The hunt for valuable Pokemon cards is more popular than ever. Finding that perfect condition Rainbow Rare Charizard and having it graded is a feat most collectors would love to cross off their bucket list. But, how many Pokemon booster boxes will you have to open to find that one card your after, or any valuable cards at all for that matter?
Are Pokemon booster boxes worth buying? The answer is Yes. If you are hunting for valuable and rare cards, then it is definitely worth it to consider buying multiple booster boxes.
Pokémon booster boxes might be a considerable investment but buying them has benefits for both the new and the veteran collector. If you are looking for a chance to make quick cash, though, booster boxes probably are not what you are looking for.
Pokemon Booster Boxes 101
If you fall into the latter category mentioned above, you may not be familiar with the concept of booster boxes, so here is a quick rundown of what you need to know.
A booster box, like this Pokemon TCG: Sun & Moon Crimson Invasion Sealed Booster Box, is a box that contains thirty-six booster packs of Pokémon cards. Each pack contains an average of ten cards (some Pokémon packs will have 9, some 10, and some 11.)
Each pack of cards in a booster box contains a selection of Pokémon cards. These cards are a “mixed bag” in terms of rarity, and they range from common to exceedingly rare. The average pack of booster cards includes six common cards, three less-common cards, and one rare card.
How Many Pokemon Booster Boxes Are There?
As of December 2020, there are 82 sets of Pokémon card series out there, these include:
- EX Ruby & Sapphire Series
- EX Sandstorm Series
- EX Dragon Series
- EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua Series
- EX Hidden Legends Series
- EX FireRed & LeafGreen Series
- EX Team Rocket Returns Series
- EX Deoxys Series
- EX Emerald Series
- EX Unseen Forces Series
- EX Delta Species Series
- EX Legend Maker Series
- EX Holon Phantoms Series
- EX Crystal Guardians Series
- EX Dragon Frontiers Series
- EX Power Keepers Series
- Diamond & Pearl Series
- Diamond & Pearl Mysterious Treasures Series
- Diamond & Pearl Secret Wonders Series
- Diamond & Pearl Great Encounters Series
- Diamond & Pearl Majestic Dawn Series
- Diamond & Pearl Legends Awakened Series
- Diamond & Pearl Stormfront Series
- Platinum Series
- Platinum Rising Rivals Series
- Platinum Supreme Victors Series
- Platinum Arceus Series
- HeartGold & SoulSilver Series
- Pokémon TCG: HS-Unleashed Series
- HS-Undaunted Series
- Pokémon TCG: HS-Triumphant Series
- Pokémon TCG: Call of Legends Series
- Black & White Series
- Black & White Emerging Powers Series
- Black & White Noble Victories Series
- Black & White Next Destinies Series
- Black & White Dark Explorers Series
- Black & White Dragons Exalted Series
- Dragon Vault Series
- Black & White Boundaries Crossed Series
- Black & White Plasma Storm Series
- Black & White Plasma Freeze Series
- Black & White Plasma Blast Series
- Black & White Legendary Treasures Series
- XY Kalos Set Series
- XY Series
- XY Flash Fire Series
- XY Furious Fists Series
- XY Phantom Forces Series
- XY Primal Clash Series
- Double Crisis Series
- XY Roaring Skies Series
- XY Ancient Origins Series
- XY Breakthrough Series
- XY BREAKpoint Series
- Generations Series
- XY Fates Collide Series
- XY Steam Siege Series
- XY Evolutions Series
- Sun & Moon Series
- Sun & Moon Guardians Rising Series
- Sun & Moon Rising Shadows Series
- Sun & Moon Burning Shadows Series
- Shining Legends Series
- Sun & Moon Crimson Invasion Series
- Sun & Moon Ultra Prism Series
- Sun & Moon Forbidden Light Series
- Sun & Moon Celestial Storm Series
- Dragon Majesty Series
- Sun & Moon Lost Thunder Series
- Sun & Moon Team Up Series
- Detective Pikachu Series
- Sun & Moon Unbroken Bonds Series
- Sun & Moon Unified Minds Series
- Hidden Fates Series
- Sun & Moon Comic Eclipse Series
- Sword & Shield Series
- Sword & Shield Rebel Clash Series
- Sword & Shield Darkness Ablaze Series
- Champion’s Path Series
- Sword & Shield Vivid Voltage Series
- Shining Fates Series
Each card set has a varied number of cards.
There is a new series of Pokémon cards released approximately every quarter. Each booster box of cards costs around $145.
Why Buy Pokemon Booster Boxes?
The best reason to buy Pokémon booster boxes is to build a collection of the new card series.
