You've seen them at the grocery store checkout or maybe dumped in a plastic pumpkin at a neighborhood Halloween party. Those tiny, three-card "BOOster" packs are everywhere once October hits. For most parents, they're a cheap alternative to handing out Snickers bars. But for collectors, the question is always the same: are there any Pokemon trick or trade chase cards actually worth the hunt, or is this just a pile of common bulk with a Pikachu pumpkin stamp?
Let’s be real. Most of these cards are worth pennies. You aren't going to find a base-set Charizard or a gold-etched hyper rare tucked inside a pack designed to be given to toddlers in Spider-Man costumes. However, the market for these specific sets—which started in 2022 and has become an annual tradition—is weirder than you’d think. People love the "BOO" stamp. They love the exclusivity of the set list. And if you’re looking for a pristine 10 for your shelf, some of these cards are tougher to find in perfect condition than you might imagine.
Why Collectors Care About the Pumpkin Stamp
The Pokemon Company International hit a gold mine with this concept. The "Trick or Trade" BOOster bundles are essentially mini-sets, usually consisting of 30 to 50 cards culled from recent main expansions like Scarlet & Violet or Sword & Shield. The only difference? Each card features a small, orange Pikachu-shaped pumpkin stamp in the bottom right corner of the artwork.
It sounds minor. It is minor. But in the world of the Pokemon TCG, "alternate stamps" are a whole sub-culture. Think about the old "Prerelease" stamps or the "Staff" promos that used to go for hundreds. While the Pokemon trick or trade chase cards are printed by the millions, they occupy a specific niche for "Master Set" collectors who feel a physical need to own every single variation of a specific Pokemon. If you’re a Gengar fanatic, you don't just want the Phantom Forces Gengar; you want the Gengar with the little pumpkin on it.
The 2022 set was the pioneer, featuring 30 cards. 2023 bumped it up to 50. The 2024 and 2025 iterations followed suit, maintaining a focus on "spooky" types—Psychic, Dark, Ghost, and Fire. Because these packs only contain three cards and the set lists are so small, completing a set is incredibly easy. That’s actually a strike against their long-term value. Scarcity drives price. When everyone can finish a set with two $15 bags from Target, the secondary market stays pretty flat.
The Condition Rarity Factor
Here is the thing nobody talks about: the quality control on these cards is often terrible. These aren't premium products. They are shoved into thin foil wrappers and tossed into large plastic bags. They get bumped, bruised, and dinged before they even hit the shelf.
If you manage to pull a Mewtwo or a Gengar and it's perfectly centered with zero whitening on the back, you actually have something somewhat rare. While a raw card might sell for $0.50, a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) version of a popular Pokemon trick or trade chase card can sometimes fetch $30 to $50 from a dedicated collector. It's the "low ceiling, high floor" of grading.
The Actual Heavy Hitters: Which Cards to Watch?
If we are looking for the true "chase," we have to look at the Holofoil slots. Each three-card pack typically contains one Holo. In the 2022 inaugural set, the heavy hitters were undeniably Mewtwo and Gengar. These are the "Big Three" equivalent for the Halloween sets.
In the 2023 set, the spotlight shifted slightly toward Pikachu and Mimikyu. Pikachu, because it's the mascot, always carries a premium. Mimikyu fits the Halloween aesthetic so perfectly that it’s a perennial favorite for people who do "themed" binder pages.
The 2024/2025 sets introduced more "modern" favorites. We started seeing cards like Mabosstiff and Houndstone from the Paldea region. While these aren't legendary powerhouses like Mewtwo, they have a cult following. But let’s be honest: if you're chasing value, you’re looking for the Ghost-types that have stayed popular for twenty years.
- Mewtwo (2022): The original big pull.
- Gengar (2022/2023): Consistently the most traded card in the series.
- Pikachu (Various): Any year's Pikachu is a safe bet for a "long-term" hold, if you can call a $2 card a long-term hold.
- Chandelure & Umbreon: Whenever these appear in the spooky rotation, they immediately become the target for secondary buyers.
Interestingly, the 2022 Gengar has seen a slight uptick in price simply because it was the first. It represents the start of the "Trick or Trade" era. Most people ripped those packs open and gave the cards to kids who bent them or drew on them. Finding a clean copy now—four years later—is actually getting harder.
The Misconception of "Rare" Holographics
There is a huge misconception that these cards are "Rare" just because they're shiny. In a standard Pokemon set, pulling a Holo feels okay, but pulling an Illustration Rare feels great. In Trick or Trade, the "chase" cards are just standard Holofoil versions of cards that were mostly non-holo or different rarities in their original sets.
