Yesterday,The Pokemon Companydropped its first products from its exciting new trading card game expansion,Mega Evolution. Unlikeearly Prismatic EvolutionsandDestined Rivals listings, the process ran pretty smoothly. Sure, there were some pretty long wait times in the queue, butthe anti-bot protection seemed to do its job, and it was relatively easy to get your hands on ETBs, Booster Boxes, and Booster Bundles — provided you weren’t one of the unlucky few who were incorrectly identified as a bot.
Rather unsurprisingly, however, despite products being easier to come by, they’re still being flipped on eBay for far, far higher than what they were available for on The Pokemon Center.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game’s New Mega Evolution Set Is Already Being Scalped
Within minutes of the Mega Evolution trading card game products being listed on The Pokemon Center website, those ruining the Pokemon TCG hobby were trying to make a quick buck on reselling sites like eBay.
In the UK, listings have popped upfor £260($349) for the pair of exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes, while individual ETBs are being listed foraround £140($187). In the US, a pair of the Gardevoir and Lucario ETBs arebeing listed for $390(including postage). Alongside active listings, there have been multiple completed sales of the Elite Trainer Boxes, ranging between$300and$400for the pair, or around$150for a single ETB.
Given that the Elite Trainer Boxes only sell for £54.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US, that’s a significant mark-up, around 233 percent if sold for the higher amounts. This is indicative of the wider problem that the Pokémon Trading Card Game has been facing for the best part of a year now.
In January, we reported thatthe prices of The Pokemon TCG’s single cards and sealed products were skyrocketing exponentially, and that showed no sign of slowing down. There was a small indication that, perhaps,the bubble may have been bursting, but that turned out to be a false flag, as price-gougers found another range of cards,Sun and Moon Promos, thatthey could manipulate the market for.
The Mega Evolution expansion is set to continue the Pokemon Trading Card Game’s stellar 2025. Following on fromPrismatic Evolutions,Journey Together,Destined Rivals, andBlack Bolt and White Flare, Mega Evolution will see the return of the titular mechanic for the first time since 2016’s XY Evolutions. It will feature “nearly a dozen Mega Evolution Pokemon ex” and more than 50 Pokemon and Trainer cards with special illustrations. It’s clear, that it’s just as sought after as its predecessors from this year.
The Pokemon Company is doing everything it can to combat scalpers, with its new anti-bot protection and purchase limits, but it seems like, for the foreseeable at least, that the Pokemon TCG’s plight will continue.
