In an amusing case of nominative determinism (if you don’t know what that is, look it up, it’s a real fun concept to have in your back pocket), the Pokémon Chaos Rising expansion’s pre-orders on the company’s official website were nothing short of, well, chaotic. Despite having only a small selection of Pokémon cards and few major faces, this Greninja-led expansion sold out like a shot on Pokémon Center. And, just a few days later, its coveted exclusive ETBs are already selling for over $200 on marketplaces like eBay.
As a brief preamble to the current situation, the Pokémon TCG‘s Chaos Rising expansion launched its pre-orders extraordinarily late. Most new Pokémon sets go live for orders within seven days of being announced – but this one took a whole month, leaving hungry card fiends confused and on edge, hammering their Refresh keys and scouring the web for hints that Chaos Rising products were finally about to drop.
Like many other collectors, once the set finally emerged, I was caught off guard by the sudden rush, and by the time I attempted to score any of those Pokémon Center-exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes, I was too late. I shook my fist at the sky, angry at Arceus for letting me miss out on this opportunity, but alas, the world continues to spin.
I’d buy it from a reseller after launch if the price were right, of course – I want those Chaos Rising chase cards. But right now, the eBay listings are going for extravagant amounts, including some for more than three times the $60 retail price. One quick search on eBay, and you’ll find listings starting from $160, going all the way up to $225 – for each ETB.
One seller has even sold a non-Center case of 10 Elite Trainer Boxes for over $1,000, (that’s around $100 each, math fans). As a reminder, that’s a hundred bucks for a standard ETB, not the one with the stamped promo and two additional packs – more than double the fifty dollar retail price.
Interestingly, this is one of the pre-launch cases where resellers don’t appear to be breaking any eBay rules. Usually, Pokémon Center pre-orders go live a couple months before launch, so immediately listing them for sale is against eBay’s Terms & Conditions, which state, “Presale listings must guarantee that the item will be shipped within 40 business days of purchase.” Thanks to the huge delay on Chaos Rising pre-orders, we’re now just 36 days from the official release on May 22. So, no reporting these listings, even if the prices are high.
Maybe I’m a hopeful trainer, or perhaps I’ve seen the pattern enough times to know it, but I personally think it won’t stick at this absurd price point. Other small expansions, like Phantasmal Flames and Perfect Order, had similarly high prices ahead of launch (especially after pre-orders just went live), yet they dropped hard after release. Admittedly, Phantasmal Flames has spiked again now, but that’s because of the killer Mega Charizard X chase, and Chaos Rising’s mascot pales compared to the Zard.
I wouldn’t grab any of these eBay listings right now, but if you want to, well, it’s your money. If you’re willing to wait for some standard ETBs to pop up, I recommend checking the following retailers regularly for Chaos Rising products:
As Pokémon TCG’s 30th Anniversary year continues, we’ll be sharing the latest news about any upcoming expansions or those new chases you’ll want to rip packs for. Make sure to join our Wargamer Discord to be kept up-to-date, and chat with other trainers – or share your pulls and put us all to shame, if you’d like.