How to enter Japanese lotteries, the duty-free thresholds, the difference between Yahoo Auctions and eBay, the 30th anniversary release dates, and more. Each answer states the conclusion first and the reasoning after.
Yes. From Abyss Eye in June 2026 the pack price rose from ₩1,200 to ₩1,500.
Shortages worsened nationwide around that point. Hypermarket toy aisles are effectively the only offline channel still selling at list price; specialist shops restocking online usually add a premium.
Each shop opens its own entry page and there is no single official channel — watching an aggregator is effectively the only way.
Pokémon Center Online, Yellow Submarine, Ryusei no PAO, Ryu no Shippo and the Joshin app each run lotteries on their own schedules. Many ship within Japan only and require a Japanese phone number and address, so register a proxy or forwarder address in advance. Once a deadline passes there is no way back, which is why lotteries here are sorted by what closes first, with a countdown in Korean time.
Pokémon Center on weekdays 10:00–16:00 ET, Walmart on Wednesdays 20:00–22:00 ET, Target around 01:00–03:00 ET.
In Korean time that puts the Walmart drop at Thursday 09:00–11:00 and Target at around 14:00–16:00. Costco is irregular, roughly monthly. Popular items go in minutes and exclusives in seconds, so having your cart, address and payment saved decides it.
Yes, but the odds depend heavily on the market. Card-specific shows run above 90%; general antique and flea markets sit around 30%.
At non-specialist markets like Tokyo's Oedo Antique Market or the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, there is room to pick up older prints cheaply from sellers who do not know the market — but the risk of fakes, reprints and poor condition rises with it. Bring a light and a loupe and check in person.
16 September 2026, worldwide on the same day — the first simultaneous global release in the game's history.
The Japanese edition lands on 16 September; English editions fall between 16 and 18 September depending on region. Every card is foil, the set runs to over 150 cards, and it includes 30 Pikachu with different artwork plus 30 reprints from across the years. Whether Korea gets it, and in what quantity, comes down to Pokémon Korea's announcement.
Usually four to six weeks, though it varies by set.
In 2026, Ninja Spinner went 13 March in Japan → 1 May in Korea, and Abyss Eye 22 May → 26 June. Sets designated for worldwide release, like the 30th anniversary pack, are the exception. Korean dates without an official notice are marked 'expected' here, and switch to 'confirmed' once announced.
Above a customs value of US$200 from the US, or US$150 from Japan and elsewhere, you pay 8% duty and 10% VAT.
The higher US threshold comes from the Korea–US FTA. Customs value is the item price plus shipping; proxy fees are normally excluded. Because of this, the same card carries a different real cost on Yahoo Auctions than on eBay — comparing by exchange rate alone will mislead you.
It depends on the card. Yahoo Auctions adds proxy fees and international shipping; eBay lets sellers ship directly and carries a higher duty-free threshold.
A Yahoo Auctions landed cost is the winning bid plus domestic Japanese shipping, a proxy fee (typically 5%, minimum ¥500) and international shipping. On eBay the seller's international shipping is included and there are no extra fees unless you use a forwarder. Yahoo Auctions also sees heavy last-second sniping, so the current bid diverges sharply from the final price; eBay uses proxy bidding, so it climbs more gently.
Compare the landed cost — not the winning bid — against the Korean market price. Fees, shipping and tax all belong in the number.
Condition has to be adjusted for too — a PSA 10 slab and a played card cannot be measured against the same price. tcgget compares the landed cost with a condition-adjusted Korean price: −22% or below is STEAL, −8% or below GOOD, within ±8% FAIR, above +8% HIGH.
Completed Bunjang sales for Korea, Yuyu-tei and magi for Japan, and TCGplayer Market Price for English prints.
Each market has its own basis, so looking at one alone distorts the picture. Korean prices in particular are thin enough that a handful of sales moves them sharply. Converting all three to won and reading them together makes it easier to see which one is overheated.
Whoever announces it changes every time, so watching one place means missing them. Collaborations often appear on the partner's channel first.
The 2018 Munch exhibition promo had its terms posted on the official Pokémon Card info page, but for the 2023 Van Gogh Museum promo, the suspension and the quantity cut appeared only on the museum's own site. Japanese lotteries have no official channel at all, so aggregators serve as the primary source. For Korean tournament promos, the official notice gives only the dates — each participating shop posts its own sign-up deadline on social media.
Crowds of resellers forced the museum to stop handing it out, and when it resumed the allocation was cut by 90%.
'Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat', given out for the Van Gogh Museum's 50th anniversary in 2023, was pulled over visitor and staff safety. When distribution resumed, the allocation to Amsterdam card shops dropped from 100 to 10 per shop. It stands as the case where a single promo affected how a museum operated, which is much of why it carries the weight it does.