5am. Seven boxes. One last UPC.
Tanja says she joined the queue at 5am. The shop had seven Ultra-Premium Collections. She got the last one.
Her photograph gives the story an excellent supporting character: a black cat, stretched across the foreground while the Espeon-fronted Day box sits behind it. The box has made it into the picture. So has the cat.
In a follow-up reply, Tanja said the stock count was announced when the shop opened, after people had already been waiting for hours. She also described the six people ahead of her as fans who planned to open their boxes.
For everyone still waiting, there was a familiar calculation: how much time to give the hunt, and whether there would still be a box when their turn came. Read Tanja’s follow-up ↗
Under the umbrellas, the queue kept going
Luckstruck9’s photograph looks down a wet pavement outside Best Buy. Umbrellas punctuate the line; the shop’s signs run above it. The poster said the doors were still about 40 minutes from opening.
This was their first Pokémon TCG line wait. They said they had checked Target shortly after it opened and missed the 30th products, then tried Best Buy. Their post mixes determination with doubt about how difficult even casual collecting can feel.
The photograph is evidence of one busy shop visit. It also gives a release announcement something a product render cannot: the weather, the waiting and the people who have organised part of their day around a pack of cards.
The opening could wait for a cousin
For Lalo A. Vera, posting as bplobo8 on Threads, the hunt was also a family errand. In an earlier post, Lalo described an overnight wait. In the follow-up, they explained that working nights made the hours easier to manage, although the weather still made itself felt.
“for myself and my cousin”
Lalo A. Vera / @bplobo8, explaining who the purchase was for.
At the time of that reply, the packs were still unopened. Lalo said they would be opened the next day. There was somebody else to share the moment with.
Lalo also described finding friendly people in a community that, in their view, often gets a bad reputation. At that point, the opening was still ahead of them: a purchase made for two people, with the moment saved for later. Lalo’s account ↗
Zorua for Spritzee: a very good little trade
Lain went to a card shop with their girlfriend, picked up a cute Altaria and bought Delta Reign packs. Their post reports a Mega Rayquaza and a Zorua pull. Then comes the detail that gives the whole outing its charm: Lain traded the Zorua to their girlfriend for Spritzee because she loves Zorua.
The Rayquaza pictured is the regular Mega Rayquaza ex, 084/103. Here, the important match was between a favourite Pokémon and the person who wanted it.
Two collectors were making their own collections a little more personal. The detail worth remembering is that one knew exactly which Pokémon the other loved.
One first pack, one very welcome Raikou
Lox was having a difficult day. According to their post, their very first pack of the newly released Delta Reign contained Raikou ex Special Illustration Rare. The surprise was welcome.
The photo shows the actual English card in a holder. The first-pack detail comes from Lox’s account; one fortunate opening says nothing about the odds for the next person. As a release-day moment, though, it is wonderfully easy to understand: opening a pack and finding something that improves your day.
Delta first. Anniversary box later.
TVA Friend’s photograph has room for both launches: a Day anniversary UPC beside a Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box, with boosters and other pickups spread below. Asked which came first, the collector replied: “Delta first, 30th later.”
The distinction is useful for anyone following the weekend through a feed of similar boxes. The Day UPC belongs to 30th Celebration; Delta Reign is a separate expansion. The collector’s follow-up ↗
One weekend, several ways into the hobby
These accounts span different shops, products and local circumstances. Elsewhere in our community replies, one collector reported an ETB on a regular Target shelf; another found packs behind the till at a Morrisons petrol station. Those are individual visits, not promises of stock at another branch.
| Collector | The moment they reported |
|---|---|
| Tanja | 5am queue; last of seven UPCs |
| Luckstruck9 | Umbrella queue; about 40 minutes before Best Buy opened |
| Lalo | Purchase for themselves and a cousin; opening saved for later |
| Lain | Zorua traded for Spritzee with their girlfriend |
| Lox | Raikou ex SIR reported in the first pack |
| TVA Friend | Delta queue first; anniversary products later |
Online orders have their own timetable. Pokémon Center’s shipment table, checked on 7 November, estimates mid-November for selected Delta Reign products in the US, Canada and UK. That estimate concerns the listed products and channel; it is not a new date for every shop. Official shipment estimates ↗
Public posts naturally favour the exceptional wait, the big haul and the lucky pull. These are individual snapshots of a much larger weekend. The queues were real. So were the cat cameo, the family plan and the favourite-card trade.
Reporting note: based on the collectors’ public posts and follow-up replies, checked 6–7 November. Purchase, wait and pull accounts are attributed to their authors. Photos retain creator credit and links to the posts being discussed. We did not attend these queues or conduct in-person interviews.
Alex Koh
Collector and creator of BuyTrigger.Cards.