Celebrations vs Shining Fates: Which to Buy (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Buy Celebrations if you want the 25-card Classic Collection reprints and the 25th anniversary art. Buy Shining Fates if you want 10 guaranteed Shiny Vault pulls from a 195-card set at a significantly lower secondary market price.
Both sets launched in 2021 as SWSH-era special expansions with no standard booster box. Neither is restocked: what exists on the secondary market today came from the original print run.
Celebrations released on October 8, 2021, eight months after Shining Fates launched on February 19, 2021. The two sets share a release year and a no-booster-box structure, but almost nothing else.
The correct question is not which set is objectively better. It is which collector you are.
On this page 5 sections
At a glance
| Feature | Celebrations (SwSh CEL) | Shining Fates (SwSh 4.5) |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | October 8, 2021 | February 19, 2021 |
| Set code | CEL | SHF |
| Set size | 50 cards (25 main + 25 Classic Collection) | 195 cards (73 main + 122 Shiny Vault) |
| Standard ETB packs | 10 Celebrations (4-card) + 5 SwSh booster packs | 10 Shining Fates packs |
| ETB accessories | 65 sleeves, 45 Energy, coin, counters, guide | 65 Shiny Eevee sleeves, accessories, promo card |
| English booster box | No | No |
| Core identity | 25th anniversary nostalgia, Classic Collection reprints | Shiny hunting, guaranteed Shiny Vault pulls |
| Key pull | Classic Collection reprints (Base Set Charizard style art) | Shiny Charizard VMAX (SV107/SV122) |
| Observed ETB price (Oct 12, 2026) | from $393.25 USD | from $129.99 USD |
The price gap is the most immediately practical difference. Shining Fates ETBs list from $129.99 on the secondary market today, while Celebrations ETBs start from $393. For the full contents and accessory breakdown of each box, see the Celebrations ETB guide.
Where Celebrations wins
The Classic Collection reprints
Celebrations is the only modern SWSH-era set that reprints iconic cards from across the franchise's entire history. The 25-card Classic Collection subset includes reimagined versions of cards like Base Set Pikachu and Charizard, drawn in a style that echoes the original WotC-era artwork while being printed to modern specifications. No other SWSH expansion did this: the Classic Collection was a one-time release tied directly to the 25th anniversary.
For collectors who grew up with the original 1998 Base Set, Celebrations is a chance to hold a modern print of that era's iconic art. Shining Fates has no equivalent to this.
The 25th anniversary context
Celebrations was a milestone release. Pokémon's 25th anniversary in 2021 brought a coordinated product wave across merch, video games, and TCG: Celebrations was the TCG's flagship contribution. The anniversary framing gives the set a collectible permanence that Shining Fates, despite its size, does not carry.
If you are buying as a long-term collector rather than a player, Celebrations represents a documented moment in the franchise's history. Sealed copies trade at a premium because of that context, not solely because of the cards inside.
An unusual pack structure worth knowing
Each Celebrations booster pack contains only 4 cards, not the standard 10. The ETB's 10 Celebrations packs therefore deliver 40 Celebrations cards, while the additional 5 SwSh booster packs are standard 10-card packs.
This is the only SWSH-era set to use a 4-card pack format. Opening the packs is a fast, deliberate experience by design: each tiny pack is a single focused pull.
Where Shining Fates wins
Guaranteed Shiny Vault density
Every Shining Fates booster pack contains one Shiny Vault card in place of one standard rare. That is a structural guarantee built into the pack, not a bonus slot. An ETB with 10 packs delivers 10 Shiny Vault pulls: you are not gambling on whether shiny cards appear, only on which ones.
The Shiny Vault runs from SV001/SV122 through SV122/SV122, covering standard shiny Pokémon, Shiny V, and Shiny VMAX cards plus full-art Trainer cards. Shiny VMiAX cards including Shiny Charizard VMAX (SV107/SV122) sit at the rarest tier. At the common end, every pack's guaranteed Shiny Vault slot is still a shiny Pokémon card, which makes even budget opens feel purposeful compared to a blank rare slot in a main-set pack.
