Elite Trainer Box: what an ETB contains and which one to choose

The Elite Trainer Box, or ETB, known in Italy as the Set Allenatore Fuoriclasse, is the reference sealed product of every expansion: booster packs, card sleeves, dice, markers and a rigid box, in a format that has stayed the same for years. We have nine in the shop, from €93.90 to €126.90. Here we explain what is inside, why it is the format we recommend and how to choose the right one.

What an ETB contains

The composition has been stable for years, with small variations from one set to the next. Inside the box you find the set's booster packs, in the number stated on the packaging, card sleeves illustrated with the set's artwork, a set of dice including one for coin flips, condition markers and a guide to the set with the card list. Some editions add a promo card bearing the stamp of the set or the event.

The box itself is part of the product: rigid, with internal dividers, built to store the deck and the cards. That is why many collectors keep it even after opening.

The number of packs changes from set to set and from edition to edition: we state it on each product's page, together with the list of accessories, so that a comparison between two ETBs rests on facts and not on memory.

Why it is the reference format

An ETB has a known list price, declared contents and a print run that follows the set. Three things that make it easy to compare different expansions and different years: when people talk about the price of a set's sealed products, they are almost always talking about its ETB.

For a beginner it is also the simplest way to get everything needed in one go: packs to build with, sleeves to protect, dice and markers to play.

The shop's ETBs, compared

To find your way among the nine ETBs available:

• 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box, €125.90, released on 16 September 2026: the celebratory line, with the Classic Collection reprints.
• Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box, €126.90: the set of Eevee and its evolutions, the most requested of 2025.
• Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box, €115.90: the Team Rocket set, with Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex.
• Black Bolt and White Flare Elite Trainer Boxes, €113.90 each: the two twin sets dedicated to the Pokémon of Unova.
• Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box, €102.90: the set of the two Mega Charizard.
• Mega Evolution with Mega Lucario-ex, €93.90; Ascended Heroes, €101.90; Journey Together, €113.90.

The price reflects two things: how much the set is in demand and how hard it is to still find sealed. Prismatic Evolutions came out in January 2025 and costs more than the 30th Celebration released a month ago.

The criterion that matters most: the chase cards

An ETB's value depends on the cards that can be found in its packs. That is why Prismatic Evolutions (Evoluzioni Prismatiche) sits at the top of the list: the nine Special Illustration Rares of Eevee and its evolutions, with Umbreon ex 161/131 leading, are the most sought-after modern cards in Italy.

Destined Rivals has Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, Phantasmal Flames the two Mega Charizard, the 30th Celebration the Gengar ex 154/128 and the Classic Collection reprints. Before choosing, it is worth looking at the catalogue page of each set's reference cards.

Playing or collecting

Anyone who wants to play chooses the ETB of the current expansion, because the cards are those of the present format and the sleeves and dice are useful at the table. In that case Mega Evolution and Phantasmal Flames, at €93.90 and €102.90, are the cheapest choices.

Anyone who wants to collect looks at the sets with the most sought-after cards, even if older: Prismatic Evolutions and 30th Celebration. Anyone who wants to keep the product sealed should know that its future value depends on the set and is not guaranteed: we buy and sell sealed products for what they are today, not for what they might become.

Availability and shipping

All the ETBs listed are in stock and ship with the seal checked, rigid packaging and insured shipping, free over €99 of products. An ETB with intact cellophane and sound corners is what we ship; a dented box or one with a doubtful seal does not pass the check and is not put on sale. Pre-order products, such as the Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box of 6 November, ship on release day. Timing, payment and returns are described on the how it works page.