Opening a pack of Pokemon cards – or any other TCG – is often a journey. For some, Pokemon ripping is a race to the shiny cardboards. Others are looking for ways to enhance their overall collection or strengthen their play decks. But is it worth ripping Pokemon digitally over physically? Let’s see how both experiences stack up.
Physical Pokemon Ripping in 2026
For most people, opening Pokemon cards is only done physically. You go to a store – physically or online – to buy the product you need. Whether it’s singles, blister packs, checklane blisters, ETBs, booster boxes, booster bundles,….there are plenty of options. Package in hand, you usually can’t wait to get home and get to the goodies inside.
This has been the experience for many people for the past few decades. Unfortunately, the landscape has changed quite a bit. Physical Pokemon ripping has become harder to do consistently. Not just because of pricing, but also because of potential supply issues. Finding physical products to buy and rip can be an ordeal for many people globally.
Will The Issues Persist?
For now, no one really knows how the situation will evolve regarding physical cards. Printing pipeline issues will be resolved eventually, although there is no official timeline. In addition, new Pokemon sets are released every few months, meaning the available printing capacity gets divided further.
Granted, there is some room being freed up by sets going out of print as well. The most recent English sets to go out of print include:
- Scarlet & Violet base set
- Paldea Evolved
- Obsidian Flames
- Pokemon 151
- Paradox Rift
- Paldean Fates
That said, these sets going out of print will not shift the printing pipeline that much. Most of these sets already had their output reduced over the past year, so it will only make a marginal difference. For fans who want to physically rip these Pokemon sets, however, hunting down products will become a lot more difficult in the months ahead.
Note: There is a theory that these printing issues are not “real”. More specifically many people feel the Pokemon company is artificially creating scarcity for certain products for a potentially wide variety of reasons. It is impossible to determine if those claims have any truth, so DYOR.
Finding Pokemon Ripping Alternatives
Pokemon TCG Pocket
If physically ripping Pokemon cards becomes trickier and more expensive, there need to be alternatives. Thankfully, there are quite a few. First of all, there’s the mobile Pokemon TCG ripping experience. It is known as Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.
Users can buy digital packs and open them on their phone. It is quite popular and receives new sets regularly. Buying packs requires Poke Gold, a digital currency you can buy with real money through the app. In-game packs cost under $1.5, although they are special, more expensive offerings for people seeking maximum pull potential.
Outside of ripping cards, users can also build battle decks, which is good news for the fans of competitive TCG Plus, the game has a Premium Pass, which grants a free pack per day and provides access to exclusive in-game missions. It is also possible to trade cards in-game or via other digital marketplaces, which is something worth checking out.
Digital Pokemon Ripping Platforms
Another alternative is the growing number of digital Pokemon ripping platforms. Users buy digital packs – backed by real packs or physical cards – and build their collection that way. In a lot of cases, cards you really like can be shipped out to you for a fee. It is often also a tad cheaper because these digital packs can be sold at market value – or slightly below – for a more enjoyable Pokemon ripping experience.
Another benefit of these digital platforms is the buyback option. Let’s say you open a pack for a set you only need an EX card or better for. You will, usually, have the option to sell your unwanted cards back to the platform. It will not be at full market value, but more like 80-85%. This method offsets some of the initial costs, bringing down the per-pack cost for future openings.
However, there is a certain risk factor regarding digital Pokemon ripping. Not all platforms are created equally. Whether that is in terms of deposits – some are cryptocurrency only – or in terms of shipping cards – limited regions or not doing so AT ALL – is something to evaluate carefully. There is always the risk that a platform is not 100% honest either. Never blindly trust platforms with your money based on some online personality’s claims, conduct thorough research.
Thankfully, there are plenty of legitimate platforms as well. Even so, keep in mind everything has a cost. Buying digital packs is often done through platform-native digital currencies. The conversion rate from real money to these digital currencies isn’t always favorable. Calculate the true cost per pack opening before committing anything. Getting cards shipped to you isn’t free either, so factor that in as well.
Which Option is Better?
That is the ultimate question, yet one that never has a straight answer. In terms of “enjoyment”, both physical and digital Pokemon ripping check the same “basic need” boxes. Not having to go out to search for products – and be potentially disappointed – is a plus. However, it also takes away some of the fun, in a way, so that’s subject to personal preference.
Having the cards in hand is a unique feeling. Despite that, recovering costs from unneeded/unwanted cards can take time with physical cards. Digitally, it is done in 2 mouse clicks, and you can go again.
However, it is important to keep in mind digital Pokemon ripping primarily focuses on English sets. If, like me, you collect in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese too, physical products will often remain the only viable option [for now].
