Historically, One Piece anniversary sets always bring something game-changing to the table, and OP-17 is doing exactly that. We saw it first with the 1st anniversary set, OP-05 Awakening of the New Era , which brought us the Gold Oda Signature Luffy —a card that has eclipsed $8,000 for a Near Mint copy . Then came the 2nd anniversary set, OP-09 Emperors of the New World , introducing the first-ever Gold Manga Rare Gol D. Roger , commanding sales over $9,000 NM . Most recently, the 3rd anniversary set, OP-13 Carrying on His Will , shattered expectations by introducing not one, but three Red Mangas. The top chase, the Red Manga Luffy , is now seeing staggering sales of over $18,000 for NM copies.
Now, with the 4th anniversary set, OP-17 introduces the entirely new Pirate Crew Super Alternate Rare showcasing Gear 5 Luffy with his entire crew, and the stakes have been raised even higher. Bandai continues to push the envelope, innovating with jaw-dropping new rarities and stunning character arts. They simply don't seem to be slowing down, ensuring that collector hunger remains completely insatiable.
While the One Piece market definitely hasn't crashed over the last year, it has experienced slight slumps here and there. However, we believe OP-17 is the wind at the crew's sail that will push this market directly into the next era of a massive One Piece bull run. While we don't suggest buying OP-17 at its current hype levels—currently sitting around $380-$400 per booster box —unless you absolutely just need a box or two to hold, we do believe this presents an incredibly lucrative opportunity for the TCG as a whole. At release, OP-17 will likely hold its own and may even rise depending on single chase card values. But, since it will be printed in large waves, we are patiently hoping for a pullback for a much better entry point. Even OP-13 ran from $200 up to $600 before pulling back to around $400, and while OP-17 is a monumental set, OP-13 will most likely hold the title of the definitive top set after the hype settles.
The main difference this time around is market maturity; last year's mindset for One Piece buyers was totally different. Back then, most regular booster boxes hovered closer to $100, with even the premium sets sitting in the $200 range. When OP-13 was released, it changed the entire landscape, almost instantly doubling the prices of other booster boxes. The floors have already been factored in, and the modern One Piece investor market is drastically different. This is exactly why we could see a $400 newly released booster box fall—it's simply much easier for a hyped $200 box to double to $400 than it is for a $400 box to rocket to $800 on a new release. Although unproven, it’s assumed that as the TCG grows, Bandai will print a higher amount of new releases to meet demand. If OP-17 releases with a massive supply and buyers who refuse to pay $400 a box, we should start seeing the price fall to meet what the majority are willing to pay. We'll be watching it closely for the perfect buy-in price.
So what should a smart investor do? It’s simple: as hungry eyes look for the newest, hottest release and overpay for a premium, we are looking directly at undervalued sealed product and singles across the rest of the One Piece TCG. A rising tide lifts all ships , and that's our current strategy. While we fully intend to jump into OP-17 eventually, buying at the absolute top of the hype just isn't our goal, especially when there are smarter plays currently sitting in the shadows.
During the recent market pullbacks, many incredible single cards have retraced to highly attractive levels. One crucial factor that makes One Piece singles so unique is the open market supply . Unlike TCG juggernauts like Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, One Piece has a substantially tighter supply. If you look at desirable cards in other TCGs, you routinely see inventory quantities in the four-figure range. Conversely, many One Piece parallels, alternate arts, and top-tier rarities have supplies in the low three digits—and many even sit in the double digits . Literally, one single buyer can shift the overall price of a card. We don't say this to manipulate prices for quick flips; after all, we are always focused on a multi-year timeline for the best returns. But imagine buying a $20 card from an early set with a supply of under 40 today— what is that card worth 3 to 5 years from now when the open supply drops into the single digits? We believe these are some of the absolute best cards to buy right now.
Additionally, there has been a noticeable increase in One Piece graded cards hitting the market. This surge has opened up the market to lower-priced 10 graded cards that have flooded in and brought baseline prices lower. These present fantastic graded plays to secure before the next bull run inevitably kicks off. To see exactly which specific cards we—and others—suggest picking up, join tcjournal.io for free. We post weekly undervalued picks, and our community shares their own top choices too. No filler, just undervalued gems.