Are you a Pokémon TCG player on a budget, but still want to add some new cards to your collection? We understand that the cost of booster packs can add up quickly, and not everyone has the cash to spend on the latest and greatest sets. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top 15 cheapest Pokémon booster packs, ranked by cost.
Whether you’re a new player looking to get started or a seasoned collector looking to add some variety to your collection, this list has something for everyone. On top of that, there are a few surprising sets down the list (dating back to the Sun and Moon era) that will surely shock you!
15. Shining Fates (Sword and Shield) – 6.46
Shining Fates is the fourth subset of Sword and Shield and was released in February 2021. The set has over 190 cards and was one of the latest sets to surprise collectors with shiny pokémon cards.
With over 100 shiny pokémon, Shining Fates has been a fan-favorite set since it came out. Fans and collectors alike love to find their favorite shiny Pokémon in an art form, making this set very sought-after.
14. Evolving Skies (Sword and Shield) – 6.15
This Pokémon TCG set was a part of the Sword and Shield series and was released on August 27, 2021. When the set first came out, prices were through the roof and packs were flying off the shelves. The price has gone down since, however, due to players focusing their attention on modern sets.
Evolving Skies combined the two things that Pokémon fanatics love most, Eeveelutions and dragon-type pokémon. Along with great pull rates (a secret rare in almost every box!), Evolving Skies holds some of the most expensive cards, making the set great for both collectors and sellers.
13. Mcdonald’s 25th Anniversary – 6.12
The Mcdonald’s 25th Anniversary set was one of eight TCG subsets designed in order to promote Mcdonald’s fast food. Trainers could find packs of this set in every happy meal from August 16, 2022, until mid-September 2022.
This set is very short and cheap, making it an easy set to fully complete and trade. Despite the fact that packs from this set only contain three cards plus one holo card, trainers still purchase in order to collect the most iconic card from this set; holo Pikachu.
The old McDonald’s Pokémon sets are creeping up in price, but the past few years are still among the cheapest Pokémon expansions.
12. Brilliant Stars (Sword and Shield) – 4.80
Brilliant Stars, from the Sword and Shield era, was released on February 25, 2022. This TCG set introduced VSTAR pokémon as well as the Trainer Gallery cards.
Similar to Evolving Skies, this set began with extremely expensive prices, but soon crashed because of the set’s high pull rates. Due to the mass quantity of rare pulls, card values decreased. Brilliant Stars is commonly known as “the biggest crash in Pokémon TCG history.”
11. Lost Origin (Sword and Shield) – 4.49
Released in September of 2022, Lost Origin is a Sword and Shield subset that focused heavily on the new Trainer Gallery. This set is special to Trainers because it was one that started to round off the Sword and Shield era, meaning it would hold some sentimental value in the future.
Lost Origin has many beautiful card arts, however, the set favorite is the pokémon Giratina. While the infamous Giratina V alternate art looks beautiful, its pull rate is 1/720. Famous Pokémon TCG YouTubers hunting for the card make the pull rates look bad and furthermore, make the set seem unappealing.
10. Darkness Ablaze (Sword and Shield) – 4.31
Darkness Ablaze is the third release of Sword and Shield and contains multiple cards that used to have incredibly high demand. The most demandable of which was the famous Charizard V-Max, which was reprinted again twice more into a rainbow and shiny forms.
During the quarantine era of Pokémon TCG, everybody turned their head towards Darkness Ablaze and the Charizard that this set had to offer. Boosters were flying off of the shelves and the media was flooded with Charizards selling for up to $1000. The demand for all of Pokémon TCG has plummeted since, leaving this set as cheap.
9. Battle Styles (Sword and Shield) – 4.30
With 160 cards, Battle Styles is a great set for both competitive TCG players and passionate collectors. The set started off in March of 2021, is the seventh set in the Sword and Shield era, and introduced two new mechanics into the game, Single Strike and Rapid Strike
Unfortunately, Battle Styles is well-known for having bad pull rates. In some cases, this could be a good thing for it makes all the rare cards more valuable, but in Battle Styles, there is only one card that is sought after. That card is the Tyranitar alternate-art V card, which captures him sleeping in a creative art style.
8. Sword and Shield (Base set) – 4.27
The Sword and Shield base set began a new era directly after Sun and Moon. This set came out in February 2020, shortly after the Pokémon games, Sword and Shield, which came out in November 2019.
