Even for the biggest and most popular games, getting products at MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) should indeed be the norm; nevertheless, for those like the Pokémon TCG, ‘market price’ has become the go-to metric for many collectors for one big reason.

Depending on your perspective as a Pokemon fan, referring to the concept as a gateway to ‘inflated’ or ‘rip-off’ pricing is totally valid.

That said, when actually getting down to the logistics of what it means to get a box of new Pokémon cards at MSRP today, the “market price”, well, market — has been the response to a growing problem with the collectables market as a whole, and is still a legitimate way to enjoy the Pokémon TCG (very much within reason).

To first put it plainly before going into the nitty-gritty, the rise of paying “market price” for Pokemon cards over MSRP ultimately comes down to one classic concept: supply vs. demand.

Over the past couple of years, especially, the demand for the latest boxes of Pokemon cards from new expansions and special collections has gotten so high that supply has consequently not been able to keep up with the demand.

What started all this, of course, was the mainstream discovery of valuable ‘chase cards’ — those regarded with astronomical value due to their rarity, like the famous $1,300+ Umbreon ex from Prismatic Evolutions.

From then on, in a sort of snowball effect, the market became diluted by many buyers buying as much stock as possible, in hopes of pulling the rarest and most expensive cards for profit — nefarious scalpers either flooding retail stores like Costco to physically hoard any stock, or utilising bots to sweep up any stock drops online.

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