If you’re a Pokémon trading card collector, then you know how difficult it is to find the Ascended Heroes set at retailers — and how impossible it is to buy the collection at a reasonable price. The hottest Pokémon set of 2026 is wanted by fans and scalpers alike, resulting in a brutal resale market. With almost no fanfare at all, warehouse club Costco is about to buck that depressing Pokémon TCG trend.
According to Costco employees and Discord servers with access to stock numbers, the membership-only retailer receives a shipment of Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Boxes on the week of September 14, 2026. Photographs show the highly coveted box selling for a mere $42 at Costco — less than the manufacturer’s resale price and well below the product’s sky-high market price of $160. Costco is expected to enforce a limit of two boxes per membership, so Pokémon fans can theoretically score a couple of ETBs for less than the market price of a single box.
Do I need a membership to buy the Pokémon cards?
Yes. You can’t go into the store without a membership.
When will my Costco get its Ascended Heroes shipment?
There is no set release date. What we know, based on internal tracking documents, is that all the allotments were in transit the weekend leading up to September 14. The shipments are going all across the country, which means that stores will be receiving them at different times. Once a store receives the shipment, staff still have to stock it — and it is up to each individual location to decide when this part of the process happens. Boxes will likely appear on Costco floors this week, though the exact day will vary by location.
How many Ascended Heroes ETBs is Costco receiving?
Each location is expected to get 360 ETBs — but with a limit of two per membership, you should assume only 180 people will be able to secure boxes. It’s highly unlikely anyone plugged in enough to know about this promotion will only purchase a single box. On social media, there are already videos of people standing in long lines outside their Costco locations despite not actually knowing if the product is in stock yet.
Will my specific Costco get the Ascended Heroes ETB?
The list of known Costco stores that will receive Ascended Heroes this week includes 111 locations, with most of them belonging to the West Coast (35 stores) and Southwest (33 stores). This doesn’t mean the Midwest won’t receive anything — but it may be best to call your store before setting up a camping chair. You can find the full list of Costco locations here.
How will I know when my Costco starts selling the AH ETB?
Aside from visiting the store yourself, there are two main options. The first is to search for regional restock groups on Facebook or Discord, as there will typically be a group of people who check stores daily for drops. The danger here is that there will be a delay between when these users see the product and when you actually hear about it, even with notifications on. Fans may not post right away, or posts in the group may need to be approved by a moderator.
The second is to call your individual Costco location as soon as it opens to inquire about item number 2022324. If your Costco isn’t on the list, this is also a good way to double-check if your location is truly being left out of the promotion.