Are Pokémon TCG Mini Tins Worth It?
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By: Em Stonham
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Whether you’re a brand new Pokémon TCG fan or a dedicated collector, chances are that you’ve felt overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of card releases that happen in a year. The Pokémon Company keeps fans on their toes with the release schedule, which is great- but it can also make it difficult to know what to spend your time and money on.
One item that’s often quite popular with collectors is the Mini Tin. Pokémon Mini Tins are small sets that come with a few interesting collectibles and booster packs. The type of booster pack varies from release to release, and even the tins themselves are valuable collector’s items for some dedicated fans.
To help you decide whether to pick up a Mini Tin for your collection or not, here’s a breakdown of whether they’re worth your time and which upcoming Mini Tin releases you should be keeping an eye out for as a collector.
What’s Inside Pokémon TCG Mini Tins?
While the contents of Pokémon Mini Tins can vary slightly from series to series, there is a standard format that they usually follow. Generally, when you open a Mini Tin, you will get:
- 2 Booster packs
- A sticker sheet
- An art card or mini print
Some Mini Tins feature coins for the trading card game and codes for Pokémon TCG Live, as well, adding more value into the mix.
As noted, the tins are also treated as collectibles by some Pokémon fans. This is understandable- they’re well made, perfect for storing cards in, and usually feature fan favorite Pokémon from the current generation.
The amount of Pokémon Mini Tins that come out at a time varies, with the Pokémon Crown Zenith and Pokémon Paldea Friends collections featuring 5 Mini Tins, and the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet & Violet – 151 set featuring 10 Mini Tins. While they’re certainly not the highest value collector’s item, having a full, sealed set of Mini Tins can lead to a good return on investment.
Are Pokémon Mini Tins Worth It?
Generally speaking, yes. Mini Tins aren’t the most expensive or extravagant Pokémon TCG item out there, but for the price that you pay and the potential value inside the tin, the vast majority of fans are likely to agree that it’s worth picking up at least one or two.
The prices for Mini Tins can vary, but they generally go for prices in the range of $8-12 USD, depending on where it is that you’re buying them from.
That being said, the Mini Tins are much better for collectors than they are for competitive players.
Some of the cards in Mini Tins could certainly be useful for building a deck, but the value here really comes from the collectible metal tins, the mini art print, and the sticker sheets that come with the packs.
Which Pokémon Mini Tins Should You Get?
Mini Tins are released quite regularly, with several great collections coming out in 2023 alone.
One collection of Mini Tins to check out is the Paldea Friends collection, which came out in most locations on May the 5th this year. The featured Pokémon for this collection were:
- Pawmot and Lechonk
- Pikachu and Capsakid
- Sprigatito and Fidough
- Fuecoco and Smoliv
- Quaxly and Smoliv
The booster packs featured in this particular Mini Tin are Scarlet & Violet and Sword & Shield: Silver Tempest. The variety of cards on offer is great, with a particularly exciting range of full art cards and Trainer cards.
Trainer cards might not be everyone’s first thought when ripping a booster pack, but with ACE SPEC cards on the horizon once again, they’re becoming much more exciting.
An upcoming set of Pokémon Mini Tins to watch out for is the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet – 151 Mini Tins. As mentioned earlier, there are 10 Mini Tins to collect in this set and fans are already incredibly excited for them. The release date being thrown around in the community currently is the 6th of October for most regions.
While there’s currently no available card list for this release, it’s fair to say that this will be an incredibly exciting Mini Tin collection. The 151 Set will start coming out in most regions in late September, and it’s one of the most anxiously awaited releases of 2023.
