Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration set has the best pull rates in years — and it's tanking resale prices

The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration set is out, and early pull rate data from YouTubers cracking hundreds of packs suggests it's the most generous set since Crown Zenith in 2023. Despite each pack containing only five cards instead of the usual ten, you're still looking at better than a one-in-two shot at pulling an ex or better — and the Special Illustration Rare rates are reportedly the best ever recorded.

The set is stacked with reasons to pull. Every single card is at least a holo, every pack includes a holo energy and a guaranteed holo Pikachu from a 30-card Pikachu subset, and the Classic Collection brings back 30 fan-favourite cards spanning the game's entire history — including the original Base Set holo Charizard, Gengar Prime, and the beloved Magikarp from Paldea Evolved. On top of that, there are ex cards, Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares, new Future Rare cards featuring Mew and Mewtwo, and three ultra-rare RGB Mew cards so scarce that The Pokémon Company hasn't officially acknowledged they exist. The five-card pack format mirrors Japan's standard, because for the first time ever the 30th Celebration is a simultaneous global release rather than a Japan-first drop.

The comparison to Crown Zenith is apt. That January 2023 set — the finale of the Sword and Shield era — was celebrated for its roughly 50% hit rate on V cards or better and its stunning Galarian Gallery subset. It set a bar that the entire Scarlet and Violet era then failed to clear, with pull rates growing progressively stingier: holos became so common they were bulk, SIRs became so rare that opening a full 36-pack booster box might yield zero, and scalpers thrived on artificial scarcity. The 30th Celebration appears to be a deliberate course correction, flooding the market with hits rather than hoarding them.

The immediate consequence is visible in the resale market, which has reportedly flatlined for the first time in roughly two years — a direct result of supply meeting demand at the pack level. Community reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with players relieved to actually hit desirable cards without buying out entire cases. Whether The Pokémon Company sustains these pull rates into future sets, or whether this is a one-off anniversary gesture, remains to be seen.