The First Partner Illustration Collection trilogy released across three separate waves: Series 1 (Kanto, Sinnoh, Alola), Series 2 (Johto, Unova, Galar), and Series 3 (Hoenn, Kalos, Paldea), the most recent, released August 7, 2026. All three shared the same $14.99 launch price and booster structure.
Despite the identical format, the three waves have performed very differently on the secondary market since each one released.
Here's an honest comparison of how each series has actually held its value.
Comparing all three series side by side also highlights how much a single standout promo can shift an entire wave's trajectory, a pattern worth keeping in mind for any future First Partner release.
Series 1 held the strongest secondary value of the three waves, peaking around $60 per box at its height. The Kanto region's gold Charizard-style chase card was the single biggest driver, pulling in buyers well beyond the usual First Partner collector base.
Sinnoh and Alola rode along on Series 1's overall momentum rather than driving demand independently, but the wave as a whole benefited from being first and from that one standout chase card.
Series 2 tanked to the $20-35 range as collector interest visibly lagged behind Series 1. Johto, Unova, and Galar simply didn't produce a comparable breakout chase card, and without one, the wave settled closer to raw MSRP-plus-shipping territory on the secondary market.
This is the clearest evidence that a First Partner wave's value depends heavily on whether it has a single standout promo, not just the overall format or price point.
Series 3 launched with scalped box pricing in the $30-35 range shortly after the August 7 release, positioning it ahead of where Series 2 ultimately settled but still well behind Series 1's peak. Hoenn's broad nostalgia and Kalos's Froakie-driven demand are the two biggest factors so far.
Whether Series 3 holds this early pricing or drifts toward Series 2's eventual range remains to be seen as more weeks of sales data accumulate.
Collecting across three separate series means keeping each wave's promos organized and identifiable. EVORETRO's Ultimate Card Curator Set gives a growing multi-series collection real room to expand.
For any promo you're considering sending in for grading, the EVORETRO Transparent Display Stand gives a returned slab a clean presentation.
Series 1 boxes command a real premium at this point, making Series 2 the more accessible entry if budget matters more than chasing peak value. Series 3 is still early enough that buying in now, before pricing potentially climbs further, is a reasonable bet.
None of this is a guarantee — a single standout chase card discovery in Series 2 or a demand shift in Series 3 could change this comparison meaningfully.
With only three completed waves so far, it's genuinely hard to say whether Series 1's Charizard-driven peak was a one-time event or a pattern the trilogy could repeat under the right conditions. A hypothetical future wave would add real clarity either way.
Until then, treating Series 1 as an outlier rather than the expected norm is the more statistically honest way to read the trilogy's value history.
Value comparisons like this one describe historical secondary market performance, not a guarantee of future returns for any of the three series. Pricing patterns in collectibles can and do shift based on factors outside any single card's control, including broader Pokemon TCG market trends.
Treat this comparison as useful context for buying decisions today, not as a promise about how Series 3 specifically will look a year from now.
Series 1, driven largely by its Kanto gold Charizard-style chase card.
It lacked a single standout chase promo comparable to Series 1's Charizard card.
Ahead of where Series 2 settled but still behind Series 1's peak, with scalped boxes around $30-35.
Yes, all three launched at $14.99 with the same 3-Illustration-Rare special booster structure.
All three First Partner waves share a format, but their value trajectories are genuinely different — know which one you're buying before you pay a secondary market premium. Pick up EVORETRO's Ultimate Card Curator Set to keep the whole trilogy organized.
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