First Partner Series 3 is a go!
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Series 3 finally turned up on schedule. The box is still doing more talking than the singles.
The Release
First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3 closed the 2026 starter-promo run on August 7, 2026. Best Buy listed the product at USD 14.99, and the structure stayed simple: one promo pack containing three of nine illustration rare-style promos from Hoenn, Kalos, or Paldea, plus two regular booster packs and a sticker sheet.
The art was already public before release, so the collector question changed quickly. This is no longer about guessing what is inside. It is about how supply and completion pressure sort the final wave.
The Distribution
As of August 9, 2026, TCGplayer showed Series 3 from USD 63.92 with a USD 69.23 market price. On the same check, Series 1 sat around USD 61.05 market and Series 2 around USD 36.66. A Series 3 case showed USD 539.47 market with a USD 478.99 listed median and no current sellers. KanZenGames had Series 3 sold out at USD 49.95, and a UK eBay presale listing at GBP 32.99 had already moved 18 copies before going out of stock.
That is still sealed-product behaviour more than a settled singles market. The clean read today is not which promo wins. It is that the final wave is still being taxed as access.
What Collectors Should Notice
- Series 3 has the advantage of being the last wave in the full 27-card run.
- Mudkip and Froakie have the easiest early collector story if clean raw copies start surfacing.
- Sprigatito is the card to watch if Paldea demand starts behaving more like a mascot lane than a set-builder lane.
- Series 3 is already sitting well above retail, but the checked market is still too early to treat as calm fair value.
- Singles may become the cleaner lane later, but release-week sealed pricing is the better read right now.
Peko Note
Peko is tracking the First Partner line through the English Collection, Individuals, and Graded Collection, along with the First Partners 30th Anniversary Box when available. We will add more when the card, condition, and price all make sense.