Summary
I specifically remember whenFusion Strikelaunched. Icovered it for DualShockers, and at the time, there was a lot of discontent around the set. It followed two of the most hyped expansions inPokemon Trading Card Gamehistory, Celebrations and Evolving Skies, and it brought things back down to earth with a bump.
The set was huge, the biggest in the TCG’s history, making it a nightmare for master setters, and its lack of “exciting cards” meant it wasn’t anywhere near as popular as its predecessors. I was able to pick Booster Boxes up for sub-£100 comfortably, and boy, did I.
But as Pokemon TCG single priceshave shot through the roof(and then seemingly started to come back down a little), Fusion Strike has found a second wind, with its value growing exponentially over the last few weeks.
Sealed Fusion Strike Products Now Cost A Fortune
Naturally, as Fusion Strike went out of print and became unavailable in stores, its prices were going to rise—and they did. According toCollectr, this time last year, a sealed Booster Box would have set you back $243, and an Elite Trainer Box about $48. The expansion then saw a boost in January of this year, with the two products jumping to $487 and $90, respectively, by the middle of the month. They then settled a little, but over the last few days, it has blown up.
According to the Collectr, sealed booster boxes are now selling for $779, and Elite Trainer Boxes for $166. This represents a 220 percent increase from last year, and a 61 percent increase from May 1 for Booster Boxes, and a 246 percent increase from this time last year, and a 15 percent increase from May 1.
There are likely a couple of reasons for these huge increases. Firstly, FOMO, people are now starting to worry that this is the last chance to get their hands on the products, so they’re willing to pay extreme prices. Secondly, the chase. Many of Fusion Strike’s most popular cards are now exceedingly valuable (Gengar VMAX and Espeon VMAX alternate arts being the two biggest), and people are itching to pull their own.
In my DualShockers preview, I said the set would be “one that people will learn to love over time”, and these prices are an idication of exactly that.
Naturally, as Fusion Strike has risen, so hasEvolving Skies, with Booster Boxes from that set jumping from $887 to $1,723 over the last six months—a set for which I opened ten Booster Boxes and could have been on my way to retirement if I had kept them sealed.
