No matter how many times you do it, there’s just nothing like buying Pokemon packs and eagerly anticipating what new rare card you might pull. Today, there are countless Pokemon packs to choose from, but we’re going to give you the skinny on which are the best Pokemon packs to buy currently, and why.

#19 Obsidian Flames – Scarlet & Violet

Obsidian Flames Booster Pack

Market price: $3.41

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There’s only one reason to buy Obsidian Flames, and that’s because you are hoping to pull a rare and relatively valuable Charizard ex Special Illustration Rare. I say relatively because right now it is fetching for less than $50 which isn’t super impressive for a Charizard alternate art card.

Obsidian Flames’s strengths and weaknesses as a Pokemon pack can pretty much be summed up in that. It’s got an epic and valuable Charizard ex Tera Pokemon that has an entire, competitive deck built around it. On the flip side, that’s probably it’s only valuable/beautiful card worth chasing.

So, if you’re really into Charizard and want to add this Tera Charizard ex (in its many forms of rarity) to your collection, pick up this pack. It won’t cost you very much if you purchase it online. Otherwise, you can probably skip it in favor of the next one on our list. Also, the Charizard ex Special Illustration Rare in Paldean Fates is nicer and more valuable so you could just go for that one.

Read our guide to the most valuable cards in Obsidian Flames.

#18 Pokemon GO – Sword & Shield

Pokemon GO is included in this list as something of an honorable mention. That’s not because it isn’t a fun set – it was one of my favorite packs to open of any on this list. The simple fact is, however, Pokemon GO cards are not very valuable. And that fact hurts for me particularly because I actually have the complete collection of this particular set.

Despite cards fetching impressive prices originally online, they have dropped off considerably since then. The reason this set is so fun to open and also not very valuable to invest in is because of how good the pull rates are. Having good odds of pulling rare cards can be fun. However, that also makes those cards not very valuable because they aren’t as scarce as cards with equivalent rarities in other sets.

All of that being said, Pokemon GO cards remain well loved thanks to their double appeal – that being to card players and Pokemon GO players alike. Chase your favorite Pokemon GO cards like Dragonite VSTAR, alt art Mewtwo V, or get excited about finding Ditto in the wild like you do in the game.

One of the most exciting things to come out of Pokemon GO are the Radiant Pokemon cards, especially Radiant Charizard – a strong addition to any collection, as well as a powerful card for strategy and game play.

You can read more about our review of the Radiant Pokemon in this set, as well as our guide to the most valuable Pokemon GO cards.

#17 Chilling Reign – Sword & Shield

Booster pack market price: $4.86

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I will always have a special place in my heart for Chilling Reign. It’s the first pack I got into after returning to the Pokemon hobby back in 2021 at the height of the pandemic-fueled Pokemon craze, and it has some incredibly memorable cards in it. Not to mention it also has a variety of gorgeous alternate arts that are still worth a lot of money to this day.

Beyond the alt art Blaziken VMAX, this set is most memorable to me for its focus on the Legendary Birds and their Galarian variants. Alternate art cards like Galarian Moltress V, Galarian Zapdos V and especially the Articuno V look great and had a huge impact on the meta in their day.

All-in-all, there’s a ton of value in this pack for its affordable price point, and is certainly worth picking up whether you are new to Pokemon TCG and looking for a great start, or a seasoned collector looking to ignite that spark once again.

Just a note for players, however: Chilling Reign recently rotated out of the standard Pokemon TCG format so cards in this set are better for collecting than playing.

#16 Paldea Evolved – Scarlet & Violet

Paldea Evolved was one of the best Pokemon packs to be released in 2023, and its sales are driven largely by its number one chase card – Iono Special Illustration Rare (available on TCGplayer). Beyond that, Paldea Evolved also has a strong collection of valuable cards including the somewhat infamous Magikarp and a gorgeous Special Illustration Rare Chien-Pao ex.

Read our guide to the most valuable Paldea Evolved Pokemon cards.

