The items have been going for anything between £4.29 and £600Huge queue outside city centre store
Queues have once again formed in Liverpool city centre this week as demand for new Pokémon trading cards continues to surge. On Friday morning, March 27, shoppers gathered outside TGJones in Liverpool ONE ahead of opening, waiting in poor weather to secure newly released booster packs priced at £4.29.
The latest release, part of the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution series, includes sought-after cards such as Mega Zygarde ex, Mega Starmie ex and Mega Clefable ex. Customers moved quickly to the tills once doors opened, reflecting the limited availability and strong collector demand surrounding new launches.
First launched in 1996, Pokémon has grown into one of the world’s most valuable entertainment brands, and its trading card market has seen renewed interest in recent years.
With rare cards fetching high prices and anniversary releases driving hype, retailers are continuing to see large turnouts whenever new products drop.
The queues outside TGJ Jones today, Friday March 27
This is just one of the handful of times this has happened across the city lately. Earlier this month, on Friday, March 20, similar queues were reported outside Menkind on Lord Street for the same reason. The shop specialises in gifts, gadgets and novelty items, with products like tech, games and pop culture merchandise on its shelves.
A queue could be seen with dozens of people, stretching around the corner close to the Costa Coffee at Liverpool ONE. The ECHO asked someone why they were queuing and was told that it was for new Pokémon cards.
This time around, it was the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Collection being released. The collection features collectors’ items that Pokémon fans across the world will be keen to get their hands on.
At the end of February fans lined up for hours at the Liverpool ONE LEGO store during Pokémon Day promotions tied to the franchise’s 30th anniversary.
Every year on February 27, Pokémon fans around the world celebrate Pokémon Day to commemorate the release of the very first Pokémon video games in Japan.
The queue at Menkind in Liverpool One
Pokémon Day 2026 marked a milestone anniversary. In line with this, LEGO released three exclusive sets available to purchase from 10am at the Liverpool ONE store.
The shopping district was expecting queues of up to 300 people. When the ECHO visited this wasn’t the case, but there were customers who had been queuing from just before 8am.
One shopper, Faith, 36 and from Bootle, said: “I’ve been building LEGO since I was five. It’s £579, but I think it’s absolutely worth it. It’s a set for a collector. I’m undecided if I will buy it, but I want to see it in person first. It would take around five or six hours to build I reckon.”
The sets available to buy range from £600 to £150, with a strict one per customer rule. It is expected that this won’t be the last of the queues – there are several more drops already confirmed for 2026:
What’s coming next
April 2026
More Mega Evolution products (booster bundles and themed boxes) are scheduled to land in late April
May 22, 2026
A full new expansion called “Chaos Rising” is due, featuring more Mega Evolution cards
Summer 2026
Additional products like mini tins and collection boxes are expected to follow shortly after
Later in 2026
A special 30th anniversary set has been confirmed, though the exact date hasn’t been announced yet