Events

IGN reports that after the Pokémon Trading Card Game 30th Anniversary set went on sale, collectors found its rare cards were relatively easy to obtain, keeping resale prices low. Only the Red, Green and Blue Mew cards are reselling in the low thousands of dollars, while most other cards sell for well under $250 and many top cards around $100 or less. Resellers on the r/PokeInvesting subreddit complained about weak returns.

Jack Young-Larter, 26, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years and four months after pleading guilty to drug supply offences in which customers paid partly with Pokémon trading cards. Kent Police's May 1 raid recovered drugs, cash and a box of rare collectibles, and the court declared his card collection criminal property under a Deprivation Order.

Dexerto references its earlier reporting that Pokémon Center UK delayed 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box orders by two months on the set's release day.

Collectors have reported multiple factory printing errors in the Pokémon 30th Celebration set, including a red-bleeding Mew nicknamed "Blood Mew" and Mewtwo cards showing ghosted or overlaid artwork. A Japanese market roundup published September 17 tracked Mercari sales of error cards well above normal copies, while no completed sale has been recorded for the red Mew itself. Pokémon has not officially acknowledged or named the defects.

A social media post from the account PokéStreetz described an August 28, 2026 confrontation during a Pokémon TCG restock at a Target in Lisbon, Connecticut, in which a man was allegedly punched and a 4-year-old girl hurt. The account said police arrested the alleged attacker when he returned for his wallet and that both shoppers were trespassed from the store; no suspect has been publicly identified and no charges or arrest report have been located.

An IGN opinion list highlights ten cards from the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion, chosen for artwork, and cites TCGplayer market prices for each. It also notes that each 30th Celebration booster pack guarantees one of 30 unique foil Pikachu rare cards.

IGN lists the ten highest-value cards from the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion using median TCGplayer market prices at time of writing. The Mew R/G/B card is cited as selling for £22,086.70 on eBay UK (about $29,540.51), while Lugia from the Classic Collection sits at $226.48 and Mew ex 152/128 at $212.37.

IGN references a first look at the Mega Evolution expansion Delta Reign, stated to release in November 2026.

Geek Retreat Chelmsford, a UK collectibles store, issued a statement denying that TV personalities Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash received special treatment at the 16 September 2026 launch of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set. Customers who queued reported the store sold out rapidly and left negative reviews; the store said demand exceeded its stock and that per-person purchase limits applied to everyone.

On September 16, 2026, the launch day of Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration, Pokémon Center UK emailed customers stating that some products in their orders, including the 30th Celebration Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, are taking longer than expected to produce and now have an estimated ship date of mid to late November. Affected customers were given a one-time 10% discount code valid through December 31, 2026.

A raw, ungraded near-mint blue B/RGB Mew card reportedly sold on eBay for $20,000, highlighted by the account Peak Hobby. The listing accepted Best Offers, so eBay does not confirm the final amount paid. Other collectibles outlets described it as the first publicly reported sale of an RGB Mew.

IGN reports GameStop is selling the 30th anniversary Elite Trainer Box, which has a $49.99 price, for $169.99, while Dick's Sporting Goods lists it at $119.99.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game's 30th anniversary set went on sale, with long overnight queues reported at retailers in the U.K. and France. IGN reports the release includes re-releases of older cards alongside new ultra rare designs.

Clear English images of three RGB Mew cards from the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion appeared in PokeGuardian's gallery on September 15, 2026, showing red, green and blue variants designated R/RGB, G/RGB and B/RGB and credited to artist YOSHIROTTEN. The reveal follows months of debate over whether an initial blue copy pulled on a July 25 Whatnot livestream was fake; pull rates remain unconfirmed.

Videos filmed at card conventions show dog breeders offering French Bulldog puppies in exchange for Pokémon cards, including one asking $4,000 and another seeking $10,000 or a card trade. Collectors and viewers criticised the practice and urged convention organisers to bar breeders from bringing dogs into venues.

