⚡ POKÉMON TCG MARKET WATCH: THE GREAT CARD RUSH! ⚡

🚨 TRAINER ALERT! Journey Together Booster Boxes will be available for MSRP on 03/27 at 8pm CST, according to our friends at PokeNE! Mark those calendars, Trainers! More details at the end of this post! 🚨

Part 1: The Evolution of the Modern Pokémon TCG Market

Hey there, Poké-fans! 👋 Evina here from TCG Almanac with an electrifying breakdown of what's been happening in the Pokémon TCG market! From pandemic booms to reprint gloom, we've seen more ups and downs than a Spoink on a pogo stick! 🦘

The Pandemic PokéBOOM! 🧨

Hold onto your Trainer hats, because the numbers are more SHOCKING than a Pikachu's Thunderbolt! 💥 The Pokémon TCG has experienced what experts call a "massive surge in demand from 2020 onward," driven by a perfect storm of pandemic lockdowns, nostalgia, and more free time than a Snorlax on vacation!

"Even bigger than when it first came to the 90s," as one longtime PokéTuber observed, according to Business Insider.

When content creators like Logan Paul started broadcasting vintage box breaks to millions, and celebrities like DJ Steve Aoki and rapper Logic dropped serious Poké-cash on rare cards, the world went WILD! We saw auction headlines that would make Team Rocket jealous – like $300k+ base set Charizards and a record $5.27M Pikachu Illustrator that made everyone's wallets cry! 😱

The Great Card Shortage 📉

Gotta print 'em all! But they couldn't fast enough, Trainers! Retailers saw shelves cleared faster than a Quick Attack, with crowds lining up at dawn and even big-box stores temporarily halting sales due to safety concerns. By early 2021, grading company PSA was absolutely DROWNING in cardboard, receiving over 500,000 cards per week and building a backlog of 12 MILLION cards! That's more cards than stars in the night sky! ✨

The Pokémon Company responded by going into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE on production – printing a record 9.1 BILLION cards from 2021-2022 and another 9.7 BILLION in 2022-2023! That's right, Trainers, over 18% of ALL Pokémon cards ever printed came in just those two years! Talk about a Master Ball-sized response! 🔥

The New Collector Ecosystem 🌱

Despite all these cards flooding the market, collector and investor demand has remained stronger than Machamp's grip! The wave of new collectors who joined during the boom created a higher baseline interest in modern Pokémon sets than we saw pre-2020.

As our field researchers at Elite Fourum observed, "We've seen a shift from a purely player-driven market to one where sealed products and high-grade singles are treated as investment pieces." It's not just about playing anymore – it's about collecting, displaying, and yes, investing! 💰

Journey Together & Destined Rivals: The New Frontier! 🚀

Looking ahead, Trainers, two upcoming expansions have everyone buzzing like a swarm of Combee!

First up, Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together (SV09, Release: Mar 28, 2025) brings back "Trainer's Pokémon" reminiscent of the Gym Heroes era! This set features iconic trainers like N (with Zoroark), Iono (with Bellibolt), Hop (with Zamazenta), and Lillie (with Clefairy) on their partner Pokémon cards! Preorders are looking steady with booster boxes in the $140-$150 range – that's about standard for a new set!

But the REAL Hype Train is pulling into the station with the Team Rocket-themed "Destined Rivals" set (English SV10, Expected May 30, 2025)! In Japan, where it's known as "The Glory of Team Rocket," preorders have gone absolutely BANANAS! 🍌 Japanese retailers sold out instantly, with resellers charging around ¥28,000-¥30,000 for a booster box (MSRP ¥5,500) – that's roughly $170-$200 per box on the secondary market before it's even released!

"Content creators are already calling this a potential set-of-the-year due to the nostalgia factor," reports PokeBeach.

Every card will feature the Team Rocket "R" symbol and the name of a Team Rocket member (e.g., Team Rocket's Meowth, Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex). If you've been dreaming of joining Team Rocket, this is your chance to blast off! 🚀

TRAINER ALERT: Journey Together Incoming! 📢

BREAKING NEWS! Our friends at PokeNE have just informed us that Journey Together Booster Boxes will be available for MSRP on 03/27 at 8pm CST! That's right, Trainers – no markup, no hassle, just pure Pokémon goodness at the price The Pokémon Company intended! Don't miss your chance to secure these boxes before they fly off the shelves faster than a Ninjask using Agility!

Stay tuned to TCG Almanac for lightning-fast updates on availability, pricing trends, and all the latest Pokémon TCG news! Remember, Trainers – in the battle for booster boxes, information is your strongest Pokémon! ⚡