Where to Buy Pokémon TCG Sealed Products in Mid‑2025. A comparative analysis.

As of July 28 2025 the market for sealed Pokémon TCG product is white‑hot. New sets like Journey Together and Destined Rivals arrive just a few months apart, and scalpers quickly buy them out at launch. Because of the scarcity, major retailers behave very differently from one another:

• Local game stores and mainstream chains such as Best Buy, Target and Scheels generally sell Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $49.99. A distributor listing for the Twilight Masquerade ETB, for example, shows an MSRP of $49.99 and a release date of May 24 2024. TrackaLacker logs show that Target, Best Buy and Scheels all offered the Journey Together ETB for $49.99 at launch.

• Online marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, TCGplayer) act like secondary markets. They often list ETBs for twice MSRP or more because they are supplied by third‑party sellers. For instance, TrackaLacker’s aggregated price table reports Amazon listing the Journey Together ETB for $73.01, Books A Million for $79.99 and eBay for $122.95. Similarly, the Twilight Masquerade ETB is $85.43 on TCGplayer (plus shipping) and $75.99 on eBay.

• Big‑box retailers with third‑party marketplaces (Walmart and Target) frequently host resellers charging well above MSRP. TrackaLacker shows Walmart’s listing for the Journey Together ETB at $78.29 and often higher, while Target’s marketplace listings spiked to $63.99–$69.99 when their own stock sold out. These prices are labelled “Price Surge” on the tracker because they are significantly above MSRP.

Booster boxes – TCGplayer vs big‑box stores

Booster boxes (36‑pack sealed boxes) are largely absent from big‑box retailers. When they do appear, they are almost always sold through third‑party sellers at a hefty markup.

Journey Together booster box

• Market price: TCGplayer’s seller blog from April 8 2025 lists the Journey Together booster box as the No. 2 sealed product with an average product value of $234.07 and confirms its release date of March 28 2025seller.tcgplayer.com. The description notes that this set introduced N’s Zoroark ex and Iono’s Bellibolt ex and that demand remained “superheated” shortly after releasemp-search-api.tcgplayer.com.

• Walmart price: TrackaLacker’s page for Walmart shows the Journey Together booster box at $199.94 with recent price‐surge history ranging from $189.55–$225. This is sold by marketplace vendors and is still well above MSRP (the Pokémon Company does not sell booster boxes directly to big‑box retailers).

• Target: Target does not currently carry booster boxes; only resellers briefly offered them at inflated prices. This absence makes the big‑box chains unreliable sources for booster boxes.

Destined Rivals booster box

• Market price: TCGplayer’s seller blog dated June 3 2025 reports that the Destined Rivals booster box, released May 30 2025, had an average product value of $261.02seller.tcgplayer.com. The article explains that the set contains English versions of Team Rocket’s cards and is larger than Journey Together, which increases chase card scarcityseller.tcgplayer.com.

• Walmart price: On Walmart’s marketplace, the Destined Rivals booster box shows a price surge of $269.99, with a historical range up to $323.95. These listings are again third‑party sellers.

• Target price: Target briefly listed the booster box at $160.99 before going out of stock, illustrating how scarce big‑box stock is and how quickly it is purchased.

In summary, TCGplayer’s market prices (~$234–$261) are lower than the third‑party listings on Walmart and roughly aligned with the only Target listing. However, both values are well above MSRP (which is typically around $143.64 per box for the Scarlet & Violet era). Big‑box stores are therefore not a dependable source for booster boxes.

Elite Trainer Box comparisons across retailers

Journey Together ETB

• MSRP / Big‑box price: Best Buy, Scheels and Target offered the ETB at $49.99 at launch. GameStop also sold it for $49.99.

• Walmart: Walmart’s marketplace listings were around $78.29 and climbed to more than $100 during peak demand.

• Amazon & eBay: Amazon listed the product for $73.01 and Books A Million for $79.99, while eBay sellers charged about $122.95.

