Let’s set the stage here. It’s February of 2025. The last two Pokémon card sets released were Surging Sparks and Prismatic Evolutions, both of which have a number of major chase cards and have been printed in minor quantity. Both then have single cards that are worth several hundred dollars, despite only recently being released.
And it doesn’t stop there. The prices for single chase cards across almost every set released in the past two years have rocketed up since September 2024. While cards like the Umbreon VMAX (THE chase card for the Sword & Shield Era) are expected to vary a bit more, jumping from a $700 card to a $1400 card is unheard of.
Even looking at less popular cards, they all have done the same thing. A 3X+ spike in prices across the board since September. There are only a few exceptions that I’ve found, but the images below paint the picture even more. Each of these are cards from different sets released within the past 2 years.
Even the Ninetales from the notoriously bad set, Obsidian Flames has spiked 3X since September.
What Does This Mean For You?
The picture that I’m painting all goes to show how popular and sought after Pokémon cards are right now. And while they have been incredibly popular for quite some time, it is currently at an unreasonable level.
You don’t have to look very hard to find people fighting over Pokémon cards across any and all retailers. There are also an incredible number of Youtubers who have commented on this exact thing.
What it means for you and any casual collectors is that it is incredibly difficult to get nearly any Pokémon product at MSRP prices. Not long ago, you could stroll down an aisle at nearly every retailer to pick up some Pokémon cards. At this point in time though, every store seems to be completely barren of a single pack.
The Pokémon Company has acknowledged this, releasing a statement about restocking one set (Prismatic Evolutions) as quickly as possible. Unfortunately though, it will likely not be a quick turnaround and stores will likely either not have product, or be selling them at a much higher price than what MSRP is supposed to be.
What Can You Do About It?
A large number of these packs and boxes are ending up in the hands of scalpers who are reselling these at 2-4x normal prices. You then have a choice to make. Don’t buy them at raised prices (which is the path a lot of people support), or start paying more for the time being to get your hands on some product.
By not buying, you are stopping outside parties from buying these up so that they can make a profit from them. While some of you may not mind paying more, this will continue to happen if there is this much of a benefit in fighting over Pokémon product. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.
If you’d like to try to get your hands on product for reasonable prices, you can follow groups like Trading Card Restock Information or follow some Reddit threads that post about restocks.
Outside of that though, you will have to either wait it out or work far harder than you should to get some Pokémon cards. Regardless of where you are, I wish you the best in your search.