The Recent Rise in TCG Prices?

JungleBeatz

JungleBeatz

Financial Genius
Member
Ok so I've been eyeing certain Pokemon tcg products and single cards that have been rising over the last couple of months and notice that prices took a huge dip right before Christmas and prices spiked right at Christmas day onward.

Single cards that have jumped in price include, Virizion Ex, Genesect Ex, Mewtwo (all sets), Rayquaza EX (all sets), staple trainers (Skyla, N, Lasers), Deoxys EX, Lugia Ex, Thundurus Ex, Darkrai EX, Jirachi EX, Dialga Ex.

Products like Elite Trainer Boxes (Plasma Blast and Storm, Especially storm)
are you kidding me? Storm is more expensive than Blast? It has 1 less pack, and no sleeves? I understand its older... but like a $20 spike after christmas?

Some things I understand price increases but alot of single cards that you can still get in packs today are going up? Why? Why is the Mewtwo and Darkrai which has 4 prints and is in the LT packs going up in price especially the high rate of pulls, not to mention every kid/adult who play TCG probably got LT packs in their stockings this Christmas?

In my experience, I bought 1 Plasma Blast Elite box and 1 Mewtwo tin. Box=32$ and Tin=12$
Today couple weeks later, i cant find the Elite box under $40 and the tin is now 18$ or more

I just dont understand the price spikes especially you'd think that companies would be trying to clear more inventory and have after Christmas specials.

Lets Talk
 
The tins have always been about $20 here, and the Plasma Blast Elite Trainer Boxes have always gone for $40. Where have you been shopping where it's been that low?
 
I saw a Plasma Storm Elite Trainer Box at.... $999 on internet, man, what?
Here Booster Boxes like Plasma Blast Cost $1620 MXN....$124 Dollars, I got 11 EX's and FA in my LT Pre-Release, One was MewTwo EX, I traded ir for Thundurus EX the one of the Pre-Release and a Regigigas EX from NXD. And a Darkrai EX for 2 Blastoise with Deluge, I was told by my League Organizer that Darkrai was not even as worth as 1 Blastoise with Deluge!

Well, about tins, Deoxys Tin $250 MXN.....$19.35 USD with discount! That's insane, I don't know why they cost so much....

Elite Trainer Boxes cost $550 MXN....$42 USD, for me it's normal, not cheap not expensive.
 
Frost Mage said:
The tins have always been about $20 here, and the Plasma Blast Elite Trainer Boxes have always gone for $40. Where have you been shopping where it's been that low?
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I've been online Amazon where there are all kinds of suppliers where boxes have been as low as 31. and tins can drop in price as low as 12$ even though typically you dont get those prices unless you bundle. But Ebay has even seen price spikes as well. Its getting ridiculous with the huge supply of cards now on the market after everyone got cards for christmas.

And in the law of economics, if supply shifts outward and demand stays the same, price should drop right?

Eron said:
I saw a Plasma Storm Elite Trainer Box at.... $999 on internet, man, what?
Here Booster Boxes like Plasma Blast Cost $1620 MXN....$124 Dollars, I got 11 EX's and FA in my LT Pre-Release, One was MewTwo EX, I traded ir for Thundurus EX the one of the Pre-Release and a Regigigas EX from NXD. And a Darkrai EX for 2 Blastoise with Deluge, I was told by my League Organizer that Darkrai was not even as worth as 1 Blastoise with Deluge!

Well, about tins, Deoxys Tin $250 MXN....$19.35 USD with discount! That's insane, I don't know why they cost so much....

Elite Trainer Boxes cost $550 MXN....$42 USD, for me it's normal, not cheap not expensive.
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Ive seen these boxes too, i think they prey on navie parents that think they are buying Booster boxes (36 packs) for their kids. God I hate those people.
They fall in the same category where they sell World Championship Tropical Beaches (which can be obtain in WC decks for 15$ and are not tournament legal) for 20-50 or even prey on those thinking its the real deal for 150$.
 
That's insane, a friend of mine has 2 Beaches, that I think are worth 220$ each. But cheating on people by telling them it's the real beach.... that's.... I can't even imagine. But I don't see the wonderful thing on Beaches, just that they can help you when you can't attack or have no good cards, but just that.

Yep, about that what you said of those people, you are right, I saw that Elite Trainer Box in an Online Store... for kids! That's why I'm not used to buy Online.
 