#15 Shrouded Fable – Scarlet & Violet

Market price: $3.55

Shrouded Fable Booster Pack

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Shrouded Fable is an expansion that grew on me overtime. However, how much you like this set is largely based on two things: did you play the Scarlet & Violet Pokemon TCG game, or are you a Pokemon TCG Player? For fans of the games, there’s plenty of memorable Pokemon and artworks you’ll comprehend more deeply. Meanwhile, Pokemon TCG players will enjoy many of the new mechanics brought about in this particular pack.

That’s not to say there isn’t anything here for collectors. There are plenty of valuable cards in this set, and some really gorgeous cards packed with nostalgia like the Horsea and Persian Illustration Rares. However, those cards are the minority, making this particular pack not for everyone.

Get insights into which Shrouded Fable cards are worth the most in my guide.

#14 Twilight Masquerade – Scarlet & Violet

Twilight Masquerade booster pack — Twilight Masquerade Booster Pack

Market price: $4.04

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Twilight Masquerade is already an underrated pack. While it doesn’t carry a ton of weight in the nostalgia department that drives a lot of value in the Pokemon TCG (it is instead based on a more recent and somewhat niche Pokemon DLC), its top chase cards are already fetching impressive prices online. While its pull rates aren’t the best, it’s got a strong bevy of impressive alternate art cards, including my favorite which is the Illustration Rare Eevee (which I pulled).

What’s more, this pack is an incredible one for players, boasting a lot of strong cards like Dragapult ex. Given its lack of more nostalgic, familiar Pokemon in its alternate artwork lineup, however, this pack is unlikely to be as memorable as some of the other excellent packs released in Scarlet & Violet.

These are the most expensive cards in Twilight Masquerade.

#13 Paldean Fates – Scarlet & Violet

Paldean Fates Booster pack

Market price: $4.80

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I was a little apprehensive when I first heard about Paldean Fates coming out. People were excited about it originally because it was going to be a new “shiny” set featuring shiny versions of some of our favorite Pokemon cards. The thing is I’m not a huge shiny Pokemon collector.

My opinion quickly changed, however, when I opened the packs myself. It was incredibly rewarding tearing those packs open and having such good odds of getting something good and each and every pack. Whether it was a shiny Snorlax, or an illustration rare version of a well loved card from another set, this pack is just a sheer joy to open.

Apart from that, cards in this set are still very, very valuable. The most expensive is the Shiny Charizard ex Special Illustration Rare which fetches over $100. But there are several other cards still fetching strong prices months after the expansion was released, boding well for its future prospects.

See the most expensive Paldean Fates chase cards in our guide.

#12 Paradox Rift – Scarlet & Violet

Paradox Rift Booster Pack

Market price: $3.03

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Paradox Rift was a very special moment for Scarlet and Violet, and it became clear to me after opening my first pack that this would be one of the hottest Pokemon packs to buy from the era. It just feels epic. Not only does it introduce new mechanics into the game, similar to the Fusion/Rapid/Single Strike mechanic the Sword and Shield Era, it also has many epic and gorgeous cards that are worth a lot of money. Not to mention it has several new deck archetypes in it that are fairing well on the competitive scene.

Paradox Rift is easily worth the price tag, and the best way to get a lot of packs for cheap is by getting the Paradox Rift Booster Box.

#11 Stellar Crown – Scarlet & Violet

Stellar Crown booster pack — Stellar Crown Booster Pack

Market price: $3.16

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As a set, Stellar Crown has a lot going for it. Although we’ve had Tera Pokemon in the game for a while, this expansion takes the Tera typing to the next level, introducing gorgeous Stellar Tera Pokemon like the gem-like Terapagos ex Special Illustration Rare (one of the most gorgeous chase cards from the era). More than this, however, are the powerful new mechanics that act as a buff to Tera Pokemon in general.

Suddenly, running Tera Pokemon gives you a huge advantage beyond just the fact they can’t be damaged while on the bench. Now you can take extra prize cards when you knock out a Pokemon via the Briar supporter, or even stack up your bench to an insane eight total Pokemon via Area Zero Underdepths.

If that weren’t enough (and it wouldn’t be wrong if you felt it should be), this expansion also delivers on nostalgia, with two gorgeous illustration rare versions of two of Kanto’s most recognizable Pokemon: Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

I would say it is a perfect “crowning” moment for Scarlet & Violet if it weren’t for the feeling that there’s still much, much more to come from the remaining sets.