Destined Rivals ETB

• MSRP / Big‑box price: Best Buy sold the ETB at $49.99 in‑store. Scheels priced it at $49.99, and GameStop at $59.99, although both quickly sold out.

• Target: Target listed the ETB at $54.99 (above MSRP) but went out of stock quickly.

• Walmart: Walmart’s marketplace price surged to $101.99, with historical highs around $149.99.

• Amazon & other online stores: Amazon priced the box at $97.95 and Books A Million at $69.99. eBay sellers were around $75, illustrating how secondary markets moderate price after initial hype.

Temporal Forces (Walking Wake) ETB

• MSRP / Big‑box price: The Temporal Forces ETB launched at $49.99 and sold at that price at Target and Scheels. A small online shop (PokemonPlug) even offered a 20 % discount at $39.99, though it sold out quickly.

• Walmart & Amazon: Walmart’s marketplace price surged to $93.87, while Amazon listed it around $84.95. eBay sellers asked about $65.99 for the box.

Twilight Masquerade ETB

• MSRP / Big‑box price: Best Buy, Scheels and GameStop carried this ETB for $49.99, and membership warehouse BJs even listed it at $44.99 before selling out. Target’s price was slightly higher at $54.99.

• Walmart: Walmart’s marketplace price was around $95.90.

• Amazon & TCGplayer: Amazon listed the ETB for $106.98; TCGplayer’s marketplace price (which includes shipping) was $85.43. eBay sellers asked about $75.99.

At a glance

The table below summarises key price points for each ETB (MSRP refers to prices from Best Buy/Target/Scheels when in stock):

SetMSRP (Big‑Box)Walmart (Marketplace)AmazonOther marketplace (eBay/TCGplayer)Journey Together≈ $49.99$78.29$73.01≈ $122.95 (eBay)Destined Rivals$49.99–$59.99$101.99$97.95≈ $75 (eBay)Temporal Forces$49.99$93.87$84.95≈ $65.99 (eBay)Twilight Masquerade$49.99$95.90$106.98$75.99 (eBay)

Who has the best deals?

For Elite Trainer Boxes: Buying from big‑box retailers or local game stores at MSRP is still the best value. When these retailers restock, ETBs cost $49.99 (sometimes $54.99 for special releases). If you miss the initial wave, Amazon and Walmart marketplaces charge 50–100 % more, and TCGplayer/eBay listings vary widely. The graphic below visualises how quickly marketplace prices diverge from MSRP across recent sets.

For booster boxes: Big‑box chains rarely stock them, and when they do the boxes are resold at high markups. TCGplayer’s market price (around $234 for Journey Together and $261 for Destined Rivalsseller.tcgplayer.comseller.tcgplayer.com) is the most reliable indicator of value, but it is still significantly higher than MSRP. Shoppers looking for sealed boxes should check independent game stores or pre‑order from reputable sellers rather than relying on Walmart or Amazon marketplace vendors.

Infographic

The following chart compares typical July 2025 prices for each recent ETB across four channels—MSRP (Best Buy/Target/Scheels), Walmart’s marketplace, Amazon, and third‑party marketplaces (eBay/TCGplayer). It illustrates how prices at marketplace vendors balloon when big‑box stock sells out.

Takeaways

• Buy at MSRP when possible. ETBs at Best Buy, Target, Scheels and GameStop remain around $49.99. Join in‑store restock alerts or pre‑order to avoid scalper markups.

• Avoid third‑party marketplaces for sealed product. On Walmart and Amazon, the same ETB often costs 60–120 % more. eBay and TCGplayer prices fluctuate wildly; some deals exist but many sellers charge premiums.

• Booster boxes are almost never at big‑box chains. TCGplayer provides the clearest picture of market value, though that value remains high due to collector demand seller.tcgplayer.comseller.tcgplayer.com.

By understanding how prices vary across retailers, collectors can make informed decisions and avoid overpaying for the latest Pokémon sets.

Good luck collectors!