You can make some serious money buying and selling unopened Pokémon cards.
Sure, there are long-term (1+ year) gains to be had when it comes to unopened boxes of Pokémon product, but with the explosion of Pokémon investing, you can even realize gains in the short term. Here are the three sealed products you should focus on buying if you want to make money from reselling Pokémon cards.
Booster Boxes
There is no other product in the hobby that is more guaranteed to resell than booster boxes. These 36-pack, shrink-wrapped treasure troves of cardboard will be foundational to your Pokémon TCG reselling catalog. Whether it's for long-term gains or a quick flip opportunity, there is no better product than booster boxes.
At around $160 per booster box at MSRP, it is the item that costs the most on this list. But booster boxes singlehandedly dictate the market for all sealed products within the set. Not only that, but it's also the product that contains the most packs, maximizing the chance at pulling the best cards from the set.
A solid strategy: look to buy at least three booster boxes so you have options.
- The first you buy, hold it long term — 4+ years.
- The second is your shorter-term hold, the one you could sell within the next year or two.
- The third is a short-term hold or a box you can rip open. Because every now and then, we all need to feel the excitement of opening packs.
Pokémon Center Exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes (with Stamped Promos)
There is no denying that Pokémon Center exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes with stamped promos are the second best product to buy for making money with sealed Pokémon product.
This product has the lowest per-product cost on this list, while offering the fewest packs out of the three. But the big boon is the exclusive promo card that comes with these Pokémon Center exclusive ETBs.
The small "Pokémon Center" stamped promo card is what makes this product such a versatile investment. It's the one product where opening the box can make up most — if not all — of the cost of the product.
One thing to note: there are Pokémon Center exclusive ETBs that do not have a stamped promo, so be sure to check that your ETB is from a Scarlet and Violet era set.
Ultra/Super Premium Collection Boxes
Last on this list are the Ultra or Super Premium Collection Boxes. These are like a love child of booster boxes and Elite Trainer Boxes — the most packs outside of booster boxes, plus numerous accessories and promos.
The unwieldy size and complexity of manufacturing means The Pokémon Company is unlikely to repeatedly reprint these products over the years. Similar to the Pokémon Center exclusive ETBs, UPCs and SPCs will typically be in shorter supply than most other products.
Always look for this product on wholesale club sites like Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's — you'll not only get a slight discount, but sometimes they come bundled in multiples for further savings.
Honorable Mention: Booster Bundles
Booster bundles have the best per-pack value and always seem to show up on shelves whenever there is a restock. The only catch is you'll need to sell in bulk to get a similar return in profit versus the products above. But picking up a booster bundle every time you see a restock is never a bad idea.
A Few Disclaimers
Buying products for a quick flip is extremely risky. You are assuming a lot of risk when buying products for resale.
Avoid buying product on the secondary market. Instead, visit as many online TCG stores or brick-and-mortar local game stores as possible to score product as close to MSRP as possible. This list assumes you are buying at MSRP.
Reselling is also a high-cost proposition with considerably small profit margins. And since product is so hard to come by, do not assume you will score enough to make considerable profit, especially in the beginning.
As for singles: buying single Pokémon cards adds an enormous amount of additional risk. Singles can skyrocket and then crater in value without a moment's notice. The best thing to do is buy singles you genuinely love — cards you'd be proud to show people as your favorites — and avoid buying cards just to make money from them.
Happy collecting and good luck.