Target has started selling Pokémon TCG product through an online drawing. Collectors had been expecting it for weeks. Polygon reported the change first, and Screen Rant followed. Shoppers no longer race bots at 3 AM. Now they enter a drawing and wait to see if they get picked.
The timing matters. Mega Evolution—Delta Reign comes out November 6, and 30th Celebration products are still rolling out through the holidays. Target is one of the biggest US sellers of sealed product, so this changes who gets product at retail price and how much of it ends up on the resale market. I have not made a call on this yet. Below is what we know, what it could mean for prices, and the options I am weighing.
What Target Actually Launched
Screen Rant, citing Polygon, reports that the drawing is now live on Target’s website. It describes the system as a way to fight scalpers, but notes that it “does not fully impede scalpers from making purchases at all.” Screen Rant compares it to the in-person lotteries Pokémon Centers run in Japan and other parts of Asia.
The first live drawing shows how it works. According to Hip2Save, the first product is a Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals 3-Booster Pack blister at $14.99. Entries are open until 10 AM CT on November 4. The rules Hip2Save listed:
- Sign in to a Target account to enter. One entry per guest.
- Winners are picked at random after the entry window closes. Entering does not guarantee a spot.
- Winners get an email with a link and must finish checkout by a deadline. Shoppers who are not picked may get another chance if more stock comes in.
Tracker account DisTrackers posted on X that at launch, entering worked on Target’s website but not in the app. Replies said the Android app worked after an update. If the app gives you trouble, use the website.
The news summary says Polygon describes a daily entry window, after which the selected items cannot be bought by anyone else that day. The first drawing runs over several days, though, so the schedule may change by product.
How Target Sold Pokémon Before This
Target’s online drops used to be pure speed. Before the drawing, buyers could get two units per transaction and make up to two transactions per product, according to Polygon as cited by HotDropStock. Tracker data shows how predictable the drops were. HotDropStock cites restock tracker Restockd: about 86% of the 303 Target Pokémon restocks it detected over 90 days landed on Fridays between 3 and 6 AM ET. Another tracker, RestockR, said popular items sold out in 2 to 5 minutes.
That setup suited anyone running automated checkout tools. Collectors had seen signs of a drawing for weeks. In late September, users posted text from Target’s site and app code describing a free drawing with one entry per account and 24 hours to check out. On October 12, monitor service Swooper flagged the 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box as a drawing product that was not live yet, per HotDropStock.
How Target’s Version Compares With Walmart’s
Walmart has sold hot Pokémon product through online drawings since late August 2026, according to HotDropStock. There are two big differences between the two systems so far.
- Checkout. Walmart places and charges your order automatically if you win. Target sends an email and you finish checkout yourself by a deadline.
- Price. Walmart’s drawing prices have often been well above list price. Target’s first drawing item is a $14.99 blister.
SetPulls’ numbers show Walmart’s Booster Bundle 2-pack drawing price was 48% above list, and the ex Box 2-pack was 59% above. If Target keeps its drawings at normal shelf prices, a Target win is worth much more than a Walmart win. That is a big “if” with only one drawing to go on.Where Delta Reign Stands Going Into Release
Delta Reign is the next main set in the Mega Evolution series. According to TCGplayer’s seller blog, prereleases run October 24 to November 5, the set releases November 6, 2026, and Mega Rayquaza ex is one of the headline cards. The booster box holds 36 packs.
According to PriceCharting, a Delta Reign Booster Box was at $228.79 as of November 2, 2026. That works out to about $6.36 per pack. TCGplayer’s quick-facts page listed the box at $240.70 about 11 days earlier, so pre-release pricing has eased a little.
Target mostly sells ETBs, blisters, bundles and collection boxes, not booster boxes. So the drawing hits those products first. SetPulls saw Target’s Delta Reign ETB at $59.99 with a limit of one, out of stock, on October 16. Through October 16, HotDropStock reported no Delta Reign item in Walmart’s drawings. Nothing confirms Delta Reign will go into Target’s drawings either.
30th Celebration: Why This Matters Most Here
According to TCGplayer, 30th Celebration launched September 16, 2026. It is the first Pokémon TCG expansion released worldwide at the same time instead of coming out in Japan first. Rare Candy’s release calendar lists 30th Celebration products dated from September 16 through December 4, 2026, so there is still product to come through the holidays.
That later product is where Target’s drawing could matter most. The 30th Celebration ETB was the first item trackers saw flagged for a Target drawing. Walmart has been selling 30th Celebration product by drawing at a markup. If Target sells the same items at retail price to one winner per account, fewer of them go to resellers.
What This Could Mean for Prices
Here is how I see the possible effects. None of these are predictions, just ways this could play out.
Thinner resale supply at launch. One entry per account and random picks take away the speed advantage of checkout bots. Fewer bulk orders from Target means fewer copies listed on eBay and TCGplayer in the first weeks after a release. That could support secondary prices on ETBs and collection boxes in the short run.
More product goes to people who open it or keep it. The other side: if more collectors pay retail at Target, fewer of them need to buy on the secondary market. That takes some demand off resale listings. The two effects pull in opposite directions, and we do not know yet which one is bigger.
Total supply does not change. A drawing changes who gets the product, not how much was printed. Long-term sealed prices still depend on print runs, reprints and demand. A drawing does not move any of those.
Scalpers adapt. Screen Rant points out the drawing does not stop scalpers entirely. Several accounts per household, or people paid to enter, can still win units. Expect resellers to shift tactics instead of giving up.
Fewer “retail panic” premiums. A lot of launch-week markup comes from people who missed a 3 AM drop and overpay out of frustration. A drawing with a clear entry window and a second chance for non-winners could take some of that frustration away.
Risks and Open Questions
- One test so far. One blister is not a policy. We do not know how often Target will run drawings, which products it will include, or whether prices stay at retail.
- In-store stock is a separate question. These reports cover Target’s website. Nothing I found says how in-store restocks or vendor stocking will change.
- Pricing could change. Walmart’s drawings came in well above list. If Target goes the same way, the value of winning shrinks.
- App problems. Early reports said entries worked on the website but not in the app without an update.
What I Am Doing
This is a retail access story. It does not change what any card is worth today. These are the realistic options I am weighing:
- Enter the drawings. Entry is free and, based on Hip2Save’s rules, you only pay if you win and finish checkout. A win at $14.99 or ETB retail is product bought below what resale buyers pay.
- Buy Delta Reign sealed now. PriceCharting has the booster box at $228.79, slightly below TCGplayer’s recent listing. Buying now means betting that launch supply, including Target’s, will not push prices lower.
- Wait for release-week listings. If drawings do not cut resale supply much, prices often soften once the first wave of product hits the secondary market.
- Sell into launch. Anyone holding Delta Reign or 30th Celebration pre-orders can consider listing before more retail product reaches collectors through drawings.
What did you think?
