To fans both new and old, amazing products are just across the horizon! The Pokemon TCG will be following generation 9's Paldea region starting in 2023, and leaving behind generation 8's Galar region. Instead of focusing on all of the highlights of our next generation, let's take a look forward at the future, and see what exactly is across, in the new year.
Before talking about any of the fun stuff, we need to face the music. It has been known now for some time that Pokemon cards and their products will be seeing a price inflation. According to the official website, each pack will retail for $4.49 starting in generation 9, instead of what has been the standard $3.99. Because of this price increase however, every single western pack moving forward will contain a holographic rare card. Because of this, holo cards will no longer be considered "pulls", a great joy to those who hate the amount of dud packs they open. In addition to this change, Pokemon card packs will also have a heightened chance to contain rare cards. All of these fall onto the fist change, of heightened card pack prices.
The second, and much easier digested change, is the shift from yellow to silver borders in non-Japanese sets. Up until now westerners have had to deal with the yellow border on their cards, which only recently has become a problem. Frankly saying this is a good or bad change is entirely subjective, but when looking at character rares with and without the silver border, it is fairly easy to see how the silver border just looks so much cleaner. While it may be the end of the yellow border era, this change will more than likely prove to ultimately be for the better.
These are the two largest changes we will be seeing in the Pokemon TCG over at least the next few years. These changed will more than likely help the Pokemon TCG better deal with the influx of scalpers, as well as help collectors in general with pulling rare cards more often. This all leaves us with one question however: how will this effect the Pokemon economy?
