Here is why Temporal Forces booster boxes are a great investment:
- Solid depth with decent chase cards
- Only box currently in stock on the Pokemon Center
- One of only two sets based on paradox Pokemon
- Lower probability to get reprinted compared to many newer sets
An Introduction to Temporal Forces
Temporal Forces was released on March 22, 2024 making the set almost a year old. It was the second set released by Pokemon in the SV era that contained Paradox Pokemon (Paradox Rift being the first set). The set features some of the more popular Paradox pokemon including Raging Bolt EX, Walking Wake EX, and Iron Crown EX.
Of all the mainline booster box sets in Scarlet & Violet era, Temporal Forces is middle of the pack in terms of set value, beaten only by Paldea Evolved, Twilight Masquerade, and Surging Sparks.
I’ll link one of my YouTube videos below if you want a more in-depth look at the card values in the set.
The Best of a Bad Situation
The current Pokemon market is quite grim for investors and collectors alike. It is very difficult to find product at a decent price. That said, and the reason why I think Temporal Forces booster boxes are a great investment, is because they are still in-stock on the Pokemon Center. This means, you can still buy the booster box for MSRP ($161.14), over 6% lower than current market price ($172.01).
What’s more, because it is the last box in stock, people are more likely to turn to it in the short-to-mid term if they want to open product, since many of the other popular sets like Prismatic Evolutions and Surging Sparks are hard to find in stores.
Reprint Window Slowly Closing
Temporal Forces is almost a year old. Pokemon sets normally have a life span of two years. If we were in a normal Pokemon cycle, I’d probably caution about waiting for more Temporal Forces booster boxes to hit the market.
That said, we are NOT in a normal cycle. Pokemon is running their printers at maximum capacity in an effort to keep up with demand for the most popular of sets including Surging Sparks, Prismatic, and 151.
With this in mind, it’s unlikely Temporal Forces gets a reprint when there are many younger and more popular sets that should be given priority.
The Paradox Gimmick
The final reason I think Temporal Forces booster boxes are a great investment is because of the Paradox gimmick.
Many people don’t like paradox Pokemon, however, many young children entering the hobby with Scarlet & Violet era are big fans. These Pokemon are also very relevant to the current meta in the competitive card game as well as the video games.
Considering Pokemon is unlikely to revisit this gimmick in the future, top cards like the Raging Bolt, Walking Wake, and Iron Crown could become sought after by collectors in the future.
Conclusion
I currently rank Temporal Forces as the fourth best booster box set of the SV era behind Surging Sparks, Twilight Masquerade, and Paldea Evolved. All of those sets above it are great investments.
That said, Surging Sparks and Twilight Masquerade are both very young sets primed for reprints.
Paldea Evolved is also going for about $40 more than Temporal Forces on the open market.
The current price for Temporal Forces makes it a more appealing buy in my eyes than many of these other sets. Combine this with the potential for some of these Paradox Pokemon to pop off in the future and you have the makings for a great booster box investment.