If you are starting to dive into the world of Pokemon cards, we have no doubt that you will have seen Pokemon mystery boxes. You may be wondering whether they are worth it. So, are Pokemon mystery boxes worth it?
It depends on where you buy them from. Walmart Pokemon mystery boxes are regarded as some of the best that you can buy. However, there is always a risk with these boxes. They are mysteries, after all. You can’t guarantee what you are going to get in them.
Let’s explain in a bit more depth, shall we?
What Is a Pokemon Mystery Box?
A Pokemon mystery box does pretty much what it says on the tin. It is a box filled with random Pokemon cards, and maybe a couple of accessories.
Of course, the contents of the Pokemon mystery box will vary based on where you have purchased it from. For example, some will include booster packs, some will include solitary cards, and some may even contain a couple of the playing coins.
Most Pokemon mystery boxes on the market has been put together using old stock. This means stock that companies have struggled to sell. A few others have been put together with promo packs that have been broken down. This is why you will often find that a lot of them have been filled with promo coins.
If you ever see a Pokemon mystery box, you can look at the packaging to see what is likely to be included. They are all different.
To check the current price and availability of Pokemon Mystery Boxes, click here to view the selection on Amazon.
Are Pokemon Mystery Boxes Worth It? (Walmart and Other Stores)?
It depends on where you are purchasing the mystery box from.
If you are purchasing from a story like Walmart or Target, then most people seem to agree that the Pokemon mystery boxes are worth it. You are going to get something of value inside of them.
If you purchase from a typical board game or trading card game store, then chances are that what you get won’t be worth it. As we said, a good number of the mystery boxes on the market tend to be put together from old promo boxes and stuff that hasn’t sold all that well.
This means that the stuff that you find in the Pokemon mystery boxes from most stores are going to have little in the way of financial value.
That being said, they are not normally worth it from the financial side of things. However, there is a small amount of value for those that are looking to buy for the whole mystery purpose.
A lot of these contain booster packs that you won’t find on the shelves any more, and there is always a small chance that you are going to get something decent. While you can’t control what you get inside of the Pokemon mystery box, you will probably still get a bit of excitement when you open it up.
We suppose whether it is worth it or not will be dependent on what you want from your Pokemon cards. If you are looking for financial value, then no. If you are looking for excitement, then probably.
Are the Pokemon Mystery Boxes Legit?
Pokemon mystery boxes from the major retailers are legit. They have been put together by external companies, and a lot of people pick these mystery boxes up because they are quite fun to open up.
While the chances of getting something of value from these Pokemon mystery boxes is low, there is still a small chance that you will get something decent, which is always nice.
If you are purchasing a Pokemon mystery box from a small trading card game store, or on eBay, then these mystery boxes probably are not legit. Most of them have been put together with a collection of cards that wouldn’t really have any value outside of the mystery box.
The cards have always been heavily curated. They are probably going to have some sort of value to those people that are looking for Pokemon trading cards to quickly build up a collection, but you are never going to find anything that you can sell on, or even will be competitive in a game.
If you are looking for proper Pokemon cards, then we always recommend that you buy the individual cards that you want, or the booster packs that potentially contain those cards.
You will probably have a lot more success. Only buy mystery boxes if you don’t care what cards you get. They are aimed at children and impulse purchases, really.
What Kind of Cards Can You Get in a Pokemon Mystery Box?
It depends on the Pokemon mystery box. You should always read the potential box contents to know what you can get. It normally will be the following:
- Booster packs, mostly from old sets.
- Promo cards.
- Shiny rares
- The odd GX or EX card.
In some Pokemon mystery boxes, there is also the chance to draw old booster packs. We have seen some mystery boxes that claim that you can pull Pokemon boosters from the earliest sets e.g. base, fossil, and jungle. However, we cannot stress enough how rare that this is.
Chances are that you would probably spend more in the hope of grabbing one of those boosters than you would actually buying the booster itself.
In almost all cases, you are just going to be drawing cards from the most recent Pokemon sets i.e. ones that are no longer sold in stores, but where there is some stock left over.
Final Thoughts
Pokemon mystery boxes are starting to become more common. Anywhere that sells Pokemon cards will likely sell some sort of Pokemon mystery box.
In most cases, the mystery boxes are not going to be worth it, at least from a financial perspective. They are still fun to open up.
If you are going to buy a Pokemon mystery box, then we highly recommend that you pick them up from stores like Walmart or Target.