When it comes to the modern-day Pokémon TCG, there aren’t many sets as elusive, beloved, and difficult to find as the 151 expansion. Despite releasing in late 2023, the set is hard to get hold of at retail price, leaving many paying scalpers a lot of money – something we don’t recommend. However, the upcoming Pokémon 151 Blooming Waters Premium Collection could be one last chance at getting these packs at retail.
Whether you’ve just started collecting Pokémon cards, or you’ve spent years tracking the most expensive Pokémon cards, 151 is certainly an exciting expansion for Pokémon TCG fans.
The special set makes up for a lack of great pull rates with a boatload of nostalgia-heavy appeal, including one of the best Charizard cards in recent memory. But anyone who’s been collecting recently will know how difficult it has been to pick up any products or packs at a fair price.
Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. 151 is likely coming to the end of its run, so prices will only go up unless the interest from the investing community fades. This does not seem likely, as over recent months, 151 singles have gone from strength to strength.
Over half a dozen of the most prestigious cards saw a massive price spike in October 2024, and most of these Pokémon are still sitting pretty at these prices. Charizard ex (predictably) got the biggest boost, shooting up from $150 to over $200 (based on TCGPlayer prices) but all sorts of illustration rares featuring the starters, or other fan faves like Alakazam, have been lifted, only heightening demand for these packs.
All of which means the new Pokémon 151 Blooming Waters Premium Collection might be your last opportunity to nab some packs at retail price and chase those cards – no pressure.
The Blooming Waters collection gets you a stack of 12 booster packs, as well as five promo cards – Bulbasaur, Venusaur ex, Squirtle, Blastoise ex, and a jumbo version of Blastoise ex. The clear highlight is the packs, but the promo cards seem like nice additions to any binder, even if they’re not among the best Pokemon cards in the game.
The official release date for the Pokémon 151 Blooming Waters Premium Collection is Friday, February 7, 2025, even though Costco in Canada has been selling them already. So, you’ve got a couple of weeks to try your hand at pre-ordering the latest bundle, which has a retail price of $69.99 / £79.99. Some retailers have yet to put their stock up for pre-order, but we’d suggest bookmarking and regularly checking the below places:
None of the retailers above have pre-orders up yet, however, we recommend you bookmark and come back often to see if there’s any stock. Many retailers will add stock the week before or at launch, so we suggest checking those dates as a priority.
So, if you’ve been looking to grab some Pokémon 151 packs, this Blooming Waters collection may be one of your final chances to get them at a reasonable price. They’re some of the best Pokémon packs to buy, and a great way to fill your collection with nostalgic ‘Mons for one of the best trading card games out there.
Source: Wargamer
