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Target Tightens Line Rules, Adds Security for 30th Anniversary Launch

Ahead of the Sept. 16 30th Anniversary TCG release, Target locations are reportedly adding security, banning line-saving with empty chairs, and restricting when lines can form — some barring lines until close on Sept. 15, others until a few hours before opening. Per restock influencer BritBrattv and employee accounts, some stores won't admit the full line at once, and one flyer showed a possible one-item-type limit. Best Buy and some Barnes & Noble locations are also adding release-day rules, including delayed sales at some Barnes & Noble stores.

retail Sep 16 · 10:49 AM CT via Polygon.com
Latest 25 stories
12:19 PM Sep 16
retail

30th Anniversary Launch Brings Overnight Queues, Ghost Chairs, Price Hikes

Fans camped overnight outside UK and France retailers (The Entertainer in Altrincham, Cultura La Defense, Colchester Smyths) for the 30th Anniversary TCG launch, with some lines forming days early via "ghost chairs" — empty seats reserving spots before anyone arrives, seen at Best Buy in the US. GameStop is reselling the $49.99 Elite Trainer Box for $169.99 and Dick's Sporting Goods for $119.99. Japan has added facial recognition at some stores to curb scalping; TPC printed 10 billion cards last year.

via IGN
5:03 PM Sep 15
market

Mercari Bans Sealed 30th Anniversary Listings to Curb Scalping

Mercari, partnering with The Pokemon Company, imposed a temporary ban starting Sept. 15 (the set's release day) on sealed 30th Anniversary listings, covering booster packs, booster boxes, and Japan's First Partner Collection equivalent; individual cards remain sellable. Mercari says the ban stays until a "safe trading environment" is restored. Yahoo! Auctions instead now requires sellers to physically possess items before listing, without a full ban.

via PokeBeach
5:12 PM Sep 14
retail

Walmart Adds Raffle System to Buy 30th Anniversary Set at Release

Walmart's raffle system, running since late August, lets shoppers enter a window to buy 30th Celebration TCG products instead of queuing for online drops. Entry opens Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. PDT for about two hours; winners are charged automatically starting around 8 a.m. PDT the next day, with more winners confirmed within 72 hours. Per-item purchase limits, previously 3-5, may shrink due to demand; non-winners are not notified.

via Polygon.com
11:36 AM Sep 14
market · update

PSA 10 Shadowless Charizard Sells for $1M on eBay, Tops Weekly Sales

A PSA 10 1999 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set Charizard sold for $1,000,952.84 on eBay Sept. 9, leading this week's Card Ladder top-5 TCG sales at $2,193,672.77 combined. Also in the top 5: a 2011 Call of Legends Holo Lugia PSA 10 for $367,220 (Goldin, 49 bids), a 2006 EX Dragon Frontiers Charizard Gold Star PSA 10 (one of 98 known), a PSA 10 Japanese Masaki Promo Gengar-Holo for $207,000 (eBay, PSA pop 84), and a complete 295-card 1993 Magic: The Gathering Alpha set for $234,499.93 — the lone non-Pokemon entry.

via Sports Illustrated
10:28 AM Sep 14
sets

Pikachu ex Gets Day/Night Futuristic Rare Redesigns for 30th Celebration

Pokemon revealed two new Pikachu ex promo cards by Japanese artist YOSHIROTTEN, one in a bright "Day" palette and one in a darker "Night" palette, each tied to a separate 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection. Both use the expansion's Futuristic Rare style — bold lighting, metallic textures, graphic elements — which YOSHIROTTEN also applied to the set's Mew ex, Mewtwo ex, and foil Basic Energy cards. The redesign is artwork-only, with no change to Pikachu's in-game or anime appearance.

via Collider
7:45 PM Sep 13
competitive · update

PokeBeach's Post-Worlds Top 5 Decks: Slowking Ranked #5

Pro player Gabriel Smart, who played Slowking to a win-and-in finish at the 2026 World Championships in San Francisco, ranks his top five decks for the new 2026-27 season. Slowking lands at #5, praised for stability, one-Prize attacking, and heavy tech flexibility despite closing-game consistency issues. Smart's Worlds Slowking list runs 4 Slowpoke/3 Slowking, 3 Mega Kangaskhan ex, and a Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking/Lillie's Determination trainer engine.

