11 Best Elite Trainer Boxes To Invest For 2024
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Oliver Copeland
- Last Updated: February 6, 2024
For those of us who like to collect sealed Pokémon TCG products, Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) are one of the best picks. We’ve seen some ETBs double in price in under 2 years, so they can be a good investment too. But some haven’t increased in price at all. Here’s our take on the 11 best ETBs to invest in as we head into 2024.
11. Crown Zenith
Crown Zenith, oh yes, the final expansion of the Sword & Shield era of the TCG. This was the last expansion to feature yellow borders on the cards, which has been the same since 1999.
The TCG went through a huge shift after Crown Zenith, making this expansion set the last of the old days.
But this set also included a boatload of great cards, including the Galarian Gallery subset, which included 4 VSTAR gold cards. Each of the gold cards sells for $100+, which will be sought after for years to come.
10. Silver Tempest
Silver Tempest made a huge splash due to its alt-art Lugia card. This card instantly shot up in price and is still quite expensive. But the set also has a Trainer Gallery subset containing 30 cards.
The community reported very good pull rates for this set, so the excitement is still there for a lot of trainers. It’s one of the final Sword & Shield era expansions, and they tend to get very exciting towards the end.
9. Obsidian Flames
Obsidian Flames is an amazing set, built around Charizard.
Many of us collectors have what is called ‘Charizard Fatigue’ which is when the sheer amount of Charizard cards begins to feel like too much. But regardless of what we feel, trust the numbers: Charizard sells.
For this reason alone, we believe the Obsidian Flames ETB to be among the best Elite Trainer Boxes to invest in.
8. Celebrations
If you were around for Celebrations, then you’ll know what I mean when I say this set was on fire.
This set was the set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon and featured a 50-card all-holo set split into two subsets. The first was made of 25 new cards, while the second set featured 25 cards reprinted from previous years.
The Celebrations set includes a reprint of the original Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard, which created an unprecedented amount of attention for the cards. Any ETB with a Base Set Charizard reprint is going to be a good purchase.
This was a huge moment in the TCG’s history, and that is why we think it’s one of the best Elite Trainer Boxes to invest in.
However, there is an argument to be made that it is not one of the best. Since the Pokémon hype was so huge at this time, this ETB was purchased by consumers for investment purposes all across the globe. Supply is definitely not low in this case, as they continued to pop up on store shelves even 2 years later.
7. Evolving Skies
We’ve already seen Evolving Skies ETBs increase in value by a lot, but most collectors know that it isn’t over yet. This set was absolutely insane in terms of pulls.
Eeveelutions are the main theme of Evolving Skies, and the box artwork alone is among the best Elite Trainer Boxes. In fact, even the boxes and sleeves are selling well on eBay.
This set had plenty of amazing Eeveelution alt arts but also had some great Rayquaza cards- another Pokémon that people go bonkers for.
6. Chilling Reign
The Pokémon TCG saw an explosive leap in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the expansion set Chilling Reign was the next expansion to release.
It did not disappoint.
Although Chilling Reign was dubbed “Chilling Pain” among collectors, it contained a crazy amount of great cards. For the first time, we saw more than half a dozen alt arts, 21 rainbow cards, and 12 gold cards.
At the time it was difficult to purchase or even find any products on store shelves, but you can find Chilling Reign ETBs on eBay for (sort of) affordable prices.
5. Cosmic Eclipse
Cosmic Eclipse was the last set of the Sun & Moon era of the TCG. This set was truly a banger, with an outstanding amount of great pulls.
This set also said farewell to Fairy-type Pokémon cards, but not without a couple of beautiful card artworks.
In addition to this, the set is huge with nearly 300 cards and a lot of full art designs. We’ve already seen Cosmic Eclipse ETBs go up in price, but there’s no sign of the value decreasing.
4. Charizard Ultra Premium Collection
Okay, so this isn’t actually an ETB, but it’s on the list for best Elite Trainer Boxes because it’s essentially the same thing, but on steroids.
This box features 3 pull-out drawers, each containing the goodies we often find in ETBs, such as a coin, sleeves, and packs, but this time also has a new playmat and 3 promotional cards.
All 3 promo cards are Charizards, and they are all amazing. These promos feature jaw-dropping artwork that will be remembered throughout Pokémon TCG history.
Charizard is Charizard. What I mean by that is that the impact Charizard has made on the community since 1996 is undeniably unparalleled. People love the fire lizard, and that is why this is such a good product to buy.
3. Rebel Clash
Rebel Clash, really?
Yes. Rebel Clash is infamously the worst set of the Sword & Shield era. There are virtually no good cards, and the print run was small because demand was so low.
Why invest? Have a look at the eBay listings for Steam Siege. That set was ridiculed for being so lackluster and was the most hated expansion in years, yet it’s now very expensive.
When a set doesn’t do very well with the customer base, its demand is low and supply is therefore reduced. The set doesn’t get printed as much and the next expansions are rushed to the store shelves to save the day.
That’s what makes Rebel Clash an opportunity.
2. Scarlet & Violet Base
Next up we have the Scarlet & Violet base set. This set is the first ever to introduce silver borders to the English TCG, along with many other small details.
This is part of an attempt to unify the Japanese and English markets, tying together the TCG as a whole.
This is also the first time we get to see our favorite Paldea Pokémon in card form. Base sets generally do well, like Sun & Moon or Sword & Shield, so this could be among the best Elite Trainer Boxes to pick up for a long-term investment.
This set is also full of excellent cards! With a handful of alternate arts (now called Illustration Rares), plus gold and rainbow cards, this set is packed.
1. Battle Styles
You’re probably wondering why Battle Styles is number 1 on the list.
Well, the same principle as Rebel Clash applies here. The set kind of sucks, so it’s cheap.
But if you really dig into it, Battle Styles had a lot of great cards. The alt-art Tyranitar is still a huge chase, and there are various alt-art Urshifu cards as well, as rainbow and gold cards.
This is what we call a ‘sleeper’ ETB since we believe it will start to skyrocket in price in the coming years.
Final Thoughts
The best Elite Trainer Boxes are the ones that bring you joy. Whether it’s on display, ripping open, or putting away to gain value, ETBs are a great choice. If we take a look at ETBs from the past few years, none have failed, to at the very least, double in price. So any cheap ETB is probably a good investment!