The reason this TCG set is so cheap is that it’s a simple Base set. Despite this, this set is a great one to invest in since it’s got golden cards, full arts, rainbow rares, and a beautiful Snorlax V-Max card.
7. Silver Tempest (Sword and Shield) – 4.17
As the set that ended off the Sword and Shield era, Silver Tempest captures all the memories of the era with Radiant Pokémon, a new Trainer Gallery, as well as new V, VSTAR, and V-Max Pokémon. The most valuable card in the set is a Lugia V, Alternate-art.
Silver Tempest was released in November, the same month as the Pokémon videogame duo, Scarlet and Violet. This meant that Silver Tempest went under most trainers’ radar since the hype was leaning more toward the new generation. Although the set is among the cheapest Pokémon expansions now, it is likely to rise in the future.
6. Astral Radiance (Sword and Shield) – 4.10
Astral Radiance, released in May of 2022, is a part of the Sword and Shield series and features Hisuian Pokémon as well as Palkia and Dialga in their origin forms. This set continues the trend of VSTAR and Alternate-art V Pokémon cards.
This set has little to no “chase” cards, which is why single packs are so cheap. Astral Radiance has Dialga and Palkia, but trainers do not search for those as heavily as they do Charizard and Eeveelution cards. Although the majority of collectors turn their back to Astral Radiance, the set still withholds much value.
5. Vivid Voltage (Sword and Shield) – 4.01
Released in November 2020, Vivid Voltage is a great addition to the Sword and Shield era. This set was released during the Pokémon TCG bull run and brought to the table a gigantamax Pikachu V card (commonly referred to as Chonkichu).
Even though the set has a “chase” card and was extremely hyped up during release, trainers have turned away from this set to focus more on the modern sets. The Chonkichu Pokémon card used to go for $200 on PSA Auction but currently goes for $20.
4. Chilling Reign (Sword and Shield) – 3.91
Chilling Reign is a Pokémon TCG set that commonly flies under trainers’ radars. Released in June of 2021, this set had very little demand and almost no hype. The set was released as a part of the Sword and Shield series
Despite this, Chilling Reign has great pull rates, a large amount of variation, and a high number of cards to collect. If you’re a collector looking for a fun rip with a large number of packs, Chilling Reign is the perfect set for you.
3. Guardians Rising (Sun and Moon) – 3.75
This Pokémon TCG set dates back to May 5, 2017, making it the oldest set on this list. Guardians Rising is a set from the Sun and Moon era, a fan-favorite series. This expansion focuses on the three guardians from the video games, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini.
Similar to Vivid Voltage, this set began with staggering prices for each card. Since it has been six years, however, these card values have dropped by nearly 90%. Nonetheless, this series has been a first to many since Pokémon began to gain popularity again during the Sun and Moon era, making the artwork nostalgic to seasoned collectors.
2. Rebel Clash (Sword and Shield) – 3.66
As the second set from Sword and Shield, the expansion Rebel Clash features many cards, the most demandable of which are the trainer cards. Released on May 1, 2020, Rebel Clash is widely believed to be the worst set out of Sword and Shield.
This set’s lack of interesting pulls simply puts a roof over any trainer’s hype. Although the booster packs are cheap, the pulls are even cheaper. If you are a beginner looking to see if the world of Pokémon TCG is for you, then this set is a great, cheap way to start. Otherwise, collectors recommend you spend your hard-earned money on a different, modern expansion.
1. Celestial Storm (Sun and Moon) – 3.63
Celestial Storm was released back in the year 2018, which means it is the second oldest set on this list. This expansion was released as a part of the Sun and Moon series and continued the trend of trainer full-art cards. On top of that, collectors had their eyes on the dragon-type Pokémon in this set, Rayquaza.
Celestial Storm seems like a perfect addition to the TCG universe since it beholds stunning trainer full-art cards, is home to a very popular Raquaza EX card, has average pull rates, and is a nostalgic set for some collectors. So why is it that Celestial Storm is so cheap? Simply because it’s old. Very few trainers buy packs from this set, meaning the demand is incredibly low.
Final Thoughts
Some nostalgic Pokémon sets, such as Evolutions, can range up to \$20 per pack. Fortunately, with sets such as Celestial Storm and Guardians Rising, you can still experience that old feel for cheap prices.
We proved that although the majority of Pokémon booster packs are expensive, there are still plenty of cheap and high-quality sets. Overall, anyone can collect their favorite Pokémon art without breaking the bank and regretting the gamble.
