Destined Rivals has been one of the most elusive sets for Pokémon TCG collectors. It was extremely popular when it was released, and like many looking to add its excellent Pokémon cards to their collection, I’ve struggled to find many packs. That makes below market price listings worth getting, and right now, Walmart has it $40 cheaper than TCGPlayer.
Destined Rivals has been one of the most challenging Pokémon sets to find at a reasonable price, and I’ve been tracking it for a year. Prices have been absolutely ridiculous - booster boxes have been north of $500 for six months, sometimes even reaching the $600 region. In May this year, a standard Elite Trainer Box of the Pokémon TCG expansion would set you back $200 - four times the retail price.
That’s partly because of some excellent chase cards in the eyes of most collectors. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex SIR remains the grail of the expansion, while Cynthia’s Garchomp ex and Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex are also brilliant SIRs that make the chase frustrating and fun.
It’s also a Team Rocket-led set, and considering the crime syndicate remains an iconic part of the franchise, it’s no surprise stock flew off the shelves as soon as it arrived. I remember waiting in queues and fighting with the Pokémon Center’s bot wall to get an ETB or two, but with glitches and connection frustrations, I was left without them. You win some, you lose some.
If you’re like me, and you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to get some Destined Rivals products, the Elite Trainer Box is just $130.89 on Walmart. This is a couple bucks below market price, according to TCGPlayer, and yet the marketplace has listings as low as $170 - so you’re still getting it well under the lowest marketplace listings. Of course, retail is better - but if you can’t wait, this is the next best option.
Skipping older sets and wanting the next big thing? Check out our Pokémon 30th Celebration pre-orders guide, because the special set is just over a month away now.
