Every new Pokemon TCG set brings an avalanche of boxes and bundles to choose from as you struggle to strike the perfect balance between your needs and the overall value you receive in each product.
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While certain products, like Elite Trainer Boxes, are available across all Pokemon sets, each set comes with its own variety of products to choose from. For example, special sets, like Paldean Fates, do not offer booster boxes for purchase, with Elite Trainer Boxes and booster bundles offering the best value per pack. As a main set, Phantasmal Flames boasts the full array of Pokemon sealed products to choose from.
The Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Premium Collection is not included among these products, as it contains packs from other sets, despite releasing alongside Phantasmal Flames.
Loose Packs
As always, loose packs offer you the most customization, depending on your budget, as you’ll spend as little as five or ten dollars if you only want a pack or two. While buying loose packs is risky, as they don’t offer much guarantee of pulling one of the best Phantasmal Flames cards in the set, it’s also a great idea if you want low-commitment fun.
However, since you’ll be paying full MSRP (or more in most cases), there’s no real value to buying packs individually, since there’s no discount or additional cards associated with these products.
Three-Pack Blisters
Three-pack blisters offer a minor upgrade on loose packs, particularly if you’re forced to pay market price for these products rather than MSRP. This product’s market price puts the cost per pack at over nine dollars, without factoring in the value of the additional promo card included.
Considering that loose packs cost a shade under nine dollars on average, there’s not much to be gained by buying at market price. However, you’ll find more value here if you’re able to buy these products closer to their MSRP, around $20.
Market price is the current sale price of the product on the secondary market, while MSRP represents the standard cost you might find at national retailers like Target or Walmart.
Checklane Blisters
Unfortunately, checklane blisters are not worth your time on the secondary market, as the additional value of the coin and promo card is painstakingly accounted for in the pricing. But if you find these blisters at a retail store, it’s worth picking them up for the roughly ten-dollar or under cost.
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Paying $13 or more on the secondary market for these products might not be the worst idea if you’re investing in the product, but there are so many better options that there’s almost no reason to do it. Long story short, these are only worth it if you find them at the checkout counter.
Build & Battle Box
Build & Battle boxes are quickly becoming some of the most valuable Pokemon products, as they offer both a collection of cards and packs inside, which appeals to both newcomers to the TCG itself and collectors who enjoy the artwork above all else.
The $60 presale price quoted for this product on the secondary market is a perfect example of the constant increase in price for sealed Pokemon cards, as new products become more difficult to find on store shelves. There’s no telling if this price will sound like a bargain down the road, but for now, it stands as an example of how difficult it is to find affordable Pokemon TCG products anymore.
Booster Bundles
In comparison to the Build & Battle presale cost, Booster Bundles are a far more cost-efficient way to buy packs, with an MSRP of $26.94, giving this product an average cost per pack of $4.49, which is one of the best bargains you’ll find on the market.
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Compare this to the secondary market prices of about $48 per bundle and eight dollars per pack, and it becomes clear that the almost 100 percent markup makes breakdowns like this necessary if you want to buy Pokemon TCG products without breaking the bank.
Elite Trainer Box
Elite Trainer Boxes are some of the most desirable Pokemon TCG products you can find, as they offer way more variety than the Build & Battle boxes, including more packs and an exclusive promo card to set them apart from the other Phantasmal Flames products. Elite Trainer boxes always come with at least nine packs (depending on the variety), but you can get even more via the Pokemon Center version.
Phantasmal Flames Pokemon Center Exclusive ETBs come with 11 packs and an additional stamped promo card. So in total, you’ll receive an additional two packs and one additional promo card via the Pokemon Center version, which is a nice bonus, considering you’ll always pay MSRP when you buy directly from Pokemon Center.
Booster Boxes
Booster boxes are often a huge part of determining the best sets in a given generation, and Phantasmal Flames already set an impressive standard with its top-tier box art and excellent cards in this sought-after set. They’re also the best way to guarantee you pull some of the coolest cards, as each booster box typically features six to ten hits.
At an MSRP of $161.64, you’re paying the same cost per pack as a booster bundle ($4.49), but in this case, you’re guaranteed to get several hits. The major drawback is the high cost, but booster boxes can also offer plenty of return on investment (ROI) if you want to keep one sealed for the future.
- Original Release Date
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October 20, 1996
- Player Count
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2
- Age Recommendation
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6+
- Length per Game
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Variable
- Franchise Name
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Pokemon
