If you're not already a member, it’s admittedly a slight drag that you’ll essentially have to add $12.95 onto that $59.99 price tag; it’s still better than the $200 minimum you’ll currently find on other marketplaces like TCGPlayer for the same set.
Plus, this is going to sell out FAST, and I highly doubt there will be any remaining for the general non-Walmart+ shoppers looking for a bargain. Not only that, but you're going more for your money if you're looking to grab the brand new and upcoming Mega Evolution expansion, Phantasmal Flames.
Walmart is doing a repeat of the Prismatic Evolutions deal preview drop, but this time with preorders for the upcoming set featuring Mega Charizard X during Walmart Collector Con. The preorders will drop at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET on October 9, so you better bookmark those links and be ready to go.
This is a big deal, and even worth dropping the $13 on Walmart+ alone, considering just the Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is going for $160+ right now resale, and Walmart will be selling for just $55! Holy smokes!
Whether you're after Prismatic ETBs or elusive preorders at MSRP for Phantasmal Flames, picking up a Walmart+ membership is undoubtedly the move this week.
It’s also important to know that whilst Walmart+ does have a 30-day trial available, the Walmart+ hub page states that only paid members will have access to its early deals on 6 October.
The annoying part of the Walmart+ subscription process, if you want to buy early access items right away, is that you're only given the initial option to claim the 30-day trial. However, you can get around this by starting your free trial, cancelling it, and resubscribing for paid access.
The Walmart Deals event, scheduled for 7-12 October, is designed to compete directly with Amazon’s Prime Day. However, Walmart+ members will benefit from exclusive early access starting the day prior, on 6 October.
The idea is that after that early access day, the deals will then be made available to the wider public who don’t have Walmart+. However, given how quickly almost any MSRP-priced stock for new sets in the Pokémon TCG is selling out at all retailers, we’re certain this particular ETB will be sold out within hours, if not minutes.
A Walmart+ subscription is priced at $12.95 per month, or $98 annually, and offers a range of benefits beyond early shopping privileges. Members receive free delivery with no order minimum, savings on fuel, access to Paramount+ or Peacock at no extra cost, and additional perks such as pharmacy delivery and discounts at selected partners.
Although we are expecting Amazon Prime Day and the upcoming Black Friday sales to offer some decent Pokémon TCG deals of their own, this is still quite frankly one of the best we’ve seen this year.
We don’t expect Walmart to repeat this kind of deal for the foreseeable, or Walmart to match it. Even so, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to beat out all the other keen collectors, scalpers, and their bots who might be trying to nab one before you can.
What we’d advise is to have your paid Walmart+ subscription set up and you be logged in on 6 October, and if you get the chance to add one of those half-priced Prismatic Evolutions ETBs to your basket, you take it.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
Note: Pokémon TCG pricing is incredibly volitile and any mention of sale pricing is indicative of the current market rate for the aforementioned products.
For example, Pokémon Elite Trainer Boxes are meant to sell for around $50-$60 MSRP, but instead retailer at around $100+ post launch.
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