Elite Trainer Boxes are one of Pokemon’s staple products, but should you buy Elite Trainer Boxes?
Well, it depends what your goals are.
Key Takeaways
- ETBs can be a great investment, especially for specialty sets like Crown Zenith or 151
- PC ETBs have special stamped promos that are very popular
- ETBs are a great product for beginners as they come with sleeves, dice, and energy cards
- If you only want to open packs, there are products that offer better value
The Argument to Buy ETBs
I will break this down from an investing perspective, but also a collecting perspective.
For investors, Elite Trainer Boxes are one of the only products you should buy for specialty sets like Crown Zenith, 151, and Prismatic Evolutions. Because these sets don’t have booster boxes, the ETBs normally are the best performing sealed product you can buy.
Now that Pokemon has released Pokemon Center exclusive ETBs, those have become the no brainer purchase for these sets, since the stamped promos in these products are very sought after.
For regular sets, buying elite trainer boxes should not be a top priority, since booster boxes have historically outperformed in terms of ROI, take up less space, and are easier to ship.
For collectors, you should buy elite trainer boxes because they are great display pieces. A lot of the elite trainer boxes have great front-facing artworks. Considering ETBs are much larger than booster boxes, it is also much easier to see the artwork from a distance if displayed on a wall or shelf.
Elite trainer boxes are also great for people newer to the hobby as they come with many starter items needed for the competitive TCG (dice, flip coin, and energy cards), but also for people solely interested in collecting (card sleeves and a player’s guide for the set expansion).
The Argument to Not Buy ETBs
Elite trainer boxes can be expensive. From a price per pack perspective, there are often much cheaper options. For example, a Pokemon Center Exclusive Elite Trainer Box is $78 CAD, which divided by the 11 packs inside, comes out to $7.09 CAD per pack. The MSRP for a booster box of the same set will run you $211 CAD, or $5.87 CAD per pack.
ETBs are tend to underperform booster boxes. So, for expansions that have booster boxes, I recommend focusing your dollars on those because they have historically seen larger ROIs, but also have a better price per pack for those that wish to open them.
Conclusion
So, should you buy elite trainer boxes?
For specialty sets, elite trainer boxes are a no brainer purchase. Not just for investors, but also collectors.
For sets that have booster boxes, they are still great for collectors who want to display them. If you are an investor, you’ll see a better ROI on booster boxes compared to regular ETBs. The Pokemon Center exclusive ETBs are still a great investment, even for booster box sets.