For example, the Mewtwo in the 2022 set used the artwork from Pokemon GO (the expansion). In the original set, it was a common V or a standard rare. By putting a pumpkin stamp on it and making it a Holo, Pokemon created a unique variant. But don't get it twisted—it's not a "Secret Rare."
The pull rates are extremely generous. If you buy a single 30-pack bundle, you have roughly a 95% chance of completing the entire set. This is the opposite of how most Pokemon sets work, where you'd need to buy hundreds of packs to see everything. This accessibility is why Pokemon trick or trade chase cards are great for kids but lukewarm for investors.
Is It Worth Keeping These Sealed?
We've seen the "sealed product" craze hit every corner of the hobby. People are hoarding Evolving Skies and Team Up like it's gold bullion. Does that logic apply to Halloween bundles?
Kinda. But don't expect to retire on it.
The 2022 bundles, which originally retailed for around $14.99, have seen their prices creep up toward the $30-$40 mark in some hobby shops. That’s a decent percentage gain, but you have to factor in the size of the item. These bags are huge. They take up a lot of shelf space compared to a standard booster box.
If you're holding a bag of 2023 Trick or Trade cards, you're essentially betting that five years from now, someone will want to do a "nostalgic" Halloween opening. Given how many of these were printed, that's a risky bet. However, the individual three-card packs make great "add-ons" for eBay sellers to throw in as a free gift, which keeps a steady demand for the sealed packs.
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Market Trends and "The October Spike"
Every year, around September 15th, the search volume for Pokemon trick or trade chase cards explodes. Prices on TCGPlayer and eBay usually tick up by 20% during this window. If you're looking to sell your "Master Set" of Halloween cards, do it while the pumpkins are on the porches. By November 1st, nobody cares. They’ve moved on to the next big winter set or the Black Friday sales.
This seasonality is a trap for new collectors. They see a Gengar selling for $5 in October and think it’s going to $10. By December, that same card is back to $1.25. It is a textbook seasonal pump.
How to Spot Fakes and Scams
Wait, are people actually faking $1 cards? Not exactly. The scam isn't in the individual cards; it's in the bundles.
Because the Trick or Trade bags aren't vacuum-sealed or security-taped in a complex way, it's very easy for unscrupulous sellers to open the bags, weigh the three-card packs (though weighing is mostly a myth for these small sets), or simply replace the packs with standard common bulk from other sets.
Always buy your bundles from "big box" retailers like Target, Walmart, or Kroger during the season. If you're buying after-market, check the weight of the bag. A standard 2022 bundle should have exactly 40 packs (later years changed to 50). If the bag looks like it’s been heat-resealed, run away. It's not worth the $20 risk.
Practical Steps for Trick or Trade Enthusiasts
If you actually want to make the most of these cards, stop thinking like a "Wall Street Bets" investor and start thinking like a curator.
First, focus on the "Bento Box" style of collecting. These cards look incredible when displayed in a specific Halloween-themed binder. Use black-backed pages to make the orange stamps pop. This is where the value lies—in the aesthetic of the completed collection rather than the individual card price.
Second, if you’re a grader, look for the 2022 Mewtwo or Gengar. Examine the edges with a magnifying glass. If you have a flawless copy, send it to PSA or CGC. A "Pop 1" or "Low Pop" Halloween card in a 10 grade is a genuine conversation piece for a high-end collection.
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Lastly, use these for what they were intended for: spreading the hobby. The best "return on investment" for Pokemon trick or trade chase cards is the look on a kid's face when they get a holographic Pokemon instead of a box of raisins. It keeps the hobby alive, which, in the long run, protects the value of your actual expensive cards.
If you are sitting on a mountain of these cards, your best move is to sort them by year. Keep the holos in "penny sleeves" to prevent the foil from curling—this is a huge problem with these thinner card stocks. Store them in a cool, dry place. Moisture is the enemy of the Halloween Holo; they will warp into a "C" shape faster than a standard card.
Instead of looking for a "hidden gem" that will pay for your mortgage, appreciate the Trick or Trade series for what it is—a fun, low-stakes entry point into the world of Pokemon variants. It’s one of the few parts of the hobby left that hasn't been completely ruined by hyper-capitalism and scalping bots. Enjoy the orange pumpkins. They’re supposed to be fun.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your local big-box stores in late August or early September to grab bundles at MSRP ($14.99 - $19.99) before they hit the secondary market. If you're buying singles, wait until the "post-Halloween slump" in November or December to get the best prices on the Gengars and Mewtwos of the set. Always check for the Pikachu pumpkin stamp; without it, you've just got a standard card worth nothing. For those looking to grade, prioritize centering first, as these mini-packs are notorious for "off-cut" errors. Over the next year, keep an eye on the 2022 holographic cards—they are the only ones showing true long-term price stability as the "OG" of the Halloween sub-set.