Pokemon TCG fans should brace for Prismatic Evolutions stock shortages

The Pokemon TCG’s Prismatic Evolutions set is nearing its North American launch but prospective buyers should be prepared for potential stock shortage.

The Pokemon TCG’s offerings for January are all wrapped up in the highly anticipated Prismatic Evolutions set. Expanding on the popular Stellar Crown set and its introduction of Stellar Tera Type Pokemon, the hype for Prismatic Evolutions is reaching a fever pitch.

Every type of player has something to be excited about with meta-altering prospects like Palafin EX and full art rares of each of the Team Star Bosses hidden away in booster packs. Those hoping to get ahold of products will have their work cut out for them, however.

A report from Pokebeach indicates that demand for Prismatic Evolutions will outweigh the supply of the set. Extensive polling from the site has revealed that smaller retailers in the US will receive 10-15% less stock than usual.

Pokemon TCG specialty stores will receive less Prismatic Evolutions stock

Prismatic Evolutions still has the same amount of stock printed as other sets but according to specialty Pokemon store owner Ben DeGuire, that stock is going to be stretched very thin. The primary reason for this is that stores that don’t usually go in for Pokemon TCG products are desperate for Prismatic Evolutions.

“There is nowhere near enough product to go around. Distributors are still giving loyal Pokemon stores a higher percentage of the supply, such as my store. But the actual amount of product a store receives is diluted because so many other stores want the product,” DeGuire explained to Pokebeach.

“If a Pokemon store requested something like 100 Elite Trainer Boxes, for example, then the distributor might say they are only allowed to buy 15,” he continued. “This is even if the store is very well-established in the card community and consistently spends a lot of money on TPCi’s products.”

It seems like big box retailers such as Walmart and Target will receive their usual allocation of stock but current trends indicate that this supply may be targeted by scalpers and resellers. The Pokemon Center has already sold out of Prismatic Evolutions stock and there are eBay listings of products listed at insane markups.

So why is there a rush to pick up this particular Pokemon TCG set? Well, there’s money in them there packs.

Prismatic Evolutions is what’s known as a ‘Special Set’ meaning that booster packs aren’t available as standalone products and need to be picked up in bundle products or Elite Trainer Boxes. Couple this with the fact that the star of this set is an extremely popular family of Pokemon and you have a perfect storm for serious collectors or investors.

Prismatic Evolutions has a special focus on the iconic Eevee and its suite of evolutions or ‘Eeveelutions’ to Pokemon fans. The set features full art rares of EX variants for Eevee and its eight different evolutions.

The sheer popularity of these Pokemon, combined with some amazing artwork and the new Stellar Tera Typing, means that the cards will have some insane value in the secondary market.

So, whether you’re looking to cash in or expand your deckbuilding options, be prepared to fight for your Prismatic Evolutions products when the set launches on January 17, 2025.