The Best Pokemon Card Packs to Buy in 2023 and Beyond [IGN]

2023 has been a great year for collectors and players of the trading card game as the Scarlet & Violet era has shaken up the meta and introduced some fantastic cards to chase for your collection. With standout expansions such as Obsidian Flames, the recent Paradox Rift, and the special edition 151 set featuring all of the original Kanto-era Pokemon, there’s no better time to jump in and start collecting. Thankfully, we’ve broken down the best products to pick up this year to begin — or continue building — your Pokemon TCG collection.

Scarlet & Violet 151 – Ultra Premium Collection

Pokemon TCG

Scarlet & Violet 151 – Ultra Premium Collection

• Model Number: 290-85541
• Dimensions: 3.5 x 14.6 x 8.5 IN
• Price: $119.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

One of the best products to pick up this year is the Ultra Premium Collection for the Scarlet & Violet 151 special set released to commemorate the original 151 Pokemon from the Kanto region. This box includes two beautiful Mew ex and Mewtwo ex foil promo cards, a gold metal Mew ex card, 16 Scarlet & Violet 151 booster packs, as well as a themed playmat, deck box, a metallic Mew coin, six damage-counter dice, two plastic status condition counters, and a code card that can be redeemed in Pokemon TCG live.

Charizard ex Premium Collection

• Model Number: 290-85323
• Dimensions: 1.6 x 9 x 9 inches
• Price: $39.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

For fans of Charizard, the newest Charizard ex Premium Collection is a great pickup as you’ll get a gorgeous Charizard ex foil promo card, as well as foil Charmander and Charmeleon cards. Additionally, you’ll get a magnetic card protector that includes a base to show off your new ‘Zard (or whichever card you please). There are also six booster packs from the Obsidian Flames expansion, 65 Charizard-themed sleeves, and a code to redeem your digital goodies in Pokemon TCG Live.

Paradox Rift Elite Trainer Boxes

• Model Number: 187-85415 (Iron Valiant) & 187-85417 (Roaring Moon)
• Dimensions: 7.4 x 3.4 x 6.5 inches
• Price: $59.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

The Pokemon TCG’s latest release for 2023 is Paradox Rift, which introduces a number of Future and Ancient Pokemon that debuted in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, including the powerful Iron Valiant ex and Roaring Moon ex cards. There are two Elite Trainer Boxes, one themed after Iron Valiant and the other themed after Roaring Moon that include 11 Paradox Rift booster packs, a full-art promo card featuring either Iron Bundle (included in Iron Valiant ETB) or Scream Tail (included in Roaring Moon ETB), 65 themed sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a player’s guide for the Paradox Rift expansion, six damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, two condition markers, a code for Pokemon TCG Live, and a nice box to store everything inside.

Arceus VSTAR Premium Collection

• Model Number: B09YH21NC2
• Dimensions: 9 x 15.5 x 0.1 inches
• Price: $69.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

The Amazon-exclusive holiday collection from 2022 is still a top pick for collectors as it features the legendary Pokemon Arceus. Inside, you’ll find an etched foil Arceus VSTAR, a foil Arceus V, and a jumbo foil card featuring Arceus VSTAR. Additionally, you’ll receive 10 booster packs from the Sword & Shield era including popular sets such as Lost Origins and Evolving Skies, as well as an acryllic VSTAR marker for play and a code for Pokemon TCG Live to redeem your digital goodies.

Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box

• Model Number: 186-85392
• Dimensions: 7.4 x 3.4 x 6.5 inches
• Price: $59.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

One of the best expansions to release in 2023, Obsidian Flames, sees the return of fan-favorite Charizard in a new terastallized Charizard ex form with some beautiful illustration cards available to pull in the set. Inside this ETB, you’ll receive a foil Charmander promo card, 11 Obsidian Flames booster packs, 65 Charmander-themed card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a coin-flip die, status condition tokens, six damage-counter dice, a player’s guide to the Obsidian Flames expansion, and a code for Pokemon TCG Live.

Scarlet & Violet 151 – Elite Trainer Box

• Model Number: 290-87315
• Dimensions: 7.4 x 6.5 x 7.4 inches
• Price: $59.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

This special edition Elite Trainer Box features a foil Snorlax promo card, 11 S&V 151 booster packs, 65 card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a coin-flip die, six damage-counter dice, status condition tokens, a player’s guide for the Scarlet & Violet 151 expansion, and a code to redeem your digital items in Pokemon TCG Live.

Zapdos ex Collection

• Model Number: 290-87313
• Dimensions: 15 x 1.6 x 9 inches
• Price: $21.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

The Zapdos ex Collection features a number of items from the popular Scarlet & Violet 151 set including a foil Zapdos ex promo card, foil Electabuzz card, a jumbo foil Zapdos ex card, as well as four Scarlet & Violet 151 booster packs and a promo card for Pokemon TCG Live.

Scarlet & Violet 151 Mini Tins

• Model Number: 210-87306
• Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
• Price: $9.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

The collectible Scarlet & Violet 151 Mini Tins feature one of 10 unique designs and include two 151 booster packs inside, plus a metal Energy coin. These tins can also be used to store cards, or displayed amongst your collection.

Chien Pao ex Battle Deck

• Model Number: 699-85242
• Dimensions: 7.5 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches
• Price: $9.99
• Age Rating: 6 and up

If you’re looking to jump into the Pokemon TCG to actually play the game and are looking for a great place to start, these themed battle decks are a great place to start as it features a full 60-card deck that’s playable right out of the box. One of the best battle decks released recently is the Chien Pao ex Battle Deck which features one of the current meta-dominant cards in Chien Pao ex paired with Baxcalibur to rain down cold damge on your opponent’s Pokemon.

Looking for Black Friday deals on Pokemon Cards? Make sure to check out the Amazon Black Friday sale kicking of on November 17.

Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.