TCGPlayer is joining in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday fun with their Cyber Weekend event.
Starting on November 28 at 9 am ET, trainers will get 10% back in store credit on their TCGPlayer account from whatever they buy.
This promotion will be running until December 1, 11 pm ET. So if you've been waiting for your favorite chase cards to go down in value to snap them up, this is it.
TCGPlayer does these promotions once or twice a year for a big holiday like Black Friday and Halloween, but this 10% credit offer comes while Pokémon TCG is finding a new floor.
That much is clear just by looking at the most recent Pokémon TCG set, Phantasmal Flames. But more on that later, long story short, this is a great time to pick up chase cards.
But which chase cards should you buy on TCGPlayer's Cyber Weekend? Well, I've handpicked some of the best cards from Mega Evolution, Scarlet and Violet, and the Sword and Shield eras of Pokémon TCG for you to catch.
Scarlet and Violet has been one of the best era's in recent memory for chase cards with multiple banger sets, and yes I know Evolving Skies from Sword and Shield was insane, more on that later. 151, Black Bolt/White Flare, Destined Rivals, Prismatic Evolutions and Twilight Masquerade collectively hold the most expensive chase cards of this era.
That's great and all, but it means more money spent on catching the best cards going. Then the latest era, Mega Evolution is off to a flying start with its base set and Phantasmal Flames expansion bringing back Pokémons most popular gimmick from the main games. There's a lot to focus on, just the carousel above will proove that much, but just focus on what stands out to you and what fits into your budget.
So the top 5 cards here value wise are Umbreon ex SIR, Mega Charizard X ex SIR, Mega Charizard X ex Gold Hyper Rare, Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex SIR and Mega Lucario ex Gold Hyper Rare. Even though Mega Evolution sets have dropped in value significantly since launch, they're still putting out some of the most valuable cards in modern Pokémon TCG.
Umbreon is never going to be knocked off the top spot, not even Charizard can do that, but it's going to be the best time to snap it up on TCGPlayer. Let's do some quick math; 10% of $1,294.99 is $129.49, which is going to be the minimum cashabck you'll recieve after purchasing Sunbreon. That means you could put that credit towards Roaring Moon ex SIR from the same set and grab it for $42.14 instead of $171.63. Oh, then you'd also get another 10% cashback from that purchase which is $17.16. It's the best kind of snowball i've ever seen.
But even with the cashback, Sunbreon will still cost a fortune regardless of how good the deal is, so let's pick out something that you're other half won't kill you (as much) for. Greninja SIR ex from Twilight Masquerade absolutley pops and is easily one of the best artworks in the Scarlet and Violet era. Whilst you might think $325 is steep, this card was touching $380 just a week or two ago. So getting $32.50 back as 10% cashback to effectively get this card for $292.50. Now that's a great investment, which is also the near-mint price.
The Scarlet and Violet era has also been a very strong era for promo cards. This means anything from a STAFF stamped card to a Pokémon Center stamped card found inside Pokémon Center-exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes.
One of my favorites from the Scarlet and Violet era is the Paldea Evolved Pokémon Center exclusive Elite Trainer Box (Takes a deep breath). It features Pikachu alongside the Paldea starter Pokémon in a "Let's go suit shopping" pose that has the power to cause genuine cardiac arrest. A stunning card.
Now considering the exclusive Elite Trainer Box is currently going for $500 sealed right now, the $119 price tag for the card is actually quite cheap. And when you consider the $11.90 cashback you'd get off buying the card, that's not a bad deal at all.
Keeping in with the Pikachu theme, one of my favorite promos from Scarlet and Violet that I actually own is Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat. This costs even more than the ETB at $547.99 right now, which is a big drop from around $647 just days ago. I've written about the full story behind this infamous card previously, but this is a fantastic time to get this card thanks to the extra $54.79 you'll get in cashback this weekend.
Yes, we're about to talk about Evolving Skies, well done for waiting until the end of the article. I remember walking into stores on release and not being able to move for Evolving Skies boosters, premium collections and Elite Trainer Boxes, often below MSRP. It's frankly insane how much this set it worth compared to how available it used to be.
It's the home of the most valuable Sword and Shield era chase cards for the most part, including Moonbreon, Rayquazza VMAX Alt Art, Umbreon V Alt Art, Dragonite V Alt Art, most of the Eeveelution VMAX Alt Arts and the stunning Rayquaza V Alt full art.
Apologies for just going mad listing cards, but this is why it's costing north of $2,000 just for a Booster Box. Of course you'd also get $200 in cashback which is awesome, but just wow. If you're looking to get some big chase cards for a steal in TCGPlayer's Cyber Weekend, start with Evolving Skies.
Sword and Shield isn't just about one set though, Fusion Strike, Lost Origins and Silver Tempest also have some god tier level grails. The Secret Alt Art of Gengar VMax for example is currently $730, which is over double the worth of the next Fusion Strike chase card down the line, Espeon VMAX Secret Alt Art, running at $329.58 right now.
If you're looking for an amazing chase card that isn't going to require a remortgage, Lugia V Alt Full Art from Silver Tempest is a banger. Other than me being really proud of myself getting it for under $150 earlier this year, the mood in this card thanks to Lugia jumping out of the ocean in the middle of a storm over a fisherman is stunning. Hands down the best Lugia Pokémon Card ever printed.
If you're planning on snapping up quite a few Pokémon cards in the sale, this is a great time to become a TCGPLayer subscriber. It costs $8.99 a month and gives users free delivers and 1% cashback regardless of the time of year.
Whilst this climbs to 3% after a years membership, subscriber will get a boosted 13% cashback over cyber weekend on top of their usual cashback. For longtime members, this could equate to 16% cashback, which is frankly insane.
For even more card recommendations in TCGPlayer's Black Friday/Cyber Weekend sale, check out our brand new Riftbound and Magic: The Gathering roundups as well.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
