Guides
What you should know before you buy sealed trading cards, and what to do with them once they arrive. Written to answer questions, not to talk you into anything.
Sealed product is a strange market. You buy something whose contents you are not allowed to check without giving up your right of return, prices move faster than with ordinary goods, and a lot is claimed about rising value that is not true. These guides are about the things you do have a grip on: how to check what you are holding, how to choose what fits your goal, and how to tell what a card is worth.
Buying safely
Understanding products
- Booster box, Elite Trainer Box (ETB) or bundle: what is the difference?Booster box, Elite Trainer Box (ETB), bundle, tin and blister compared: how many packs are inside, what a pack costs and what you buy each one for.
- Japanese vs English Pokémon cards: what is the difference?Japanese Pokémon cards: usually 5 per pack and 30 packs per box (High Class sets 10 x 10), out months earlier and not tournament-legal outside Japan.
Collecting
New sets
- Pokémon 30th Anniversary: the timeline and the 2026 celebrationPokémon turns 30: from Red and Green in 1996 to the 30th Celebration anniversary set. The timeline, what is out in 2026 and which product suits you.
- Pokémon 30th Celebration: what is in each product and which to buyPokémon 30th Celebration, the 30th Anniversary set out on 16 September 2026: 6 foil cards per pack, 30 Pikachus, no booster box. Which product suits you.
Missing something, or is something not right? Email us. These pages are updated as soon as something changes in the products or the market, and the date at the top of every article shows when that last happened.