Hey guys, so I’ve got a chance to pick up a standard Base set box for $2500AUD. This sounds like a steal considering eBay is showing solds at $3000+. Could it be worth way more in just a years time?
Advice please!!
Personally, I can definitely see these booster boxes increasing in value - as far as the time-frame, increasing $X in one year, I have no idea… I was considering purchasing one of these four months ago for $2,000.00 (decided against it); but they’ve already climbed up beyond that price-point!
It’s certainly a fair deal but I wouldn’t sell a kidney for it 
Sold listings show them going for around $2000 USD lately. I picked mine up in October for $1450. Yes, the value has improved a bit since then but that is to be expected as we creep closer to Christmas and fewer boxes are available. If it were me, I would wait until after the holidays.
What do I look for to make sure this is legit?
I’m only seeing $3 to $3k PLUS ain eBay right this moment, I’ve passed on way too many good investment opportunities in the past…
The last few boxes I saw on ebay went for around 2200-2500 US. If you can get one for 2500 AUD (1900 US) I would say that is pretty good deal, and I doubt they would be that cheap in the future.
Wait for what? Just because you got a steal of a deal for yours in October, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good deal at $1900.
There was a couple members looking to buy one for $2200-2300 or so if I recall correctly. The prices aren’t going any lower. Waiting after Christmas to pay $3000 for one? lol
I would absolutely buy it, OP. Is it from a legit seller? Unfortunately unless we see pics, it’s kind of tough saying if it has been tampered in anyway. Does the seal look right?
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What is your reasoning for them being more money after Christmas or next year or the year after? I don’t consider my purchase to be a “steal” either. It was fair market value at the time. Can I sell it now and make a few dollars? Sure! But I didn’t buy it for the future value, I bought it because I enjoy Pokemon collecting and wanted a box. It was NOT an investment opportunity. Pokemon is a great thing and it’s fine to fan-boy and be hopeful that the prices keep inflating. It’s part of the passion for the hobby. I’ve loved and collected Pokemon since the late nineties but this year and last have shown unsustainable growth.
This growth is not the market correcting because the last 20 years have not had proper growth. That’s tunnel vision by a hopeful collector.
The reason why prices have grown exponentially is that Pokemon is popular again among the masses. As we learned in the early 2000s, this will not last forever. This is the lead up to Christmas in one of the Pokemon “fad” years. Supply vs. Demand. Naturally, the demand will diminish a bit after the holidays. Diminished demand = lower prices. If you want to buy something at an all time high in hopes of seeing a larger return somewhere down the line be my guest. But take it from someone experienced, there will be greater buying opportunities in the future. If you don’t need to have a box right now, I’d wait.
I’m going to have to disagree with you on that… Nobody can predict the long-term future of Pokemon - and this topic has already been beaten with a dead-horse, but to say that the demand for Pokemon will diminish after the holiday season is just stupid (I’m Sorry)! LOL I’m not sure what exactly you’re referencing, whether it be booster boxes or the entire market in general; however, I can nearly guarantee we will not see a decline after the holidays. Do you realize Christmas is less than two weeks away and prices are STILL INCREASING? If this were the case, wouldn’t you expect that the market would have flat-lined by now?
Sure, the holiday season is the busiest time of year for shopping - that goes without saying. Sure, those big-time eBay Sellers who sell the newer product (booster boxes, display boxes, tins…) have probably experienced an increase in sales. However, how much does that trickle down to more expensive product (WotC-Era)? Personally, I don’t see it affecting the WotC-Era Market a whole lot - if at all. I really doubt you can say the reason (or even one of the reasons) why WotC-Era Product is increasing in price is because of the holiday season and people buying this product as gifts. I am an eBay “Business” Seller and have been for two years now. I have to keep track of my monthly sales / expenses - here is a very general trend that I’ve personally experienced - this goes along with what MANY eBay Sellers / Small Businesses also experience:
January - March = Great Sales (Winter Months)
March - May = Good Sales
May - August = Shitty Sales (Summer Months)
September - November = Good Sales
November - December = Great Sales (Holiday and Winter Months)
Yes, November and December are a great time to sell; however, I personally don’t see any more or less sales in November / December than I do in Jan. through March - couple hundred dollars difference between any of those months.
I’d actually love to know how this trend relates to other eBay Sellers out there; do you experience a massive sales increase around the holiday season, or is it fairly consistent with what I’m experiencing?
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$1450 was not market value in October. You got a deal similar to what the OP is getting right now, but for some reason it’s not so much of a good buy now?
