Pokémon First Partner Series 3 preorder dips below market on Amazon
Amazon has the Pokémon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3 preorder at $80.86 through a third-party seller.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The Pokémon First Partner Series 3 preorder is already selling for less than its usual Amazon price, with the upcoming Pokémon TCG box listed at $80.86 as of July 23 through third-party seller Collectors Expedition.
That price is $4.13 below Amazon’s typical $84.99 listing for the Pokémon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3, a 5% cut before the product’s official Aug. 7 release. Amazon is hosting the listing, but the order is not being sold directly by Amazon.
Delivery on the $80.86 preorder is currently slated for Aug. 11 to Aug. 12, according to Amazon’s listing. A separate Amazon preorder from Kings Games is priced at $80.88 and showed an Aug. 11 delivery date at the time checked.
The Amazon price also comes in below TCGplayer’s stated market price of $84.01 for the box. Buyers hunting for the lowest sticker price may still find cheaper options on TCGplayer, where listings for the same collection were shown as low as $68.94.
What is in the Pokémon First Partner Series 3 box?
Series 3 is part of the Pokémon TCG’s 30th-anniversary First Partner Illustration Collection line, with this release focused on partner Pokémon from Hoenn, Kalos, and Paldea.
The nine possible special illustration rare promo cards feature Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Each box includes one special pack containing three of those nine promo cards, so a single box will not complete the full promo set.
The collection also includes two standard Pokémon TCG booster packs. Product imagery shows those packs as Pitch Black and Chaos Rising, along with a sticker sheet featuring first partner Pokémon.
Should collectors preorder from Amazon or TCGplayer?
The Amazon preorder may appeal to buyers who want to order through Amazon’s marketplace and pay below the platform’s usual $84.99 price. The tradeoff is that the lowest Amazon listing cited is sold by a third-party seller and is scheduled to arrive several days after the Aug. 7 launch.
TCGplayer’s listings may offer a lower upfront price, with options shown down to $68.94, but the listing marketplace can vary by seller, shipping terms, and availability. Collectors comparing the deal should check the final checkout total and delivery estimate before buying.
- Amazon preorder price: $80.86 through Collectors Expedition
- Amazon typical price: $84.99
- Amount saved on Amazon: $4.13, or 5%
- Official release date: Aug. 7
- Amazon delivery estimate: Aug. 11 to Aug. 12 for the $80.86 listing
- TCGplayer market price: $84.01
- Lowest TCGplayer listing cited: $68.94
For Pokémon TCG collectors, the key detail is the promo-card setup: three special illustration rares per box from a pool of nine. Anyone chasing every starter in the Series 3 lineup will need more than one collection or will need to trade or buy singles after release.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.