Lets talk about Storm Emerald and the 30th Celebration
If you've been watching the Japanese Pokémon market recently, you've probably noticed one thing. Prices are extremely high for the upcoming sets.
Two of the biggest releases this year are Storm Emeralda and 30th Celebration, and both are commanding premium prices before they've even had much time to settle.
At the time of writing, our Storm Emeralda Booster Box is available for £179.99, while the 30th Celebration Booster Box sits at £299.99. Those prices are steep compared to other Japanese booster boxes before release, but why? Are these sets all hype or is there substance behind the prices?
Is it Hype or are people worried?
Storm Emeralda is the return of Mega Evolution to the Pokémon TCG, featuring Mega Rayquaza as the face of the set. Rayquaza has always been one of the most popular Pokémon among collectors, and every major Rayquaza release attracts huge demand. On top of that, excitement around Pokémon Legends Z A has only added more fuel to the fire.
However the small sized sets recently have given way to an odd phenomenon. Sets seem to only be determined by 1 big card. Nullifying Zero with Zygrade, Abyss Eye with Darkrai and Inferno X with Charizard.
Both Nullifying Zero and Abyss Eye are the cheapest Pokemon sets we have had in a while. Players and collectors were not fans of the "big hit" of the set, dropping the price dramatically after release. Inferno X on the other hand was the first Pokemon set that we have ever known to actually increase in price after release when their chase card turned out to be something desirable when the rest of the set were going for pennies.
What does this mean for Storm Emeralda? Well, we do not know what the chase card looks like yet and, unfortunately, that will decide the set. Rayquaza is a very popular pokemon, way more popular than Darkrai and Zygrade, so there is a chance if it is deemed favourable by the crowd, you may see the set stay high in price. However, the current price it is at right now is not sustainable. When will it be and what will the price be? We will know only in hindsight.
The 30th
30th Celebration is a different story. Anniversary sets have a history of becoming some of the most collectible products Pokémon releases. With special artwork, nostalgic cards and the celebration of thirty years of Pokémon, demand has been incredibly strong from both collectors and investors around the world.
I personally know of people who have saved the entire year waiting on the 30th Anniversary. To say hype is not here for this set would be foolish, and people know that.
The good news with the set: We are getting the same release date around the world. Pokemon sets in Japan always carry a premium and then drop deeply after their worldwide counterparts have been released. With 30th coming out at the same time around the world, it might mean that prices will come down more aggressively.
The Pokemon Company also know that the 30th set is going to be huge. With the marketing booming back in 2024 now, they have had time to adjust their printing amounts to deal with the demand.
However the bad news: It's the 30th Anniversary and people want this. There will be people paying whatever just to get their hands on this set. It sadly just becomes a question of where the market will end up and just how much of this set will be printed.
So, will prices come down?
For Storm Emeralda, almost certainly. That said, if the chase cards perform well, prices could easily hold at a higher price even after the initial wave of stock sells through. Recent Japanese sets have shown that popular Pokémon can keep sealed product in high demand for months.
30th Celebration feels a little different. Anniversary products have historically been some of the strongest long term performers in the Pokémon TCG. With the amount of investors, shops and collectors waiting to get their hands on it, I can see this holding high prices for a while. However a global release has never happened before and could very well crash Japanese prices as people go after English editions of the product.
The good news is that we currently have both products available to order on a proxy service. We display a price, you pay it and we will buy it for you straight away, locking in your price even if it starts soaring.
Whether you're looking to open packs, collect sealed Japanese boxes or simply secure your copy before the market moves again, now is a great time to pick one up while they're still available.
As always, the Pokémon market can change quickly, but right now these are two of the hottest Japanese products on the market, and it's easy to see why.