X-ray scans of booster packs are being sold to Pokemon card collectors

Pokemon TCG collectors are paying a premium for X-ray scans of sealed booster packs to examine the contents without actually opening them.

Pull rates are always a hot topic in the Pokemon community, especially with smaller expansion sets like Shrouded Fable that offer less opportunities to pull rare and valuable cards.

Older Pokemon cards, especially Base Set cards with iconic ‘mons like Charizard and Pikachu, can run up an impressive price on the resale market. Unsealed booster packs are equally in high-demand, making them valuable collectors items.

The emergence of X-ray scanning technology being used to identify what cards are hidden inside unopened boosters has become a fiercely debated topic in the Pokemon community, giving collectors a potential method of identifying valuable packs without opening them.

Pokemon TCG YouTuber ‘okJLUV‘ uploaded a video discussing X-ray scanning technology for booster packs. During the video, the YouTuber highlighted a recent case study conducted by Industrial Inspection & Consulting, which has now become a major talking point among trading card collectors. 

While the company is best known for offering industrial CT scanning services to test machine components and other products, its new case study also included examining unopened Pokemon booster packs.

The company was able to use 2-D X-ray technology to recreate a 3D structure, in this case, Pokemon booster packs, while then looking through the interior of the object. 

Following this initial test, II&C scanned resealed Pokemon booster packs and booster kits, where they were “able to extract the shape of the Pokemon due to slight density differences in the cards and foils.”

The success of the case study and okJLUV’s mention of it in their YouTube video has led to the company receiving “endless requests to scan packs and kits from collectors, investors, and card stores.”

Currently, the company charges a minimum of $75 to x-ray scan one booster pack. Pokemon TCG has not yet commented on the emergence of scanning technology for unopened booster packs, however, we’ll be sure to keep you updated if that changes.