Eron said:
That's insane, a friend of mine has 2 Beaches, that I think are worth 220$ each. But cheating on people by telling them it's the real beach.... that's.... I can't even imagine. But I don't see the wonderful thing on Beaches, just that they can help you when you can't attack or have no good cards, but just that.

Yep, about that what you said of those people, you are right, I saw that Elite Trainer Box in an Online Store... for kids! That's why I'm not used to buy Online.
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The trick the sellers use for the WC Beaches is that they state in the auction in the small font

[the item displayed might not be the actual product received]

which is just bullshit

and Tropical beaches you can get on the low end of 160 or high end of 220
 
The market for everything, even non-Pokemon stuff, usually works like that. Really low prices up until Christmas, and the price spikes afterwards. This probably isn't the "official" reason, but it's my reason:

Prices go down before Christmas because of the nature of competition: the better deal gets the sale, and everyone wants the better deal for their Christmas gifts. This is why you see "Buy One Get One X% Off" deals in stores everywhere before Christmas. Then right after Christmas, prices go up because everyone just got money for Christmas and is looking to sell it. After Christmas sales are usually to blow out old old inventory (for example, I saw a website selling Noble Victories packs for $1.49 in their After Christmas sale). But outside of these sales, companies have normal inventory that they are trying to push. Since people now "have so much money" they care less about finding the best deal and more about just buying the gift they wish they got instead of money, so they just buy the first item they see, which means companies can charge more for product. This concludes Daelum's explanation of The Effects of Christmas on the Market.
 
Daelum said:
After Christmas sale). But outside of these sales, companies have normal inventory that they are trying to push. Since people now "have so much money" they care less about finding the best deal and more about just buying the gift they wish they got instead of money, so they just buy the first item they see, which means companies can charge more for product.
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This is probably what I have overlooked most
 
The plasma storm (then blast) elite boxes in my area sold for $32-$35 at walmart/target originally, but most places sold out. Then toysrus still has some at $50 before tax. And Toysrus sells packs for $5 each - ridiculous.
 
I noticed this a few years back. Was worried it would carry into the electronic market, but there it's pretty much completely opposite. "Huge" prices before Christmas, then low afterwards when people get rid of the gifted systems they don't want lol.

Give it a month or so. Things should balance back out once everyone's blown their Christmas cash.
 
Trainer boxes/Elite boxes what you may call them have always been 32$ in my area, packs are 3-4$, boxes are usually 60-120$ depending on set and how hard it is to get as stock. Haven't noticed much of any price deduction or rise. Either way some products are over priced right from the get go.
 
Packs are about £4 so $7.
Tins £12.99 so $22
Boxes (You can't buy instore) £80 so $130
Elite Boxes £35-£40 so $60-$65

Also we don't have Target or Walmart, so it's even harder to buy cards instores
 
Packs are 4.50 euros ($6.10)
Tins 20 euros ($27.10)
Boxes aren't sold in stores, but 36 times 4.50 euros is 162 euros ($220)
Elite boxes aren't sold here at all

They hardly sell cards here at all. I'm glad I switched to Japanese cards!
 
Riraito said:
They hardly sell cards here at all. I'm glad I switched to Japanese cards!
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Yeah, I have this impression, too. Single packs and starter decks at toy stores, way over-priced. I used to see 3-pack blisters, but not even those anymore. Any English card stuff I buy I just get when I'm in the States, since everything is so much cheaper there.
 
Yea, prices are going up like crazy. For XY, I'm going to try to attend as many prereleases as possible.
 
TheTPCProductionz said:
I have decided, to stop collecting English cards.
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Welcome to the club. Just the other day I decided I would sell off my whole English collection this summer since I never look at it or manage it and just plain and simple don't want it anymore.
 
There are a few different reasons to collect Japanese cards. Japanese cards are a higher quality than English cards, and are much cheaper. Japanese booster boxes also have much better pull rates. Some people like that you get cards faster in Japanese since they tend to come out sooner than the English card. There are also some Japanese cards, usually promos, that don't get translated into English at all. Some just like the Japanese language because it's cool.

For me, it's mostly a combination of quality, pull rates, and price, but everyone has their own reasons. :D
 
You did not mention that some Japanese cards are never released in English.
 
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