With core set booster boxes and top-tier chases out of many people's price ranges, finding an affordable buy-in point is crucial. If you want to catch the One Piece wave on a budget, we strongly suggest pivoting to starter decks— specifically the starter decks that include a bonus booster pack. The immediate value on these is highly comparable to sleeved booster packs precisely because of that pack inside. While the box does contain a fully playable sealed deck, the pure investment value of the pre-constructed deck itself is pretty minimal; the real growth happens inside the pack.
What many overlook is that the actual supply on these decks is lower than most would think. Just look back at the starter decks released last year to see the rapidly dwindling open inventory available on the secondary market today. Though not all decks are created equal due to the specific playable contents inside, that included booster pack premium keeps your downside extremely limited while leaving the upside potential ever open.
Finding these decks requires a bit of retail strategy. Though starter deck prices have increased pretty high this year online on platforms like TCGplayer and eBay, the absolute best way to hunt for them is at your local big-box retailers. Because heavy-hitting TCG products like raw booster packs and specialty boxes pull all the eyes and drive demand, starter decks typically fly under the radar. People write them off as "boring buys" and many casual shoppers aren't even aware of the bonus contents inside. Typically priced between $12 to $20 on the shelf, picking these up means you would already be buying under value compared to the secondary market.
This unique setup makes starter decks an absolute triple threat in the TCG ecosystem. For players , this is a great way to start building the know-how required to compete. For collectors , it is a cheap way to expand your singles collection with necessary leader staples. Finally, for investors , it operates as a solid value play with excellent upward momentum. Even on less popular pack inclusions, the baseline value of the sealed product remains strong because of this multi-demographic appeal.
To see this potential, just look at the most recent deck releases of ST31 through ST36. These decks are usually all over the place showing various characters and crucially contain a pack of OP16 The Time of Battle . Since this set is current, most of these decks are still just sitting on the shelf. But just zoom out and look at older decks hitting $40+ simply because of the booster packs inside! Last year, we talked about the Buggy ST25 and Blackbeard ST27 starter decks that were less than $15 retail at the time. In that short time, both are now sitting around $40 almost entirely due to the highly coveted OP11 premium pack inside.
Beyond the standard pack-inclusive releases, other decks to heavily watch out for are the EX or specialty decks, like the ST30 Luffy & ACE or the ST29 Egghead deck. These releases contain alternate art variants and add another premium factor of single-card exclusivity that can dramatically raise the singles pricing, which organically affects the sealed deck's value and more. Bandai makes these decks not just your average starter decks, but playable products with that serious cherry on top factor for collectors.
Ironically, some of the absolute best-looking cards come out of these decks, yet they remain cheap because there is almost no rarity factor. When you buy the deck, you are guaranteed the leader card, and most of the starter deck foils have no texture even though they boast superior artworks. Because of this, our personal preference is to look for EX leaders with strong art, texture, and character appeal—such as the Luffy & Ace EX leader card or the Egghead leader deck Luffy that offers similar premium texture. The pictures simply don't do them justice; you have to see them in person to appreciate them. Even though these singles are readily available now, we believe their long-term potential is incredibly strong.
So, the next time you're at your local retailer and the high-end products are entirely sold out, try your luck at the starter deck section. Yes, they may be bulky to store—which is exactly why we typically suggest standard booster boxes as the ultimate gold standard—but when prices are crazy and you're investing on a budget, these starter decks create some phenomenal starting points for your portfolio. For more TCG finance content, join tcjournal.io for free and get daily market updates like this and more.