Do you ever wonder: Is my Fossil Booster Heavy? Where do I draw the line? This is where you need to be!
Below is a compact table per Pokemon Era on TcgTools.nl.
Note: "Heavy"/"Light" ranges vary per set, print run, long/short crimp, and even per box. Use this as a rough guideline, not as a guarantee . There's no such thing as a 100% Heavy guarantee! Always buy from reputable sellers.
Note! Weights are precise. A kitchen scale won't work. Always use a calibrated scale with two decimal places.
|
Era |
“Light” range (gram) |
Heavy range (grams) |
How reliable? |
Comments |
|
Base Set (1999) |
≈ 20.8–21.1 |
≈ 21.2–21.5 |
Resourse |
Some “dark” Base boxes have thresholds 0.3 higher than “standard” boxes |
|
Jungle / Fossil / Team Rocket |
≈ 20.7–21.0 |
≈ 21.1–21.4 |
Resourse |
Greater variation than with Base Set. 21.1+ often has holo, but this is not guaranteed. |
|
Gym Heroes / Gym Challenge |
≈ 20.2 – 20.7 |
≳ 20.8 – 21.0+ |
Low-medium |
Ranges and weight thresholds fluctuate even more. A complete weight of all boosters out of the box can provide better insight. |
|
Neo era |
— |
— |
Low |
No longer able to weigh with any certainty. Shinings and Holos may occur in lighter boosters. Range: ≈ 20.2 – 21.9 grams. |
|
e-Series |
≈ 16.6–17.4* |
≈ 17.7–18.3* |
Low |
Reverse holos, crystals, and variable print runs make weighing unreliable. This varies significantly from box to box. *A complete box is required to determine the semi-reliable limit for holos. |
|
EX era (2003–2007) |
— |
— |
Low |
Reverse holos, hit types, and variable print runs make weighing unreliable; this varies significantly from box to box. Some sets even show reverse trends (heavier ≠ hit). Range: ≈ 16.5 – 18.2 grams. |
|
Diamond & Pearl / Platinum / HGSS |
— |
— |
Low |
Reverse holos + variation → weights have little predictive value. Range: ≈ 16.5 – 18.2 grams. |
|
Black & White → XY |
— |
— |
Low |
Introduction of code cards. No difference between Light and Heavy code cards, but more inconsistency. |
|
XY: BreakPoint → XY: Evolutions |
— |
— |
Not |
Adjusted code cards with different weights of "green" vs. "white" to mask hits. |
|
Sun & Moon |
— |
— |
Not |
Code cards balance hits; in practice, weighting does not yield consistent predictive power. |
|
Sword & Shield |
— |
— |
Not |
Code cards balance hits; in practice, weighting does not yield consistent predictive power. |
|
Celebrations |
— |
— |
Low |
4-card boosters weigh more, but heavier boosters don't mean more expensive hits. (Full art V/Vmax heavier, but not more expensive.) |
|
Scarlet & Violet |
— |
— |
Not |
Code cards balance hits; in practice, weighting does not yield consistent predictive power. |
|
Mega Evolutions |
— |
— |
Not |
Officially unknown, but most likely the same as the previous era. |
Summary / what can you do with this information?
- Relatively easy to weigh: First WotC sets (Base/Jungle/Fossil/Team Rocket) with the caveat that thresholds differ per box.
- Questionable: Gym/Neo/e-Series / ex-Era. Ranges are known, but consistency makes weighing unreliable without a complete box weight or heavy ≠ hit.
- Unable to (reliably) weigh: Black & White → modern times due to code cards with different weights that compensate for hits (from XY:BreakThrough in 2015)
- Prevent Resealed: Filter resealed boosters with weights that do not match the booster era.
Note from TcgTools : Weigh boosters with integrity. Sell weighted boosters as weighted boosters. Don't sell light boosters as unweighted. Prevent fraud, keep the hobby fun!
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