Blog
Articles, analysis, and monthly EV trend reports.
Articles
Strategy guides, analysis, and editorial takes from the Rip or Flip dataset.
Is Ascended Heroes Worth Opening? The Best ETB Rip on the Site
Ascended Heroes is still negative EV, but its standard ETB and Booster Bundle are stronger opening products than almost anything else in the current Pokemon lineup.
Ascended Heroes currently has the best standard ETB return we track at 57.6%, powered by $6.27 EV per pack and an unusually strong top end. It is not positive EV, but it is one of the cleanest modern rips available.
March 10, 2026
Evolving Skies Booster Box: The $2,500 Rip That Doesn't Add Up
Moonbreon is still one of the strongest chase cards in the hobby. The sealed price is an even stronger argument for keeping this set closed.
Evolving Skies still posts $8.30 EV per pack, but the Booster Box now costs $2,473.71 and returns only 12.1% on opening EV. The singles are strong. The sealed premium is stronger.
March 10, 2026
Lost Origin Booster Box: The Vintage Set That Actually Rips Well
Giratina gives Lost Origin real opening strength by old-box standards. The sealed market still says keep expectations under control.
Lost Origin Booster Box currently returns 27.4%, which is strong for an aged SWSH box. It is still negative EV overall, but the set holds up far better than most vintage sealed product.
March 10, 2026
Is Pokemon 151 Worth Opening? The Highest EV Set We Track
Pokemon 151 leads the site at $11.33 EV per pack, but the best format to rip and the best product to hold are not the same thing.
Pokemon 151 currently has the highest EV per pack on Rip or Flip at $11.33. Booster Bundles and Mini Tins are the cleanest openings, while the PC ETB is mostly a promo-and-sealed premium story.
March 10, 2026
Is Prismatic Evolutions Worth Opening? Umbreon Doesn't Save the Math
The chase cards are real, but Prismatic Evolutions is still mostly a sealed-premium story rather than an opening-value story.
Prismatic Evolutions has a $1,121 Umbreon chase, but the standard ETB still returns only 21.3% and the PC ETB 26.4%. Most of the set's EV lives in one rarity tier, which makes the opening math fragile.
March 10, 2026
Best Pokemon Booster Box to Open in 2026
The honest answer: none are positive EV right now. But if you insist on ripping a box, these are the least-bad options on the board.
We ranked current Pokemon booster boxes by expected value. Phantasmal Flames leads at 36.5% return, but every box we track is still negative EV to open in March 2026.
March 6, 2026
ETB Promo Card Value Guide: Which Pokemon Center Promos Are Worth the Most?
19 PC exclusive promos. $18 to $202. We ranked every one and built a framework for when to buy the promo as a single instead of the sealed box.
We analyzed all 19 Pokemon Center ETB exclusive promo cards. The Snorlax promo from 151 is worth $202, while most sit under $40. Here's what drives value and when to buy the promo as a single.
March 5, 2026
Pokemon Center ETB vs Standard ETB: Is the Premium Worth It?
29 sets. Two eras. One framework to decide when to buy PC, when to buy standard, and when to just grab the promo single.
We analyzed 29 Pokemon Center ETBs vs standard. The median PC ETB trades at 4.2x MSRP vs 2.7x for standard — here's when that premium is worth paying.
March 4, 2026
EV Reports
Monthly trend reports generated from the accumulated EV history.
No reports published yet. Monthly reports are auto-published after enough history accumulates.