The Hobby Price Hike: How Tariffs Could Impact TCG Players & Collectors

The market is in a spiral, and the economy is more unpredictable than a mono-blue player. At times like this, we have taken solace in our cards and afforded ourselves a brief escape from reality through our hobby. But with the tariff announcements, TCG players may soon feel the real-world pain hit their colelction where it counts.

How Could Tariffs Affect TCGs?

Most trading cards, especially packaging materials, accessories, and in most cases, the cards themselves, are manufactured or printed in countries impacted by U.S. tariffs. That means higher import costs for publishers, which is then passed on to the end consumer. Even if the cards are printed domestically, accessories like card sleeves, binders, playmats, and even shipping materials are often sourced from overseas.

With the new tariffs, expect to see:

• Increased MSRP on sealed product (boosters, starter decks, collector boxes)

• More expensive accessories (sleeves, deck boxes, binders)

• Higher shipping costs for online orders or imported singles

  
  

Some companies may try to absorb these costs, but smaller publishers or niche games could pass them directly to the buyer. We’ve already seen this with incremental price increases in set boosters or collector products, tariffs seem set to accelerate that trend.

Scarcity and Delays: The Supply Chain Strikes Back

Tariffs don't just make products more expensive, they can also create supply chain shifts and shortages. Publishers may move production to avoid tariffed countries, taking a lot of time and resources to uproot. If a key printer or packager is impacted, we could see delays in set releases, regional shortages, or even reduced print runs, especially for lesser-known or newer games that don't have Hasbro-level resources behind them. If you think it's hard to find Pokémon cards now, just wait a month or so.

Retailers might face:

• Lower product allocations

• Inconsistent restocks

• Priority given to big-box chains over local game stores

  
  

For players, this could mean hunting down products on the secondary market at inflated prices. For collectors, it may lead to a temporary surge in the value of limited-availability sets which may be good for your current collection but give you pause on buying anything new and paying a premium.

So, How Can We Cope?

• Buy local: Support your LGS, they often get hit hardest and will be feeling the most pain from tariff shock.

• Plan ahead: Preorder if you know a set will be in high demand and can get to it fast enough.

• Diversify your purchases: If one game gets pricier, others might offer better value temporarily. It may be time to try something new.

• Watch secondary markets: Prices might spike unpredictably depending on availability.

• Maybe Don't Buy In: The easiest way to not feel the pain is to stop buying. Be confident in the collection you have, and don't take part in an economy that is being built to hurt your wallet.

  
  

A Real-World Meta Shift

Tariffs may seem like a distant policy issue, but their effects ripple into every booster pack and card sleeve on the shelf. The trading card game market thrives on accessibility and collectibility, both of which can be thrown off by sudden cost increases and supply disruptions. While it’s too early to panic, it’s definitely time to keep a close eye on the TCG market, pay where it makes sense, and voice your opinion to your local representatives.