The 30th Celebration set is out

On 16 September, The Pokémon Company released the thirtieth-anniversary set in every country on the same day. This is rare enough to be worth noting: European releases usually trail Japan by a few days, and that lag gives the market time to form a view before the products reach the shelves. This time, everyone discovered the set at the same moment.

What the set contains

Around one hundred and ninety cards, including some thirty different Pikachu illustrations spread across the boosters. The set returns to the iconic Pokémon of the early generations (Mew, Mewtwo, Espeon and Umbreon all feature) with Eevee ex cards and several legendary Pokémon from Kanto.

The related products

The Elite Trainer Box is the benchmark format: nine boosters, a full-art Nidorina promo card, sixteen shiny Energy cards, sixty-five card sleeves and a storage box with dividers. A Pokémon Center version exists with eleven boosters and two promo cards.

Released on the same day were the Poster Collection, the Knock Out Collection, two boxes (Sylveon ex and Greninja ex), a tin and two-booster blisters. The second wave has already been announced: Binder Collection, Booster Bundle and mini tins on 2 October, Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks on 30 October, Ultra-Premium Collections and a Figure Collection on 6 November, and tins on 4 December.

What can be said today

Not much, honestly. A simultaneous worldwide release concentrates demand on a single day, which empties shelves quickly and pushes resale prices up in the days that follow. But an anniversary set is also printed in large quantities, and the history of the game shows that massive print runs eventually weigh on market values. The two effects pull in opposite directions, and no one knows which will prevail.

What is certain: anniversary products are not reprinted once the window has passed. Whatever is not bought now will have to be bought second-hand.