Pokémon Cards Are INSANE Right Now — $20K Chases, ETBs & Pack Rips

Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and somehow, 30 years later, we’re right back where we started: hunting Pokémon cards.  

On Episode 215 of Adventures in Collecting, Erik and Dave dive into the current state of Pokémon collecting, the massive Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary set, the chase cards commanding absolutely wild prices, and why Pokémon cards have pulled Erik back into the hobby in a BIG way.  

We break down Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares, EX cards, Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs), sealed collecting, pull rates and the new 30th Anniversary cards — including a futuristic Mew chase card hitting the market at around $20,000 at the time of recording.  

Erik also recounts his launch-day hunt for the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set at Target and Best Buy, including missing an ETB by ONE PERSON, and explains why he’s keeping his Pokémon Center ETBs sealed.  Then, we rip some packs!  

Dave opens Pokémon cards for the FIRST TIME EVER with two packs of Pitch Black, while Erik cracks into his first packs of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set. Do either of us pull something big? You’ll have to watch to find out.  

Plus: Erik’s road to New York Comic Con 2026, Dave heads to Toy Insider Holiday of Play, the Adventures in Collecting September G.I. Joe Classified giveaway, and plenty of the usual collecting nonsense.  

What are YOU chasing from the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set? Are you ripping your ETBs or keeping them sealed? Let us know in the comments!

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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
https://www.instagram.com/voicesbyjoe/  

Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies

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