Check out the most expensive Stellar Crown chase cards.

#10 Temporal Forces – Scarlet & Violet

Temporal Forces will likely go down in Pokemon TCG history as one of the best if not the very best best expansions of the Scarlet & Violet era. Expanding both Future and Ancient Pokemon and introducing powerful new deck archetypes, what will likely be the biggest contribution to the game is the inclusion of ACE SPEC Pokemon cards – powerful item cards trainers can include in their decks.

There’s some nostalgia in this set as well, as many of the alternate art cards feature variations of the legendary dog Pokemon Entei, Suicune, and Raikou. Apart from those, it’s also got a pretty impressive Morty Special Illustration Rare card for fans of the Johto era of Pokemon. It’s a hot pack this year and yields the opportunity to chase many valuable cards.

A warning ahead of purchasing this pack: if you are not super excited about pulling ACE SPEC item cards, then Temporal Forces may disappoint as it has one of the worst pull rates for Special Illustration Rare cards of all of Scarlet and Violet.

See our guide for the most expensive cards in Temporal Forces.

#9 Fusion Strike – Sword & Shield

If you’re a collector looking for a challenge, Fusion Strike is one of the best Pokemon packs you can buy right now. It’s still available at a reasonable price, and includes some of the most valuable alternative arts of the sword and shield era. This includes Gengar VMAX, Mew VMAX, and the ever popular Espeon VMAX alternate arts.

However, Fusion Strike is also a large set with a lot of cards, meaning your odds of pulling those alt arts are very, very slim. That being said, we ourselves have pulled some fantastic alt arts from this set without spending a fortune on packs. So who knows how your luck will be?

#8 Lost Origin – Sword & Shield

Lost Origin will always be a memorable pack for players because it is the first time that the now famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) Lost Zone engine was revealed to the world. Apart from offering fantastic new game mechanics that really revitalized the Pokemon TCG standard format, it also carries with it a host of highly valuable alternate art cards.

The best of these alt art cards is Giratina V which is fetching over $400 on the ungraded card market right now. It also has the incredible Aerodactly V alt art which has retained strong value since its release, fetching well over $100.

What is especially great about this particular Pokemon pack is that it’s available currently for a decent price online, making buying it a fantastic opportunity for collectors looking to pull their favorite chase card.

Read our guide for more information on the rare and expensive Lost Origin cards you can find in this pack.

#7 Brilliant Stars – Sword & Shield

Brilliant Stars is one of the best Pokemon packs to buy right now thanks to a few reasons. First, it introduced the incredibly popular trainer gallery that would become a staple of the rest of the Sword and Shield era sets. While trainer galleries (side sets featuring alternate arts of Pokemon with their trainers) ended with Sword & Shield, their cards are still wildly popular among both players and collectors.

Apart from the trainer gallery, Brilliant Stars introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the game and the still popular Arceus VSTAR archetype. Currently, cards in this pack are also viable to play competitively, making it an excellent choice for players and collectors.

Last but not least, Brilliant Stars has one of the most gorgeous Charizard alternate art cards of all. That card is worth nearly $200, making this pack very desirable indeed.

All things considered, given Brilliant Stars costs less than $4 per pack feels like a pretty solid deal.

Read our guide to see all 10 most expensive Brilliant Stars chase cards.

#6 Silver Tempest – Sword & Shield

Best Pokemon Pack to Buy — Silver Tempest Booster Pack

Market price: $3.72

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Silver Tempest was the last big set of the Sword and Shield era, and it certainly did itself justice. Its signature card is the alternate art Lugia V card. It’s still worth quite a bit today, and should hold up pretty well overtime due to its beauty and rarity. Silver Tempest boasts an incredible trainer gallery, throwbacks to some fan favorites from previous Pokemon generations, and the nostalgia factor of being the final big Sword and Shield main set.

Silver Tempest is also quite affordable, making it an awesome choice for people looking to open Pokemon packs and chase rare cards without spending a fortune.

Read our Silver Tempest guide and see which cards are most valuable.

#5 Celebrations & Sword and Shield

Celebrations packs can be just as hard to get ahold of as any other of the best Pokemon packs to buy out there. But they are well worth it. Celebrations is another fan favorite, due to its throwback to the old days, and complete with reprinted cards of our favorite vintage Pokemon cards.

