Pokémon Japan Shield vs Sword booster box: which is worth opening?
Neither is worth opening at today's prices, but Shield comes closer: its cards are worth 20% of its price after selling costs, against 19% for Sword.
Side by side
| Shield booster box | Sword booster box | |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Keep it sealed | Keep it sealed |
| Box price today | $211€188 | $247€220 |
| Cards inside, after selling costs | $42€37 | $47€42 |
| Cards ÷ price | 20% | 19% |
| Boxes that lose money | more than 99 of 100 boxes | 100 of 100 boxes |
| A typical box (median) | $32€29 | $45€40 |
| Rarest pull | Ultra Rare (UR, gold): 10 of 100 boxes | Ultra Rare (UR, gold): 10 of 100 boxes |
| Packs | 30 packs of 5 cards | 30 packs of 5 cards |
| Released | December 6, 2019 | December 6, 2019 |
The two boxes
How we work this out
Both boxes are worked out the same way: today's card prices, selling costs taken off, and simulated boxes to see how often one loses money. Read the full method