Prismatic Evolutions is Plunging the Pokemon TCG World into Chaos
What do you get when you bundle a bunch of Eeveelution alt art cards into one set along with alt art versions of just about every other desirable card in the Pokemon TCG? The answer: mass panic.
The Pokemon TCG world was absolutely and completely unready for the set coming out this week, Prismatic Evolutions, featuring cards that are already gaining bids for well over $1000 online. One even reached an insane $18,000 on a presale card. As astounding as that sounds chances are good that this auction was a fake bid to create a bubble. Regardless, it worked, and demand for Prismatic Evolutions is at an all time high.
This insane demand is not only causing specific cards to go for phenomenal prices online: it’s causing prices for products to soar across the board.
Indeed, this is all happening after a generally cool 2024 for the Pokemon TCG with many sets that met somewhat lackluster reception from audiences until the mighty Surging Sparks hit the shelves and showed everyone once again how much fun Pokemon card collecting to be.
Now it feels like the Pokemon TCG world is in for the bumpiest ride in years. Buckle your seatbelts, everyone: 2025 is starting to feel a lot like 2020 as far as the Pokemon TCG is concerned.
The Pokemon Company issues a statement acknowledging insane demand for Prismatic Evolutions
Just today, the Pokemon Company issued a statement aknowledging the uber hype for Pokemon TCG products. Indeed, Pokemon TCG allocation has really not been an issue for years. Back in the heyday of the Pokemon TCG craze sometime towards the latter end of the Pandemic, it really was difficult to find products anywhere.
Lately, however, the Pokemon TCG has thrived, and that’s due in part to the fact that the Pokemon Company printed mass amounts of products and cards to combat supply shortages and scalpers.
One interesting takeaway about this statement isn’t just the news that we’re going to be getting a reprint of this set: it’s that we also can expect additional products beyond those that we already know about added to the Prismatic Evolutions lineup.
Local game shops bar Prismatic Evolutions out of fear for their lives
Lest you think this is all fake hype, social media bluster, or engrandised marketing, people really are scared about this release. Indeed, one game store that I know of even went so far as to say they wouldn’t be selling Prismatic Evolutions at all.
While at first this might feel like an overreaction, if people are actually believing that cards from this set could fetch $18,000 then a lot of bad actors could come out of the woodwork to do some pretty shady things to get their hands on products. I would not want to be a game shop owner right now handling these products, that’s for sure.
Preorder prices for Prismatic Evolutions soar
Finally, the real telltale sign that this set is massively hyped can be found in preorder market prices gathered from my partners over at TCGPlayer. Perhaps the best example of how insane prices are right now for these products can be found in the market price for the Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box. This item that is typically just $50 MSRP at your local shop is going for a whopping $145.18 online. Now that’s not a price being manipulated by bots as market price is based on real sales reported via TCGPlayer.
The fact that people are actually spending that kind of money on Pokemon TCG products in 2025 shows that the Pokemon TCG bubble – indeed the TCG bubble in general – wasn’t simply a by product of the Pandemic era. People can’t get enough of TCGs, and the hype is very, very real.
Is there hope beyond release day for getting Prismatic Evolutions?
This late in the game, it’s going to be very difficult for many to get their hands on Prismatic Evolutions products on release day. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no chance that you will be getting your hands on this honestly fantastic set.
As reprints come in, and additional products are added to the roster, and as cards reach more realisitic card value prices in the weeks following the release, prices could very will come down, and I think they will.
Still, it’s a challenging time for those who were really excited about this set, especially for fans of the games not necessarily motivated to turn a profit.
