GameStop is charging $130 for a Pokémon 30th anniversary Elite Trainer Box that normally costs $50

GameStop has opened pre-orders for the Pokémon 30th anniversary TCG set at prices far above what The Pokémon Company is expected to charge at retail. The retailer is doing this before TPC has even announced official pricing — meaning GameStop is essentially setting its own numbers with no ceiling in sight.

The starkest example is the Elite Trainer Box. Standard ETBs have historically retailed for around $50, but GameStop is listing the 30th anniversary version at $130 — nearly three times the usual price. The Pokémon Company has not yet announced suggested retail prices for the set, which makes GameStop's move even harder to justify.

This isn't an isolated incident. Target was caught doing similar markups earlier the same week, pointing to a broader shift where major retailers are testing how much collectors will pay rather than holding the line on fair pricing. The 30th anniversary set carries serious hype — it features Pikachu in every pack and marks three decades of the franchise — so demand is expected to be enormous. GameStop has a well-documented history of leaning into secondary-market dynamics rather than pushing back against them, and this pre-order strategy fits that pattern.

Community reaction is predictably furious. Redditors are calling the prices anti-consumer and pointing out that gouging at the retail level doesn't stop scalpers — it just adds another layer of markup before cards even reach fans. Grimly, some collectors note that $130 may still end up being the cheapest price available once scalpers get hold of stock, given how hot this set is expected to be. With official pricing still unannounced and launch day approaching, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.