via PokeBeach
10:36 AM Sep 12
community

Collectors React After Man Offers French Bulldog for Snubbull Card at Show

A video posted by collector "pickleqw33n" shows a man offering his French Bulldog, priced at $4,000, in trade for a Snubbull card at a Pokemon card show. A week earlier, a breeder reportedly offered a French Bulldog worth $10,000, saying they regularly bring puppies to shows. Social media reaction was largely critical of the practice.

via ComicBook.com
6:58 PM Sep 11
sets · update

Delta Reign: Full Main and Secret Rare Card List Now Revealed

The complete Mega Evolution: Delta Reign card list has been revealed, drawn from Japan's Storm Emeralda, including all Secret Rares. The set introduces a new "connected Stadium" mechanic — two Stadium cards played simultaneously from hand that count as one in play, first shown via Legendary Summit. Mega Rayquaza ex's Special Illustration Rare is the set's top chase card, and a Kyogre Illustration Rare originally expected as a Secret Rare was instead confirmed as the set's ETB promo. Mega Rayquaza ex's "Ruler's Roar" ability accelerates energy onto it, and its "Storm Emeralda" attack deals 50 damage per Fire and Lightning energy in play, boosted further by a new Mega Rayquaza Cap Pokemon Tool

via Joseph Writer Anderson
1:35 PM Sep 11
market

Pokemon Card Index Up 3,821% Since 2004, Report Says

Per card price tracker CardLadder, the Pokemon card price index has risen roughly 3,821% since 2004, versus 483% for the S&P 500 and 1,844% for Meta since its 2012 IPO, the New York Post reports. Griffin Gaming Partners founder Peter Levin, who says he owns over 500,000 cards, points to mainstream retail accessibility as the market's core driver; the global trading card market is estimated at up to $50 billion annually.

via finance.biggo.com
10:06 AM Sep 11
market · update

Six Eeveelution Grails Sell for Combined $588,000 at Fanatics Auction

Fanatics Collect's latest Weekly Auction saw six Espeon, Umbreon and Vaporeon cards combine for $588,000 with buyer's premiums, five setting new publicly tracked records. A PSA 10 Espeon Gold Star (POP Series 5, only 58 PSA-10 copies known) led at $204,000, more than double its prior $90,000 record. A PSA 10 Umbreon Prime hit $90,000 (up from a $60,000 July 27 benchmark), a First Edition PSA 10 Dark Espeon (Neo Destiny) reached $78,000, a Vaporeon Gold Star (EX Power Keepers) sold for $66,000, and a PSA 9 Umbreon Gold Star brought $60,000. A PSA 10 Espeon Prime sold for $90,000, the lone card not setting a record, just under its $96,000 July 27 mark.

via comicbook.com
9:15 AM Sep 11
retail · update

30th Celebration Mewtwo Store Promo Confirmed for US, Canada, Australia/NZ

A Mewtwo promo card carrying a 30th Anniversary stamp and "What's Your Favourite?" branding (no store or set logo) will be given free with a $15+ Pokemon TCG purchase starting Oct. 2, 2026, at participating retailers in the US, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand, while supplies last. A European version of the promotion has not been confirmed.

via PokeGuardian
5:15 PM Sep 10
sets · update

30th Celebration English Set Revealed: 199 Cards, Full Product Lineup

TPCi revealed the English 30th Celebration set: 199 cards total (128 main set incl. 30 Pikachu cards, 33 secret rares, 30 Classic Collection, 8 Basic Energy), all foil, releasing worldwide Sept. 16. Booster packs hold five foil cards plus a foil Basic Energy and a TCG Live code, sold only inside sealed products (ETB $49.99, Poster Collection $14.99, Tech Sticker Collection $14.99, Pokemon ex Box $21.99, Knock Out Collection/2-Pack Blister $9.99). Espeon ex/Umbreon ex Battle Decks ($19.99) arrive Oct. 30, Ultra-Premium Collections ($179.99) Nov. 6; a handful of secret rares remain unrevealed.

