GameStop Launches $5,000 Pokémon Packs Following Confusing eBay Auction
On Monday, GameStop shocked the gaming community by announcing its plan to acquire eBay, a tech giant valued at several billion dollars more than the video game retailer itself. Naturally, the big question was how GameStop intended to finance such a massive deal. The answer? Pokémon cards.
GameStop offers a product called Power Packs, which are bundles of Pokémon cards available in various tiers. The higher the tier, the better the odds of pulling valuable cards. Importantly, GameStop determines the contents of each pack. While Power Packs might raise some eyebrows, they offer a more appealing option compared to paying three to five times the suggested retail price for individual Pokémon TCG items.
Previously, GameStop’s Power Packs ranged from $25 to $2,500. If a customer managed to pull something impressive, GameStop provided instant buybacks. Although the buyback price isn’t based on market value, it saves customers the hassle of selling and packaging high-value cards. Now, GameStop is set to enhance this scheme with a new $5,000 ‘Neutronium’ Power Pack tier.
On a page showcasing potential pulls from the Neutronium packs, GameStop lists chase cards valued between $26,000 and $68,000. These high-value cards, including sought-after Charizard and Pikachu “grails,” are already graded at either PSA 9 or PSA 10. However, customers only have a 0.4% chance of pulling a pack worth over $40,000. According to GameStop, 44% of all Neutronium packs are estimated to be valued between $3,000 and $4,000.
It’s worth noting that since GameStop includes pre-sealed booster packs, the company could claim a Power Pack is worth significantly more than its actual contents. A vintage Pokémon pack can fetch thousands, but its value is essentially a gamble. Once opened, the likelihood of the vintage pack being worth less than its sealed counterpart is high. Additionally, the condition of a packaged card is crucial for its value, as determined by grading entities like PSA.
Considering that GameStop takes a cut from every transaction on its platform, Power Packs can start to feel a bit dubious. Yet, this strategy seems to be working for the retailer, which announced plans in 2025 to fully embrace the collectibles market. Acquiring eBay, a major hub for collectibles, would provide GameStop with even more data and control over the marketplace.
To make this acquisition happen, GameStop needs to raise billions. The company already has a few billion in reserve and has been promised an additional $20 billion from a bank. Even with this financial backing, GameStop still requires more funds to cover the costs. The timing of the $5,000 Power Pack launch, just a day after a challenging interview where CEO Ryan Cohen struggled to clarify the funding sources, certainly raises eyebrows.
Pokémon card enthusiasts have never encountered anything quite like the Jolina Gisèle collection, which boasts an impressive 60,000 rare cards.