Celebrations is likely to age well as a set set thanks to its appeal to nostalgia. What’s even better is that, given its smaller size, it’s relatively easy and fun to collect every single card!

Read our Celebrations guide to see which cards have held up the best in value since its release.

#4 Pokemon 151 – Scarlet & Violet

Pokemon 151 – best packs — Pokemon 151 Booster Pack

Market price: $8.74

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Pokemon 151 has a massive appeal, featuring the original 151 Pokemon, and the chance for players to catch ‘em all like they did the for the first time decades ago.

And unlike Celebrations which had a host of filler cards to go along with the reprint set, this set is entirely focused on the original 151 Pokemon that started it all. As if that weren’t enough, it boasts gorgeous artworks of fan favorites including each of the original starter Pokemon, Zapdos, Alakazam and more.

This Pokemon pack will likely fare well overtime in value. Even after many months of it being available, top Pokemon 151 chase cards are still fetching high prices online, with the Charizard worth over $100.

While Pokemon 151 may fall far short of the pure magic of the original base Pokemon set that inspires it, it’s a great way to collect many of the most popular Pokemon in the game and offers a fun experience, too, with plenty of opportunities to bag rare cards.

One thing to note before investing in this particular pack is that more products have been confirmed to be coming out in 2025 containing this pack, meaning prices might dip a little bit around that time.

You can read our full guide to learn everything you need to know about Scarlet & Violet – 151 including release dates and rare cards.

#3 Crown Zenith – Sword & Shield

Crown Zenith is the best special set to come out of the Sword and Shield era. With an expansive trainer gallery, and new twists on some of our favorite cards from Sword and Shield, Crown Zenith is an incredible pack. Think of it as a “greatest hit” album with the best of what made the Sword and Shield era so remarkable.

One of the best things about this set is that it delivers gorgeous alternate arts for cards that we never got to see them for, including (my favorite) Leafeon VSTAR. Meanwhile, every product I opened from the set was a treat – chalk full of exciting finds.

Because it acts as a farewell to Sword a Shield, Crown Zenith is an especially good pack for collectors looking to collect a master set. With an incredible 70 alternate art cards collected from a vast variety of other main Pokemon sets, Crown Zenith is both rewarding and challenging to catch up ‘em all.

Read our guide to see which cards are the best and most valuable in all of Crown Zenith.

#2 Surging Sparks – Scarlet & Violet

Surging Sparks Booster Pack

Market price: $3.76

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There are a few reasons why I think Surging Sparks is one of the best Pokemon packs money can buy right now. First of all, it’s one of the latest sets, meaning it’s got a very affordable price tag. Second, it’s one of the best expansions we’ve seen in a while, and the single best set of the Scarlet & Violet era.

Why? Just look at the wide range of alternate art cards available in this set. Surging Sparks perfectly blends past and present Pokemon in this set, delivering on the nostalgia we feel for favorites such as Pikachu, Latias and Latios, as well as delving deeper into contemporary Pokemon lore like the Stellar Tera phenomenon.

If there’s one Pokemon pack to pick up from the most recent range of sets, this would be the best one to invest in.

#1 Evolving Skies is the Best Pokemon Pack to Buy

Evolving Skies Pack — Evolving Skies Booster Pack

Market price: $15.25

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Evolving Skies is the most valuable Sword and Shield era pack, with cards fetching incredible prices online. For this reason, getting your hands on Evolving Skies packs is quite challenging, with booster boxes costing much more than other sets. Right now, an Evolving Skies booster box on TCGPlayer will cost you over $600! That just goes to show how incredibly popular this particular set has remained in the hearts and minds of Pokemon card fans around the world.

The supreme chase card of this set – and indeed the defining chase card of Sword & Shield – is none other than Umbreon VMAX Alternate Art. That card itself has grown in value since the release of Evolving skies not terribly long ago, and is considered one of the most valuable Pokemon cards.

With an unparalleled range of rare cards and alt arts, Evolving Skies is the best Pokemon pack to buy in 2024.

Read our Evolving Skies chase cards guide for more info.

19 Best Pokemon Packs to Buy in 2024, Ranked