It's the oldest debate in the hobby. Should you buy an Elite Trainer Box or a Booster Box?
We ran the numbers using real Cardmarket prices. The answer depends on what you're optimizing for.
The Only Rule
The only number that matters is cost per pack. Take what you paid, subtract any promo card value, divide by packs.
The product with the lowest cost per pack gives you the most shots at valuable pulls per euro spent.
Perfect Order
Perfect Order is a main set with a Booster Box. Here's how the products stack up at current Cardmarket prices:
For Perfect Order, single packs are actually the cheapest option right now at €2.95. The Booster Box at €4.72 per pack is the second best. Over 36 packs, the Box saves you over €80 compared to buying ETBs.
Calculate EV for Perfect Order →
Ascended Heroes
Ascended Heroes has no Booster Box. Different game.
For Ascended Heroes, the ETB actually wins on cost per pack. The single booster is the most expensive option at €13.11. This is unusual — most sets favor singles — but ASH demand has pushed individual booster prices above ETB per-pack cost.
Calculate EV for Ascended Heroes →
Prismatic Evolutions
Prismatic Evolutions is the outlier. Everything is inflated.
For PRE, single packs at €9.60 are the clear winner. The ETB at €22 per pack is more than double the single pack price. You're paying a massive premium for the box, sleeves, and packaging.
Calculate EV for Prismatic Evolutions →The Sealed Investment Angle
What about sealed investment? Let's look at Evolving Skies, the most valuable modern sealed product.
A sealed Evolving Skies Booster Box sells for around €1,950 on Cardmarket. It launched at ~€130 MSRP. That's roughly 15x appreciation.
ETBs sit at ~€440, up from ~€40 MSRP. That's about 11x.
Both are incredible returns, but the Booster Box won here. That said, ETBs have a lower entry point and are easier to store. If you'd bought ten ETBs instead of one Booster Box, you'd be sitting on €4,400 vs €1,950.
The lesson: sealed product can appreciate massively, but only for sets with lasting demand. Not every set becomes an Evolving Skies.
The Verdict
Ripping packs? Buy the lowest cost per pack. Check PackVerdict for current prices — it varies by set.
Building a collection? The ETB is genuinely useful. Sleeves, dice, storage box. Price those extras at ~€10 and the gap shrinks.
Holding sealed? Both ETBs and Booster Boxes can deliver massive returns if the set is right. ETBs have a lower entry point and are more collectible. Booster Boxes can appreciate even harder.
On a budget? Single packs often offer the best cost per pack, but be careful buying loose packs online. They can be weighed, searched, or resealed. Stick to trusted sellers with strong reviews, or buy sealed multi-pack products where tampering is much harder.
Every set page on PackVerdict shows the current market price per pack and estimated return. Pick your set, check the numbers, and know what you're paying for.
No universal answer. Just math.