Social media has lit up over the past few days with fans sharing surprisingly good pulls from Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration, and they’re not alone.
Flabbers have truly been gasted within the community, because supposedly hard-to-find cards are popping up all over the place. A quick browse through the Pokemon TCG subreddit shows a very common theme: that the new anniversary set is more than generous with its hit rate on SIR (Special Illustration Rare) cards. I’ve seen reports of three Mewtwo SIR cards drawn one after another, for example, not to mention the new effect Mew ex card alongside a sought-after Pikachu ex via reddit. While I didn’t initially want to jump to conclusions, the volume of posts like these makes me think Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration is pulling an Oprah with “you get a rare, you get a rare, and you get a rare.” That’s really encouraging for fans who struggle to pick up packs at all thanks to resellers snapping up more than their fair share of products.
If you want to track down some cards for yourself, Miniature Market has been a good source of offers that aren’t so expensive (it’s better than Walmart anyway, which has better variety but a higher cost). As for the UK, don’t miss Amazon UK – it’s started doing invite by request, which isn’t a guarantee of stock but is a far better price.
“From what I’ve seen so far the hit rates seem absurd,” writes SkeettheVandelBuster on a thread appropriately titled ‘The hit rates are cranked.’ “Hope that equates to dirt cheap singles!”
Judging by how lucky fans have been getting, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. And honestly, it’d be a very good thing if it was. For many, the TCG is little more than a rat race where sellers attempt to shift high-value cards for as much money as possible. That kind of attitude drains oxygen from the room; Pokemon stops being a game and becomes coldly transactional. Indeed, Pokemon card fans seem to agree that card grading culture sucks and makes the hobby “a lot less enjoyable.” However, if there are loads of rare cards circulating, their value radically decreases because there’s no demand. It nips the whole thing in the bud.
It’s a small victory, yes, but those can be in short supply right now. I’ll take it.
Have you managed to pick up the set yet? If you’re still on the lookout, check our guide on where to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration.
For more to play, why not check out the best card games or the best board games?
- See all of the latest 30th Celebration offers at Amazon