Walmart Sets New Pokémon Card Drawings for 30th Celebration ETBs, Booster Bundles and More
Walmart is giving Pokémon collectors another shot at some of the hardest-to-find products from the new 30th Celebration set, with a new round of online drawings scheduled for October 7 and October 8. The biggest draw opens October 7 at 5 PM ET and includes the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box for $69, along with the Scarlet & Violet Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box at the same price. Walmart is also including a Pokémon Mystery Power Box: Vault Edition for $99 in that drawing.
A second group of drawings begins October 8 at noon ET. That lineup includes the 30th Celebration Mini Tin 10-Count Display Box for $129, a two-pack bundle of 30th Celebration Booster Bundles for $64 and the First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3 beginning at $17.97.
The timing should get plenty of attention from collectors who missed the first wave of 30th Celebration products. Released worldwide on September 16, Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration was created as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary and immediately became one of the year’s most closely watched Pokémon sets. The set includes 30 different Pikachu cards, along with Mewtwo ex, Mew ex and a Classic Collection featuring returning cards such as Charizard. Initial demand made sealed product difficult to find at regular retail prices, particularly Elite Trainer Boxes.
This is also another example of Walmart leaning heavily on its new random-selection system for highly sought-after collectibles. As CollectiblesNews.com reported in August, Walmart introduced its Collectibles Draw program as an alternative to the usual race to check out when limited Pokémon products go live. Customers enter during a designated window, and eligible winners are selected randomly after the entry period closes.
The system means collectors do not have to be the first person to click the buy button. Walmart says customers can enter each individual drawing once, and winners authorize the retailer to automatically place the order using the shipping address, payment method and quantity selected during entry. Customers who are not selected are not charged.
That approach has become increasingly important as Pokémon releases continue to draw enough demand to overwhelm conventional online drops.
The October drawings are especially notable because some 30th Celebration prices have already begun settling from the earliest post-release highs. That does not mean the products are suddenly easy to find at retail, but the gap between retail and resale pricing has begun to narrow as more inventory reaches the market and additional restocks appear.
The October 7 drawing begins at 5 PM ET, while the October 8 group starts at noon ET. Entries will be available through Walmart’s Collectibles Draw page, with quantities available only while the drawing inventory lasts.