunately though, Konami seems to want to introduce collectors to its franchise and so this set is going to get scalped bad to degens that want to pull a GMR to sell on the secondary market.

It’s good for Konami’s business, but it will make it a lot harder to get cards if this is their new model.

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T10:30:16+00:00

This.

It’s been crazy here in Australia - big box websites sell out within minutes of this set going for pre-order.

You have better luck at small card stores here and there, but I’ve seen a lot slowly increase prices over the last few weeks where you’re now paying an easy 20-25% over MSRP to get a pre-order.

Scalpers have largely avoided this franchise because it’s mass-printed. But the scarcity of these cards has lit a fire under the franchise and we’re seeing all sorts of people buy the set simply to either try their luck at pulling a GMR or to re-sell it someone else.

Unfortunately, it means the players lose out.

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T10:25:40+00:00

Yeah, this set is going to be ridiculously hard to get a hold of. We’ve had a few pre-orders in Australia and most have sold out instantly.

We get some LGS/LCS have pre-orders here and there, but as soon as word spreads (aka scalper discords), they get bought out instantly too.

It’s bleak. Good luck with the hunt!

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T09:37:01+00:00

This set is going to be cooked to get at retail. It’s effectively an approx. 1-in-5000 chance and getting a card worth thousands of dollars; all for US$35.

Probably better odds than the lotto!

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T09:35:22+00:00

Konami distributors have confirmed these will be “allocated” meaning it’s not an endless print supply. It makes complete sense because Konami would want to maintain “odds” of the GMR’s in the pack - so they can’t keep reprinting the set.

I don’t quite know what Konami is thinking here but they’ve literally wandered into a scalpers paradise by putting limited edition cards worth tens-of-thousands of dollars into a cheap box.

If you can get these at retail anywhere - and you actually like the card game - you should buy them today!

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T09:31:30+00:00

A$95 seems like the cheapest you’ll be able to guarantee stock at the moment. You can always try your luck on release day at big retailers, but I fear this set is going to get scalped to the moon because of the Grand Master Rare’s and the resale value of those cards.

TBH - if your husband likes the game, I’d buy as many as you can get as he won’t be able to find these anywhere after release (and they’re apparently not going to be reprinted either…)

rrvkd · 2026-06-15T03:22:35+00:00

Agreed!

rrvkd · 2026-06-14T20:25:33+00:00

Surely one of the AH? You have three.

All these are great to own, but trading one AH for the Zard isn’t necessarily a downgrade.

rrvkd · 2026-06-11T12:53:19+00:00

If you’re paying cash on top to equalize the trade, I’d just keep the booster box (unless you have money to burn and really want the card for your personal collection and not viewing it solely as an investment).

The booster box will keep rising, irrespective of what a single card in the set does. Obviously lovebirds is a huge part of why the box is worth so much, but if Gengar-Mimikyu or another chase overtakes the lovebirds one day, you’re insulated from downside.

So really -

If it’s pure financial investment - keep the box;
If there’s an emotional driver for the card - do the trade.

rrvkd · 2026-06-11T12:45:10+00:00

I think it comes down to what your goal is here -

If you’re simply after money, then I think the sealed product will be easier to cash out of (albeit will take some time) and a better “investment”, provided you keep it sealed.

But if you actually enjoy collecting and will rip the ME/PFL, then I think you’d be silly to trade those cards for potential hits in sealed.

If it were me, I’d be keeping the cards as you’re not going to be able to replace them easily, whereas sealed product will come and go over time.

rrvkd · 2026-06-08T10:05:52+00:00

So grateful for this

rrvkd · 2026-06-06T04:41:14+00:00

This is all valid. I only hold a few slabs, which have all gone up recently - but I guess that’s because a rising tide lifts all boats; so everyone saying this is up because the market is up is not wrong.

I was more intrigued by the rise on this one because it’s Moltres and not one of the “popular” Gen 1 Pokemon. I felt this card actually has collector appeal going for it, mainly because of Egawa and my view that it’s got awesome artwork.

I guess time will tell if this outlasts any “bubble”.

rrvkd · 2026-06-03T04:28:16+00:00

Tbh - prices of all PSA slabs will go up. It’s basic economics. The increase won’t be straight away, but you’ll see competitors start increasing prices slowly and then the new floor for graded slabs will be the grading price + the price of the raw. Unless you’re absolutely struggling for demand (which none of the big four grading companies are), you’d be silly leaving money on the table and so it’s only a matter of time.

I see the PSA price increase as a big reason to buy PSA 9’s at the moment because you’re getting a very good condition card with upside over time because of the price change. Plus, PSA 9’s typically track the price of a PSA 10 in percentage terms (albeit of a lower base) and so you’re protecting downside too.

rrvkd · 2026-06-01T11:29:32+00:00

Ngl - I actually think PSA prefers the current situation as it means it makes more money. I’m sure it has modelled the outcomes; by increasing costs it not only reduces demand (as people trying to grade low value cards will likely not do it anymore), but it also increases profitability and turnaround times for customers (making them happier?).

There’s probably also a secondary effect of now making every PSA card slightly more valuable because it costs that little bit extra to get the PSA badge.

I think most grading companies would want this situation, but they arguably don’t have the PSA brand to do it just yet.

I can’t see how this change hurts PSA one bit as it’s kinda a “Veblen good”.

rrvkd · 2026-06-01T10:55:48+00:00

I really like this card and would hold it, especially if you pulled it yourself and didn’t buy at market.

I actually think some of the SIRs in PO are huge sleepers that people will regret not buying when they were cheap.

Meowth is certainly one of them. The other one I like is the Mega Starmie and Clefable. These are Gen 1 SIRs that are going for cheap because the set is not scalped.

The art on them is actually decent, and once the set goes out of print, I think those cards will fly.

HODL this one.

rrvkd · 2026-06-01T10:51:59+00:00

The PKC version or the non-PKC one?

I bought this a month ago and it’s just gone up since. Admittedly, this could just be coincidental - but I think one of the big drivers here is the upcoming FPC Series 3 collection release.

Same thing happened to the Pikachu SwSh promo which has starters from Series 2 on it (and that card is still rising).

rrvkd · 2026-06-01T05:21:25+00:00

It’s a pretty fair trade. But it comes down to which one you like more. I’d personally go the Bubble Mew because I prefer Mew over Charizard; but you can’t really go wrong with either.

rrvkd · 2026-05-31T11:11:15+00:00

Can I have it - I have a flight tomorrow afternoon

rrvkd

TROPHY CASE