Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection Is the Perfect Holiday Gift

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection is here and it's one of the best sets of not just 2023, but one of the best sets Konami has released in many years for the TCG. To this end, it's a perfect gift for not just active fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, but for lapsed fans as well, and even fans who haven't touched the card game since its inception. 

For those unfamiliar with the set, it features 79 cards, most of which are very popular. Some examples include Infinite Impermanence, Pot of Prosperity, and Triple Tactics Talent. Each of these cards and every other card in the set comes in seven different rarities, hence the name "rarity collection." Konami has offered this type of product for years, but only in Japan via the OCG. Now it's come west via the TCG. 

One of the big selling points of the rarity collection is there are no boring cards. By "boring cards" we simply mean non-holo cards. Every card in the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection is a holo. This obviously makes it extremely exciting to open, as well as differentiates it from normal sets. 

When opening the Rarity Collection, you can pull the following rarities: Super Rare, Ultra Rare, Secret Rare, Platinum Secret Rare (which haven't been seen since 2015), Quarter Century Secret Rares, Prismatic Collector's Rare, and Prismatic Ultimate Rare. These last two variants are brand new to the TCG, having been previously exclusive to the OCG. 

What's in the Box?

• 24 Packs Per Box
• 5 Cards Per $4.49 Pack
• 76 Cards -- 2 Super Rares per pack, 2 Ultra Rares per pack (each of which has an individual 1-in-6 chance of being upgraded to Prismatic Collector's Rares or Prismatic Ultimate Rares), and 1 Secret Rare (with a 1-in-4 chance of being upgraded to a Platinum Secret Rare or Quarter Century Secret Rare). 

2023's Best Set to Open

There are other 2023 sets that offer more value, such as the recent Age of Overlord. Despite all the fancy rarities and shiny cardboard, 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection doesn't pack a ton of value because each and every card included is getting seven new prints with the set, which is obviously going to lower the value of every printing of these cards, including these new printings. However, because the cards are so popular and relevant, a few, in particular -- such as Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring -- offer some great value, especially in the Quarter Century Secret Rare variety. Still, if your goal is to maximize the chance of making your money back, there are better sets from 2023 than this. However, this isn't to say it has no value cards, because it does, and there are other factors that make it the best set to open in 2023. 

If you're an active Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG fan -- whether as a player or a collector or both -- there's almost no reason not to buy this set. If you're a collector, there are interesting and valuable cards here that should retain value very well over time because there are staples of the series. If you're a player, this the cheapest many of these cards have ever been. Not only that, but they are now some high rarities of these cards available for cheap. In other words, you can bling out your decks without breaking the bank. 

New vs Old

While it's obvious why this set is a no-brainer for current fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, what about lapsed fans? For the 25th anniversary of the TCG, Konami did release Yu-Gi-Oh! Legendary Collection 25th Anniversary Box whilst re-releasing new prints of the oldest sets. These all offer maximum nostalgia if that's all you're chasing. For the most part, Rarity Collection doesn't offer cards dripping in nostalgia, but it does pack some, such as the iconic Change of Heart. And it offers these cards in rarities never seen before. More than this though, because it's a holo extravaganza, and because there are so many great cards, it recreates that excitement of opening these nostalgic packs back in the day without just cashing in on this nostalgia.