Pokémon Center ETB vs Elite Trainer Box: the difference
By DexCompareUpdated prices checked
On this page5 sections
A Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box holds 11 booster packs to the retail box’s 9 in Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution sets, and adds a stamped promo. Here’s the full difference, and what a pack costs in each in New Zealand today.
The difference, in short
- 9packsAn Elite Trainer Box holds 8–9 booster packs plus sleeves, energy cards, dice, condition markers and a storage box, and usually a set-exclusive promo card. Sold by stores everywhere.
- 11packsPokémon Center Elite Trainer Boxes add extra packs and a stamped promo to the retail ETB, and were originally sold only through the Pokémon Center.
So in Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution sets, the Pokémon Center box has 2 more packs than the retail one (10 against 8 in Sword & Shield sets). Both are made for one set and carry the same kind of accessories; the Pokémon Center box’s promo card is stamped.
Pack counts from the publisher’s product listings, as recorded in our data.
What a pack costs in each, today
For the 3 newest sets with both, here’s the cheapest of each box in stock at New Zealand stores right now. In each set, the cheaper per pack is marked.
30th Celebration
Released| Product | Price | Per pack | In stock at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Trainer Box Cheapest per pack30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box | PriceNZ$280 | Per packNZ$31.11 | In stock at3 stores |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box 30th Celebration Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | PriceNZ$880 | Per packNZ$80.00 | In stock at1 store |
Pitch Black
Released| Product | Price | Per pack | In stock at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Trainer Box Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box | PriceNZ$139.99 | Per packNZ$15.55 | In stock at2 stores |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | PriceNone in stock right now | Per pack— | In stock at— |
Chaos Rising
Released| Product | Price | Per pack | In stock at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Trainer Box Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box | PriceNZ$149.99 | Per packNZ$16.67 | In stock at1 store |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | PriceNone in stock right now | Per pack— | In stock at— |
Each store’s listed price, excluding shipping. Per pack is the whole box divided by its packs: the promo and accessories aren’t priced in.
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Which one to buy
- You want the most packs per box
- The Pokémon Center box: 11 packs against 9. Check the per-pack prices above, set by set.
- You want the stamped promo
- Only the Pokémon Center box has it.
- You want the easiest one to find
- The retail Elite Trainer Box: it’s the one sold in shops, so there are usually more prices to compare.
- You want the lowest spend
- The retail ETB costs less as a box. For fewer packs still, a booster bundle holds six.
Telling them apart in a listing
The box says “Pokémon Center” on it, and stores name it in the title. DexCompare files the two as different products, so a Pokémon Center box is never compared with a retail one, and the per-pack prices above each use their own pack count.
Where to buy
DexCompare puts New Zealand stores side by side: each one’s own listed price in NZD, excluding shipping, ranked by price and stock. Stores pay nothing to be listed, and commissions never change the order.
Buying from a store you haven’t used before? Check its contact details, delivery costs and returns policy first, and check the shrink-wrap and seals when your order arrives.