Pokémon's TCG World Is Already Blowing Up Over 30th Anniversary's Eeveelution Release

Published Oct 29, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Patricia is the former editor-in-chief of Kotaku, where she spent a decade writing and editing. Prior to that, she served as the Culture Editor at Polygon, and as a reporter at The Verge. Hernandez specializes in Pokémon TCG, Nintendo, and offbeat internet culture stories. Early shipments prove that the UPC will be the 30th Anniversary's most expensive and most influential release Not only can you play with your Eevee, but you can also give it a new haircut.Game Freak/The Pokémon Company Sign in to your Polygon.com account Whether you're a Pokémon Trading Card Game scalper or collector, all eyes are on the release of the 30th Anniversary Ultra Premium Collection. Fans are salivating at the set's Espeon and Umbreon special illustration cards, and tempted by its exclusive Future Rare Pikachu cards. The product isn't on shelves yet, but resale prices are already through the roof. Early shipments of the UPC have started to trickle into the wild, and it's clear that the release will send shock waves through the TCG world. While most people are focused on the set's shiny art cards, the UPC's biggest selling point is that it contains 30 packs — one of which only includes cards from the set's Classic Collection. The reprints of iconic cards include Charizard and Lugia, which are selling for $155 and $192, respectively. Those prices are much higher than the standard special illustration cards from the base set, where the most expensive item, a Mew, only costs $77. The discrepancy in prices is mostly due to supply. Hit rates on the 30th Anniversary set are much better than in normal sets, but you're much more likely to pull a modern card than a reprinted card. Once the UPC is out, those numbers are going to drastically change. Suddenly, the cards everyone wants won't just be hiding in packs with over 100 other possible cards. They'll be in packs with only 30 other cards. Scalpers will likely be camping out Securing a UPC won't be easy. Market prices over $500 guarantee that scalpers will be camping outside stores days ahead of its release. The profit margins may be high, but TCG fans will be weighing the value of spending hundreds of dollars to gamble on a product when they could get exactly the card they want for just a fraction of the price. The more UPCs are sold, the more the market gets flooded with special illustration and Classic Collection cards. Image: The Pokémon Company Scalpers are relying on the higher value of sealed 30th Anniversary products to make a profit, but those are also becoming cheaper. The Pokémon Company still has a handful of 30th Anniversary products scheduled for the rest of 2026, like the Mew and Mewtwo figure collection. Meanwhile, the types of establishments that carry Pokémon products have expanded vastly over the last year. You can buy trading cards in grocery stores such as Cub Foods or in restaurant chains like Cracker Barrel. Two months ago, a 30th Anniversary ETB was going for nearly $200. These days, you can probably get one for around $100. Videos of people pulling cards like Lugia from early Classic Collection packs are going viral online. Average Pokémon fans will be able to test their luck soon.