Why Paying "Market Price" for Rare Pokémon Card Sets Became the New Normal

Supply and demand have made buying Pokémon TCG products at MSRP nearly impossible, so "market price" has become the default metric for many collectors. Marketplaces like TCGplayer estimate that price using factors such as rarity, artwork, contents, and meta impact — for example, Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Boxes listed above $350 on eBay are estimated at $153.54 on TCGplayer. The Pokémon Company printed over 10 billion cards last year and improved pull rates in the 30th Celebration expansion, but demand remains too high for MSRP to return as the norm.