via PokeBeach
12:04 PM Sep 10
market

Investor Peter Levin: Pokemon Cards Would Be Post-Apocalyptic Currency

Griffin Gaming Partners founder Peter Levin told Hollywood Reporter he believes Pokemon cards would become the world's currency the day after a global apocalypse, citing the hobby's growth as beating the S&P 500 by 3,000 percent since its late-1990s Japan origins. Levin frames the cards as a global phenomenon with a "parabolic" market trajectory after early peaks and dips.

via GoNintendo
8:03 AM Sep 10
sets · update

Japan's 30th Celebration Set List Revealed: 176 Cards, 30-Card Pikachu Subset

Creatures revealed most of Japan's 30th Celebration set list: 176 total cards — 103 main set cards (including a 30-card Pikachu subset, each illustrated by a different artist), 32 secret rares, 30 Classic Collection cards, and 8 Basic Energy, with every card foil. The Pikachu subset's first card recreates Ken Sugimori's original Jungle artwork. Futuristic Rares confirmed for both Mewtwo ex and Mew ex, designed by YOSHIROTTEN. Classic Collection reprints include Charizard, Lugia and Magikarp. Japanese packs contain six foil cards each, guaranteeing one Pikachu and one Basic Energy. Not all secret rares are revealed yet; PokeBeach expects the rest within the week.

via PokeBeach
1:15 PM Sep 9
retail · update

Amazon Opens Invite-Only US Preorders for 30th Celebration ETB at $89.99

Amazon US began taking invite requests to preorder Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes at $89.99, about $30 above MSRP and roughly $90 below TCGplayer's current market price of about $178. Amazon UK has used invite requests before, but this marks a first for Amazon US on a Pokemon TCG preorder. An invite doesn't guarantee a successful preorder, and locked-in orders are covered by Amazon's preorder price guarantee.

via IGN
10:23 AM Sep 9
grading · update

PSA Backlog Falls to 9.9M, Teases Possible Service Tier Reopening This Month

PSA's active global backlog dropped to about 9.9 million cards as of Sept. 8, down from 10.9 million on Aug. 25 and 11.85 million on Aug. 11 — roughly 1.95 million cards cleared in four weeks. PSA stated that if its five grading hubs maintain the current pace, it will be "in a position to evaluate reopening a Service tier this month," though which tier remains unspecified.

via r/psagrading
9:13 PM Sep 8
retail · update

Pokemon Center Opens 30th Celebration Preorders Amid Site Crashes

Pokemon Center opened its virtual preorder queue for a limited subset of 30th Celebration products, with one writer describing an initial six-hour wait (shorter than the nine-hour wait he experienced for the prior Pitch Black ETB preorder) before the site began intermittently crashing. The full 30th Celebration catalog is not yet available to preorder; the set releases worldwide Sept. 16.

via Joseph Writer Anderson
6:30 PM Sep 7
crime

Fanatics Collectibles London Store Burglarized, Stock Stolen

Police are investigating an aggravated burglary at Fanatics Collectibles' Regent Street store in central London, reported at 4:40am Monday; the store was entered via the rear, cabinets including NFL and baseball inventory were emptied, and a quantity of stock was stolen. No customer-submitted grading cards were taken and computer systems/customer data were unaffected. A man in his 30s was present but uninjured; no arrests have been made and the store is temporarily closed while damage is assessed.

