What this is
What US hobby stores pay for Pokémon products as a share of list price: usually about half, but in the 2025 shortage, at or above list price.
How it’s built
- Collect store costs reported on forums, blogs and Reddit, and a distributor's discount terms.
- Divide each by the US list price at that date: $143.64 a box before 2023, $161.64 after. Normal supply gives 0.50–0.56; hot 2025 products 0.99–2.0.
What we assumed
- Forum and blog reports of store costs are roughly right.No distributor or Pokémon price list was found. Several separate reports land in the same 0.49–0.56 range.
- A general distributor's 40–50% discount levels apply to Pokémon.The distributor's terms do not name Pokémon; they are used as a general guide to hobby-trade discounts.
Sanity check
Store cost is only an upper limit on what The Pokémon Company receives; distributors take a cut. In the 2025 shortage store costs were above list price, so the limit stopped applying.
Where it comes from
Our calculation from other figures in the trainer’s notes:
- ReportedUS booster display list price, SV era (Obsidian Flames, Aug 2023), 11 August 2023 release161.64
- FiledThe Pokémon Company International's December 2022 price change
Show the working
- 2016-17 booster box, $72-80 against $143.64 (pre-SV $3.99 pack): 0.5 to 0.56
- 2016-17 typical business $76-79: 0.53 to 0.55
- 2019 box ~$70 against $143.64: 0.49
- Summer 2024 Twilight Masquerade box $90 against $161.64: 0.557
- Magic retail-margin norm 45-50% (Wizards of the Coast comp): 0.5 to 0.55
- Normal-supply band used as ceiling on s (hobby route): 0.5 to 0.56
- 72/143.64 = 0.501
- 80/143.64 = 0.557
- 76/143.64 = 0.529
- 79/143.64 = 0.550
- 70/143.64 = 0.487
- 90/161.64 = 0.557
- 85/161.64 = 0.526
- 80/161.64 = 0.495
- 2.35/4.49 = 0.523
- 35/49.99 = 0.70
Where it’s used
Related figures
Built from this one
More figures on Card distribution channel (distributors, hobby stores, mass retail) →