Pokémon is undeniably one of the biggest franchises in the world of gaming, yet it's arguably taken on an even bigger life outside of Nintendo's consoles thanks to the overwhelming success of the trading card game.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game (often shortened to Pokémon TGC) was first established all the way back in 1996, and if you're a millennial or on the older side of Gen Z then you'll probably have shared these with your friends on the playground.
However, it has exploded in popularity over the last few years with sets immediately going out of stock and special cards being sold for exuberant prices on the second hand market.
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That has understandably prompted many to show an interest in special releases like the Pokémon Holiday Calendar, which is an advent calendar-style release with new packs and cards to open every single day, and one YouTuber has revealed exactly whether it's worth it or not in the 2025 edition.
What do you get in the Pokemon 2025 Holiday Calendar?
Hill Top TCG is one of the go-to Pokémon card creators on YouTube, sharing various pack openings, reviews, and other content surrounding the popular game, and he has given his own overview of the new 2025 edition of the Holiday Calendar.
This was released all the way back in August but with Christmas just around the corner its understandable that many are wondering what's included in this year's release, so here's all 25 surprises that you get as part of the new Pokémon Holiday Calendar:
- 8 foil Pokémon TCG cards with a festive stamp
- 6 Pokémon TCG booster packs
- 7 Pokémon TCG 3-card fun packs
- 2 Pokémon coins
- 2 Pokémon sticker sheets
- 1 code card for Pokémon TCG Live
While most people will be interested in the booster packs and new festive foil cards, there's also a few extra goodies that make the package feel complete, and will be perfect for any younger fans of the trading cards or Nintendo games.
Is the Pokemon Holiday Calendar worth it?
Now, the big question on everyone's lips right now is whether it's worth it, as you not only have to contend with the $49.99 retail value but also the potential of an inflated price tag from scalpers if this sells out before you get your hands on it.
At the time of writing it seems pretty easy to purchase at the RRP, but it's definitely something to potentially consider with the popularity of Pokémon TCG as a whole.
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While it's hard to nail down an exact 'value' of the 2025 Holiday Collection as that depends entirely on what you find inside your booster packs. Any hits will make this value proposition feel far better than it initially seems, but that's completely down to chance.
Instead, it's better to view it from the perspective of an advent calendar and also breaking down the booster packs themselves, as that's where you'll really find the value.
"This is probably the best holiday collection I've opened since they revamped these several years ago," argues Hill Top, indicating that this year's edition is definitely one you should consider picking up if you're a fan.
"They did IRs in it, they have I feel like more packs than they've done in the past," he adds. "Even if we don't get any hits, this is actually pretty dang solid. For 50 bucks, you're getting some awesome promo stamp cards. You're getting six booster packs.
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"From little Timmy's perspective, on the enjoyment of the Christmas season this is fantastic. I could see kids ripping through this not being patient and waiting until Christmas."
In terms of booster pack value, you get two Destined Rivals packs which cost around $7.24 each according to PriceCharting, two Journey Together packs which retail for roughly $7.99 on eBay right now, one Paradox Rift pack which you can buy for around $9.03 on PriceCharting, and a Temporal Forces pack which sits at roughly $7.20 on PriceCharting.
Combined, these come to a total of $46.69 together, which almost makes up for the $50 RRP on its own, discounting all of the other cards, stickers, coins, and the calendar itself, making the 2025 Holiday Calender an objectively 'good value' purchase.