via nytimes.com
10:02 AM Sep 7
market · update

PSA 9 Pikachu Illustrator Sells Privately for $2.7 Million

A PSA 9 Pikachu Illustrator changed hands in a private sale for $2.7 million on August 31, per Card Ladder data cited by Sports Illustrated; PSA lists just 15 examples at that grade, with only one graded higher. The same weekly roundup detailed the Fanatics Weekly auction's other top sales: a PSA 10 Neo Genesis 1st Edition Lugia at $360,000, a CGC Pristine 10 1st Edition Typhlosion at $336,000, a lot of 11 PSA 10 Japanese Pikachu promos (Poncho-Wearing and Mario/Luigi cards) at $336,000, and a PSA 10 Great Encounters Palkia LV.X (one of only 13 in that grade) at $204,000. The five sales totaled $3.936 million.

via Sports Illustrated
8:19 AM Sep 7
crime · update

PSA Antitrust Suit Sparks Collector Debate on Grading Consolidation

A Reddit discussion is circulating around Nicholas Funk's proposed federal RICO/antitrust class action alleging Collectors Holdings' ownership of PSA, SGC, and Beckett unlawfully concentrated the trading card grading market. Collectors disputes the claims and is seeking dismissal or arbitration; the case has not reached a final ruling.

via r/psagrading
11:18 PM Sep 6
market

Neo Genesis Lugia, Typhlosion Grails Set Grade Records, Nearly $700K Combined

A Fanatics Collect Weekly auction saw a PSA 10 First Edition Neo Genesis Lugia sell for $360,000 after 25 bids and a CGC Pristine 10 First Edition Typhlosion #17 sell for $336,000, combining for $696,000. Lugia's price beat the prior record of $205,794 (ALT, June 2026) by about 75%; Typhlosion's beat its $81,250 Heritage Auctions benchmark from April 2026 by roughly 313%. PSA lists only 44 Lugia examples graded Gem Mint 10.

via ComicBook.com
2:47 PM Sep 6
crime

Lawsuits Target Missing Consignment Cards, PSA Grading Practices

Valentin Ortiz sued Lafayette, Indiana consignment shop Card Haven and owners Aaron Hawkins and Thomas Hogan on June 22, alleging roughly 86% of about 500 consigned Pokemon cards (valued near $44,000) went missing after only $5,000 was paid out; claims include breach of contract, theft and unjust enrichment. Separately, Nicholas Funk filed a proposed RICO class action against PSA and Collectors Holdings in Maryland federal court on July 28, alleging inconsistent grading, undisclosed error rates and distorted population reports across the trading card market. Neither case has reached a hearing per reporting reviewed.

via USA Herald
11:11 AM Sep 6
other

Fan Alleges TCG Pocket's New Ho-Oh Card Art Mirrors Their 2021 Fan Art

Chinese fan artist lanjiujiu says a Ho-Oh card image leaked ahead of Pokemon TCG Pocket's Wisdom of Sea and Sky set (launching the following day) appears to mirror fan art they say they created in 2021, originally commissioned by a third party. The card's credited artist is Sie Nanahara, known for Hisuian Zoroark VSTAR and Ninetales art; lanjiujiu has not accused anyone of plagiarism and suggested the leaked image could be fake. Nanahara and The Pokemon Company have not responded to inquiries.

via kotaku.com
2:33 PM Sep 5
sets · update

Amazon Listing: 30th Celebration Pokemon ex Box Priced at $94.94

An Amazon pre-order listing shows a 30th Celebration "Pokemon ex Box" ($94.94, releasing Sept. 16) sold randomly as either a Sylveon ex or Greninja ex version, with buyers unable to choose which they receive. Each box includes a foil promo card, a foil oversize card of the featured Pokemon, and 4 booster packs.

via t.co
11:57 AM Sep 5
sets · update

30th Celebration Reveals First Eeveelution SIR: Sylveon ex

TPCi revealed Sylveon ex as 30th Celebration's first Special Illustration Rare Eeveelution, joining confirmed set members Umbreon and Espeon (full-art promos exclusive to November's Ultra Premium Collection boxes, not SIRs). Also newly confirmed: Fuecoco ex gets a Special Illustration Rare with a party scene that may share its setting with Salamence ex's SIR, and Alolan Exeggutor gets an Illustration Rare. The set releases worldwide Sept. 16, 2026.

via Joseph Writer Anderson
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