With every new era of Pokémon TCG comes a long list of expansions, and whether you’re returning to the game or you’re a beginner, it can be fairly daunting. Fortunately, we’ve curated a list of the best Pokémon TCG packs money can buy in 2024, with a focus on brilliant chase cards, pull rates, and of course, the latest set to buy from.
Collecting Pokémon cards shouldn’t be a scary process, and whether you enjoy playing matches of the best trading card game or prefer pulling some of the most valuable Pokémon cards, Pokémon TCG is great for you. Before ripping open some booster packs, we recommend taking a look at all Pokémon currently in the trading card game, as there are a lot.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Surging Sparks packs
The latest Pokémon expansion.
Today’s best deals | Era | Scarlet & Violet |
| Cards per pack | 10 |
| Chase cards | Pikachu ex 238/191, Latias ex 239/191, Milotic ex 237/191 |
- Great chase cards
- Latest set in the game
- Valuable Pikachu ex
- Stock shortage means high prices
- Pull rates aren’t great
Pokémon’s latest expansion in the Scarlet & Violet era, this set is a brilliant time to dive into the game (or dive into it again). Featuring the iconic Pikachu as the mascot for this expansion, Surging Sparks offers plenty of excellent chase cards to pursue, as well as some stunning artwork for the various creatures you’ll undoubtedly pull.
The leading chase card is unsurprisingly Pikachu ex 238/191, an SSP card that showcases the electric mouse Pokémon with a terastal crown. However, there’s also the glorious Latias ex 239/191 to pull, as well as Milotic ex 237/191.
Unfortunately, Surging Sparks seems to have pretty poor pull rates. From our experience, opening a booster box worth of cards didn’t have any of the major chase cards, but it did have some neat entries – I personally love the Phanpy illustration rare.
Pokémon Sword & Shield: Crown Zenith packs
The best packs for great pulls
Today’s best deals | Era | Sword & Shield |
| Cards per pack | 10 |
| Chase cards | Giratina, Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga VSTAR (Galarian Gallery) |
- Great pull rates
- Brilliant artwork
- Excellent chase cards
The Crown Zenith set may have been released back in early 2023, but that doesn’t make this expansion any less special. The final set for the Sword & Shield era, Crown Zenith delivers some spectacular pull rates, with plenty of brilliant cards that are worthy additions to your collection.
Unfortunately, the fact they’re out of print can make them quite pricey. But the consensus across the board is that the Crown Zenith set is one of the best in recent memory. Chase cards like the Giratina, Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga VSTAR cards are worthy of being display pieces in your home, and they have the value to prove it.
If you’re desperate to have some great hit cards in your collection, there’s none better than Crown Zenith – so long as you can stomach the current prices.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet 151 packs
The best Pokémon pack for nostalgia
Today’s best deals | Era | Scarlet & Violet |
| Cards per pack | 10 |
| Chase cards |
- Great set of classic Pokémon
- Stunning artwork
- Amazing chase cards
- Hard to find
- Typically very expensive
In terms of getting Pokémon Scarlet & Violet 151 packs, you’re in for a rough time. As a highly-sought special set, the 151 expansion is heavily scalped and sold out within minutes whenever it pops up, making resales your best bet. However, if you can open your wallet to some expensive packs, the Pokémon 151 set is a celebration of classic Pokémon – including one of the best Charizard cards on the market.
With chase cards like the Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex SIR pulls, there’s a good reason why 151 is so beloved. Even outside of the special illustration rare cards, the artwork is absolutely phenomenal on common cards too, and while we’d recommend hoping for a major reprint to bring prices down, we can’t blame you for paying a premium.
This set is best for collectors and those nostalgic for Pokémon’s past, delivering a look back at the start of the long-running franchise. However, even for newcomers of Pokémon or the TCG itself, this is a great bundle that’s only major issue is the lack of stock.
Pokémon Sword & Shield: Evolving Skies packs
The best Sword & Shield booster pack
Today’s best deals | Era | Sword & Shield |
| Cards per pack | 10 |
| Chase cards | Umbreon VMAX Alt Art, Rayquaza VMAX Alt Art, Leafeon VMAX Alt Art |
- Most valuable chase card in recent memory
- Some amazing artwork
- Expensive
- Collections with Evolving Skies in are regularly scalped
Looking past the extremely rare and extremely expensive Umbreon VMAX Alt Art card, which can see values of over $1000 on its own, Evolving Skies is still an impressive set of Pokémon that is a great expansion for anyone looking to fill their binders with popular Pokémon and gorgeous art.
The clear chase card is the aforementioned Umbreon VMAX, which is one of the most valuable cards in recent memory, but there are plenty of other pulls that are worth hoping for. Rayquaza VMAX, Leafeon VMAX, and Glaceon VMAX are just a small trio of cards that are worth getting, but even then, there’s a lot more to love in Evolving Skies.
Once again, as a Sword and Shield expansion, it can be hard to get a hold of Evolving Skies packs – expect to pay a premium over the original retail price. However, it remains a high-quality set that is worth every penny.
Pokémon classic and rare packs
The rarest Pokémon packs
Today’s best deals - Nostalgic packs
- Plenty of valuable cards to be found
- Costly
- Better to keep most packs sealed
After almost 30 years of Pokémon TCG, there are plenty of classic packs that require a premium price but offer some age-old Pokémon that you may have missed out on. Considering the prices of Sword & Shield sets, which are only a couple of years old, it’s no shock that the older sets are very, very pricey.
However, there are a lot of deals to be found on eBay, and while we recommend keeping those packs sealed, you can find a hefty amount of unopened, ancient booster packs on the marketplace. Be wary of fakes or resealed packs by using sellers with high reviews and lots of sales under their belt.
How to choose the best Pokémon TCG packs to buy
Whether you’re coming back from a long break or you’re starting your Pokémon journey, we recommend going for the newest Pokémon set first and foremost. Typically, the older an expansion is, the pricier it becomes, and while some old sets are still available at retail, many of the best sets are hard to find at a good price.
Once you’ve started collecting, and know what you’re looking for, we suggest opting for the expansion with your favorite chase cards. As a huge fan of Giratina, I typically go for the sets that have the draconic Pokémon as a chase.
If you’re focused on playing, it may be a good choice to pick up single cards that will help your deck. However, for collecting (or investing), we suggest going for special sets when they’re at a good price. Collections like the Pokémon 151 and the Prismatic Evolutions expansions offer great value for money, so long as you find them around retail.
FAQs
What are the best Pokémon packs to invest in?
While it may be a little late to start investing in some sets, we suggest keeping a look out for any upcoming special sets. Expansions like Pokémon 151 and Prismatic Evolutions quickly sell out at the retail price, with many people paying a premium to grab some booster packs of these sought-after sets. The best investments are the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Boxes, which come with a special wrap and some great Pokémon Center-stamped promo cards.
Is it better to buy Pokémon booster packs or booster boxes?
While it’s cheaper to spend out on a booster box as opposed to buying individual packs, it’s still great to pick up some Pokémon packs. Whether you’re not too interested in the chase cards, or the booster boxes are being sold for more than retail price, buying single packs can be a better option.
Source: Wargamer