Pokémon partnered with South Korean food company CJ CheilJedang on three "SPAM Towers" gift sets themed around Snorlax, Ditto and Charmander as part of 30th anniversary celebrations. Each box contains five 200g cans of SPAM Classic plus Pokémon stickers, with limited-edition plush keychains for buyers of all three. Sets launched via KakaoTalk Gift on September 9 and CJ The Market on September 11.

The article references an upcoming Mega Evolution expansion, Delta Reign, described as set to release in November 2026.

Griffin Gaming Partners founder Pete Levin told The Hollywood Reporter that Pokémon trading cards are a global phenomenon that would serve as currency after a hypothetical apocalypse, claiming the cards are outperforming the S&P 500 by 3,000%. The article also notes ongoing scarcity measures, including Target opening boxes to deter scalpers and Japanese retailers limiting purchases via residency rules and facial recognition.

IGN reports that Amazon has placed the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box behind a ticketed, invite-only 'Request an Invite' queue intended to limit bot purchasing and help buyers secure the product near retail price.

IGN reports on newly previewed illustration rare and special illustration rare cards for the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion, including a connected Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres trio and a day-night themed group of cards. The set releases September 16, 2026 simultaneously in all major regions, and each booster pack guarantees one of thirty unique Pikachu variants.

The article states Pokémon will mark its 30th anniversary on September 16, 2026 with a new Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion. The expansion is not named in the text.

Griffin Gaming Partners founder Peter Levin told The Hollywood Reporter that Pokémon cards would become the global currency if an apocalypse occurred, claiming the cards are outperforming the S&P 500 by 3,000 percent. He said he owns over 500,000 trading cards across different collecting scenes.

YouTuber Natalie Roush posted a video opening the Night version of the Pokémon 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection roughly two months before its stated November 6 release, and the video linked to a GOAT marketplace listing priced at $2,262 versus the $179.99 retail price. Collectors questioned how unreleased copies are circulating; Dexerto notes no evidence the boxes were stolen.

IGN reports Amazon has restocked the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box, sold and shipped by Amazon, at $115.98. TCGplayer lists a median price of about $150 and a market price of $120.18 for the product. Other Pokémon TCG restocks noted include the Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection at $272.95 and First Partner Illustration Collection—Series 3 at $33.99.

The article states the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion launches globally on September 16, 2026, with a simultaneous worldwide release. It describes every card as foil, each pack guaranteeing one of 30 unique Pikachu cards, and a new opalescent "Futuristic Rare" tier featuring Mew and Mewtwo by artist YOSHIROTTEN.

Dexerto reports that Pokémon Center cancelled a large number of orders for the 30th Celebration Pokémon TCG set, apparently targeting scalper bots, with some manual buyers saying their orders were cancelled as well. The report cites the Pokemon Alerts & News account on X and buyer replies.

IGN reports that Amazon has restocked several hard-to-find Pokémon TCG products for a Labor Day sale, including the Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection at $274.99 and the Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box at $124.48. Other restocked items include the First Partner Illustration Collection—Series 3, Mega Evolution—Pitch Black Booster Display Set and Elite Trainer Box, Chaos Rising Booster Bundle, and Ascended Heroes Mega Meganium/Emboar/Feraligatr ex Box.

The article states the Pokémon TCG's 30th Anniversary expansion launches worldwide on September 16.

UK shop Bath TCG stopped selling Pokémon cards through its website after seven packages from the same dispatch batch arrived with their contents removed and resealed with tape. Owner Ben Thyer estimates the suspension has cost between $5,400 and $8,100 in lost revenue, and Royal Mail said it is investigating.

A US District Judge dismissed an Iowa man's lawsuit seeking at least $341,000 in damages after he was denied Pokémon Professor certification following a background check. The judge found the antitrust and related claims invalid and warned of sanctions for further frivolous filings.