I respect your opinion, though I just don’t think any of this has anything to do with Christmas. Unless kids get $2000+ booster boxes as presents these days. If anything, holidays are probably slower months because people spend so much that they don’t have the same budget for collectables. I actually remember Gary saying business is usually slower at this time of the year.
I agree with you that this growth is not sustainable and no one is saying he will earn xxxx% ROI, but he’s asking if $1900 is a good buy on a product that sells for close to $2500 lately. I’d say it’s a good deal. IMO, he can probably double his money if he holds it for a while or he can just flip it for about $500 easy profit within a few days if he wants to.
I guess we will see what the prices look like in January-February. I’d be very surprised we witness even the slightest drop unless someone decides to dump a ton of boxes on the market.
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Don’t get me wrong I respect your opinions too and didn’t mean to start a debate on pricing or insult anyone here. I hope you guys are right, there’s nothing I’d like more than to see the value of my collection continue to increase 
Maybe for some reason the Pokemon market is far different than other markets but the lead up to Christmas is always the busiest time of year in collectibles and retail in general. The slow months are always January through March/April. Pricing nearly always follows the trend and logically it makes a ton of sense.
I should have neglected to mention my purchase in October as that doesn’t have any impact on my thought process here. At the time, I didn’t think it was a “steal” but just fair pricing for something I wanted. This market can be wild at times and prices go up and down regularly. It’s very easy for someone emotionally invested to be unable to separate themselves from the situation and not see the bigger picture. $1900 is a small amount under market value right now. These boxes selling for $2100-$2300 are netting sellers $1900-$2050 after fees. $1900 outside of Ebay is a fair price. It’s not a “steal” that this potential buyer cannot pass up nor is it an unfair price. It is a fair price.
The OP seemed to have posted this in a frenzy looking for immediate answers on whether or not this deal was too good to pass up. My response reflects this and I stand by it. If you have $2000 to spend, are already in the market for a box, and a few hundred dollar fluctuation in either direction will not bother you, I say grab it! But I would not sell a kidney or take out a loan to make this purchase with the thought that I will not be able to find a similar or better deal in the future.
I just wanted to add here that I do not think the entire market is going to cave in after Christmas, lol. If you took that from my post I must not be very good at trying to get my point across through text. What I was trying to say is that, in my opinion, prices on some of the mass produced stuff is at all time highs. We’re not discussing a 1st Edition Base Box or a PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard where there is a very limited number in circulation. Unlimited Base Set Boxes may be rare when comparing with something like an XY Base Box but these were still mass produced in the millions and there’s plenty out there. The wild pricing here is just unsustainable and for someone to come in and say that they’ll never be under $2500 and expect $3000+ is just laughable. It’s at a high now (and still not at 2500-3000 as quoted here) because there’s a ton of demand but once that demand starts to wane, prices will come back to reality a bit.
Can’t post photos from my phone, will do after work.
The box has slight creasing to the top left, as in it’s been pushed down and out. Would this affect the value long term much? I’ve got it down to $2400AUD, eBay pricing is showing $3,500AUD min at the moment for this box. I love the hobby and would kill to own and hold, even open, but this is purely an investment.
Remember to check sold listings when you’re looking for prices. They’re worth about $2800-3200 AUD. If it’s in bad shape, $2400 might not be that great of a deal. Once we see the pics, we’ll have a better idea but I’m starting to think the seller knows exactly what they have and they want top dollar for it. Be cautious.
I don’t think holiday season has ANYTHING to do with older Pokémon card product prices tbh. Who the hell buys $2.5k boxes for anyone else but themselves? Seriously. I think forget about the holiday season and remember something that has an actual impact, TAX RETURN SEASON. Buy now or suffer later, friend.
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I rarely have great sales during the holidays, even though it the only time of the year I actually do sales on my listings. Most of the time I spend my money in December because people are always asking me to buy their found collections, I assume for extra gift buying money.
Usually, January-March are my bigger sales time. I always assume because this is when the holidays ends, so people have more gift cards/cash, as well as tax returns. I’m not 100% sure why though, just speculation.
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(This one really shows the damage)
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No picture of every side and especially the bottom?
Nope. Its a Facebook Marketplace listing. Looks legit, the guy sounds pretty legit also. Said he picked it up 5 years ago at $600.
From my personal experience, I bought an unlimited base box for 400 dollars some years ago and that was unreasonably high then because nobody showed up to the auction. I ended up losing the box (because of school bills) and the box has shot up over 6 times. I wouldnt wait around because it’ll do just what you’ll think it’ll do. Sealed product is scarce, so yes it’s possible that the box could double in the next couple of years. I mean look at the 1st edition base box…
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