Pokemon Advent Calendar 2023 – is it Worth the Price?
Let’s talk about the holidays – the Pokemon holidays, that is! That’s right – the 2023 Pokemon Advent Calendar is now available, and we opened the whole thing to check if it’s worth the price. See our findings below.
“The Pokemon advent calendar delivers the same holiday fun as last year at a good value that might appeal more to die-hard Pokemon fans than hardened collectors.”
★ ★ ★ ★
(4/5 stars)
What’s Included in the 2023 Pokemon Advent Calendar?
Get ready for it, cause there’s a lot here, which is part of what makes this particular product such a decent value.
The Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar includes 25 surprises to discover:
8 foil Pokémon TCG cards with a festive stamp
5 Pokémon TCG booster packs
7 Pokémon TCG 3-card fun packs
2 Pokémon coins
2 Pokémon sticker sheets
1 sidekick dangler featuring Pikachu and Glaceon
Plus, find a code card for Pokémon TCG Live!
Is the 2023 Pokemon Advent Calendar Worth it?
As you can see from that list above, there’s a lot in store for you in this advent calendar. But is it worth the price you’re going to pay for it?
The short answer – yes.
The longer answer? It also depends on what you pay for it.
The Holiday Advent Calendar is a Steal When You Buy it From TCGplayer
Right now, the market price is quite low for the Pokemon Holiday Calendar if you get it from online marketplaces like TCGplayer.
In fact, you can get it on TCGplayer for under $40 right now, which is a fantastic price! The booster packs that you get alone are worth at least $15, while the 7 fun packs are worth another $17 or thereabouts. And that doesn’t factor in the value of the fantastic promos that you get.
Holiday Calendar Promo Values:
Glaceon VMAX: $3.50
Alolan Vulpix V: $2.50
Pikachu: $1.50
Snom: $1.65
Stantler: $1.17
Cryogonal: $1.12
As you can clearly see, the Glaceon VMAX holiday calendar card is clearly the most valuable Promo card that you are going to get. However, all together, they’re worth an additional $11.44.
So, if we are calculating the worth of the Pokemon Advent Calendar just at face value, and you purchase it at $40, you are easily getting your money back just in market value of what you are purchasing.
That’s not factoring in what you might pull from the packs which could easily add additional value.
So, just based on those stats alone, we’d say buying it at TCGplayer market value is easily worth it.
Buying the 2023 Pokemon Advent Calendar at Big Stores Will Cost You
If you decide to go the big box store route for purchasing your advent calendar, just know that it will cost you a bit extra. Most big box stores are selling it for $49.99. However, even at that price we would say the advent calendar is easily worth it based on what you get, the chance to pull rare and valuable cards the included boosters afford, and just how much fun it is to open these products each day of advent with family and loved ones.
What Booster Packs Does the 2023 Pokemon Advent Calendar Come With?
See the boosters that our Holiday Calendar came with:
This pretty great, especially Fusion Strike which makes our list of best Pokemon packs you can buy right now (as does Paldea Evolved).
We had some decent pulls from our packs, too. See below:
While we may not have pulled the Iono special illustration rare, we’re pretty excited to get the Elesa’s Sparkle full art.
Keep in mind, your own exprience opening these products could vary drastically.
What about the Fun Packs?
The fun packs are appropriately named because unlike booster packs which can contain more serious collectible cards, the fun packs contain only a reverse holo at best. Still, if you have kids, they’ll love opening these packs, and you don’t have to be standing over them wearing surgical gloves and having a sleeve ready in case they pull a $200 card.
Here’s what we got from the fun packs.
Last but not least, you also get a super cool keychain. While ours from last year featuring Pikachu and Delibird broke, we’re really excited to have this one featuring Pikachu and Glaceon.
The Pokemon advent calendar also comes with some stickers and a few Pokemon coins. We don’t really get the purpose of the coins, but kids love the stickers (and they look good on your binders).
Pokemon Advent Calendar 2023 Final Verdict
The Pokemon Advent Calendar for 2023 makes for an awesome gift to any Pokemon fan. It comes with a compelling list of products easily worth the price you pay for it, and you’ll love opening it up each and every day wondering what prize awaits you inside.
That being said, some days are more exciting than others. For example, the days you get a full booster pack are awesome. The days you get a coin (unless you love Pokemon coins) can be a bit of a dud.
More serious collectors, or people not interested in the advent calendar experience, are probably better off picking up a different Pokemon product of similar value, like an elite trainer box, which affords more opportunities to pull secret rare cards.