For example, when a new series of cards comes out, you can buy a single pack of cards, and you will have around ten cards from the new set. With some decks of Pokémon cards having more than two hundred cards, that is not a great start!
Instead, buying a booster box for the new series will get you 36 packs of cards, so an average of 360 cards from the new set.
With each pack of cards containing around six common cards, three less-common cards, and one rarer card, a booster box gives you a good chance of getting a decent selection of cards in your deck.
Some people buy booster boxes as an investment. These people either leave the card box sealed and keep it in collectible condition to resell the full box years later when the value has increased. Others buy the box and open it to resell individual cards.
Can You Make Money Buying Pokemon Booster Boxes?
Can you make money buying booster boxes? Yes, but it is not easy, and the likelihood your profits will make you wealthy is slim. Unless, of course, you are willing to “sit on” that box for a while.
For Full Box Resale
Buying genuine sealed boxes of booster cards in pristine condition is worth the investment if you are willing to wait for that money. While you wait, those boxes of cards need to be stored well until they are harder to find, and the value goes up.
Like any other collectible, rarer and harder to find items are more valuable, BUT condition does matter.
Selling a full sealed box of Pokémon cards can earn you a nice chunk of cash, but you also run the risk of your booster box containing an exceedingly rare card.
If this happens, you may get less from selling a full box of Pokemon cards than you would have received for the one exceedingly rare card.
For Individual Card Resale
It is also possible to collect individual cards for resale, and booster boxes are a great way to do this. Just purchase booster boxes and open each pack of cards to see which are profitable to resell. Again, these cards must be in good condition!
Reselling individual cards can be problematic, though, in that the common cards have very little resale value. That said, opening each pack in a booster box will tell you which rare cards you have so that you can charge the market price for them.
Is It Better to Resell Booster Box Cards Individually or as a Sealed Box?
When you open a sealed booster box of cards, you are gambling on the fact that your booster box contains enough hard-to-find cards to make your money back and a little more.
How Long Should You Wait Before Selling a Booster Box?
For the best return on your investment, carefully store each box of cards for years. As you hold on to it, keep an eye on market prices to get a good idea of your box’s worth.
How Many Should You Buy?
How many Pokémon booster boxes you should invest in really depends on what you intend to do with the cards.
If you are collecting the cards yourself, one booster box is enough to get a good start on the new card series. The average collector is best to buy a maximum of two to three booster boxes. Two to three boxes will provide a great selection of cards and a higher probability of getting rarer cards.
If you are selling cards individually, you should follow the guidelines above, too. Buying more than two or three booster boxes will leave you with far too many unsellable cards.
If you are selling sealed booster boxes, you can invest in as many boxes as you like. Keep in mind, though, that you are still taking a gamble! If Pokémon cards go the same way as Beanie Babies or if a particular series is not popular, you are sitting on an investment that will not make you any money.
Which Pokemon Booster Box Is the Best to Make Money?
The best booster box to buy to make money is the most current box on the market. The most current booster box is a box that you will pay retail price for and on which you stand a chance of making the most profit.
Buying anything other than the most recent booster box means that you will spend more money because that box is less available.
(Also, keep in mind that if you know that an existing box of cards is a good investment, so do many other people! )
So, you can expect to pay a premium.
What Is the Most Expensive Pokemon Booster Box?
The most expensive Pokémon booster box to date is the 1999 first edition booster box. The very first set of cards on the market.
How much money is a first edition, first Pokémon booster box worth? One sold in November 2020 for more than $150,000!
Be Mindful When Purchasing Pokemon Booster Boxes
When you purchase a Pokémon booster box, buy from a major retailer so that you can be sure that your cards are authentic.
Buying Pokémon cards or a Pokémon booster box from anyone other than a reputable seller makes it likely that you could get scammed. You could wind up with a box of fake cards, a dummy box with no cards in at all, or a box of cards that is already open!
How to Tell if a Pokemon Booster Box Has Been Resealed
How can you tell if you have a booster box that is already open and has been resealed?
- Look for plastic wrap around the box that has the Pokémon print on it.
- If a booster box has tape sealing it, it has likely been resealed.
- The box is badly sealed, and it looks tampered with.
- The card packs inside the box look tampered with.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to resell, or open up rare and valuable cards, then purchasing booster boxes are definitely worth it. Typically, the out of print booster boxes will cost a lot more money, but will also have a lot more potential of pulling a card that could be worth thousands.
If you are looking to buy and resell booster boxes, your best bet is to buy the most current booster box on the market and to hold it until its value reaches a point where you can make a decent profit.
Remember to always buy your booster boxes from a reputable source to avoid fake or resealed booster boxes.