Booster, display, ETB, bundle, tripack… The range of formats can be confusing when you start collecting. Yet each one meets a specific need: opening lots of cards, giving a great gift, keeping a sealed product or treating yourself on a budget. Here's how they differ and how to choose.
The booster: the basic unit
A booster is the small sealed pack holding the cards: 10 cards in Pokémon, 12 in the One Piece Card Game. Each one mixes commons, uncommons and at least one higher-rarity card, with a chance of pulling a highly sought-after card.
Bought individually, a booster is perfect for discovering a set, adding to an order or giving a small treat. It is, however, the most expensive format per card: if you plan to open a lot, other formats make more sense.
The display: for openers and collectors
A display (or booster box) groups many boosters from the same set: 36 for a French Pokémon display, 24 for a French One Piece display, 20 for One Piece premium boosters (PRB). It's the best value for opening in volume, and sealed collectors love it. Note that Pokémon « .5 » special sets have no classic 36-booster display.
See Pokémon displays →The ETB: the complete box, great as a gift
The Elite Trainer Box is a Pokémon TCG product with 9 boosters plus accessories: themed sleeves, dice and markers, Energy cards and a sturdy storage box. Its artwork usually showcases a flagship Pokémon from the set.
It's the ideal gift for a player or collector, and a great way to start: everything you need to play and store your cards is in the box. Many collectors also like to keep one sealed ETB per set, simply for how it looks.
Bundles, tripacks and collections
- Bundle: 6 boosters, no accessories.
- Tripack and duopack: 2 or 3 boosters, often with a promo card depending on the product.
- Mini tins: a small metal tin with a few boosters.
- Premium collections: boosters, promo cards and sometimes a figure.
How to work out the price per booster
To compare two formats, bring each product back to its price per booster: product price ÷ number of boosters inside. A fictional example: a €60 product with 6 boosters works out at €10 per booster, while a €180 product with 36 boosters works out at €5.
Then factor in the extras. In an ETB, part of the price covers the accessories and storage box, which have real value if you'll use them. In a tripack or collection, the promo card can justify a higher price per booster. The right habit: compare the price per booster, then ask yourself whether the extras genuinely interest you.
One set, four formats: Nuit Noire (ME05)
Which format for which profile?
- You love opening: the display.
- You collect sealed: a display or ETB, kept away from light and humidity.
- You're buying a gift: an ETB or a collection box.
- You're on a budget: a bundle or a few single boosters.
- You play tournaments: the display, topped up with single cards.
At CMay, all sealed products are unweighed and unsorted, shipped from France with tracking, and earn you CMay Coins.
Discover boxes and ETBs →Frequently asked questions
How many boosters are in a Pokémon ETB? Nine, plus sleeves, dice and markers, Energy cards and a storage box.
Is a display always better value? Per booster, usually yes, but it's a bigger outlay at once. To simply discover a set, a bundle is enough.
Are there ETBs for One Piece? The Elite Trainer Box is a Pokémon format. One Piece mainly offers boosters, 24-booster displays, 20-booster premium displays and starter decks, plus boxes for some releases.
See One Piece displays →