A significantly lower price floor
Shining Fates ETBs are currently available from $129.99 on the secondary market. Celebrations ETBs start from $393.25. That is a $263 gap on boxes that both launched in the same SWSH era and held the same retail ETB price tier.
The price divergence is driven by Celebrations' Classic Collection reprints. Collector demand for the anniversary context and the nostalgic card art pushes Celebrations above Shining Fates even though Shining Fates has nearly four times as many cards in its set. For buyers focused on the opening experience and shiny card pulls rather than anniversary collectibility, Shining Fates delivers more cards per dollar at current secondary market pricing.
A larger and deeper set to collect
Shining Fates has 195 cards across its 73-card main set and 122-card Shiny Vault. Celebrations has 50.
For collectors building toward a complete set, Shining Fates is a multi-year project. Celebrations is achievable from a much smaller number of boxes because the pool is intentionally narrow.
If you want a completable set, Celebrations is the more practical target. If you want a set deep enough to keep pulling for years, Shining Fates has the scale.
The deciding question
The decision comes down to one question: are you buying for history or for hunting?
Buy Celebrations if you are a nostalgia collector
If the Classic Collection reprints are what you want, Celebrations is the only place to get them. No subsequent set has reprinted that same roster of iconic early-era cards.
For collectors who experienced the original 1998 run and want a modern version of those cards, Celebrations fulfills a specific goal that Shining Fates cannot. The higher secondary market price is the real cost of that specificity.
The Pokemon Center Exclusive ETB differs in accessories but opens the same Celebrations pack content. See the Celebrations vs Crown Zenith comparison if you are choosing between the 25th anniversary set and the final SWSH special expansion.
Buy Shining Fates if you want shiny cards or value
If you want to open packs and pull shiny Pokémon, Shining Fates is the more consistent product. Ten guaranteed Shiny Vault pulls per ETB at a $129.99 entry point gives you a clear picture of what you are buying. The full Shining Fates guide covers the Shiny Vault tiers, which cards matter, and what an ETB realistically yields.
Shining Fates also suits buyers who want a dense shiny-focused set at a secondary market price that has not climbed to Celebrations levels. For a broader look at ETB comparisons, the ETB comparison framework applies across SV-era boxes too.
Frequently asked questions
Is Celebrations still worth buying in 2026?
For nostalgia collectors who specifically want the Classic Collection reprints, yes. At $393 and above on the secondary market, you are paying for the anniversary context and the unique card subset, not just the pack count. If your goal is opening packs for shiny Pokémon or competitive playables, Shining Fates or a current SV-era set will serve you better.
Does Shining Fates have a booster box?
No. Shining Fates was never sold in a standard 36-pack English booster box. It released only in ETBs, tins, Mini Tins, and pin collections.
This is the same structure as Celebrations: both sets are special expansions distributed only through premium products.
Which has better cards: Celebrations or Shining Fates?
They have different chase cards for different reasons.
Celebrations is sought for its Classic Collection reprints, particularly the anniversary art versions of iconic early-era Pokémon. Shining Fates is sought for Shiny Charizard VMAX (SV107/SV122) and other shiny VMAX cards. Neither set is objectively "better": the answer depends entirely on what you collect.
What is the difference between Celebrations and 30th Celebrations?
Celebrations (2021) is the 25th anniversary set. The 30th Celebrations is a separate 2026 release marking Pokémon's 30th anniversary with its own card pool. They share a naming theme but are entirely different sets.
Are there Shining Fates products besides the ETB?
Yes. Shining Fates released in V Collector Tins (6 packs, Cramorant V or Boltund V), Mini Tins (2 packs each), and Mad Party Pin Collections (3 packs each). All are secondary market only in 2026.
Browse in-stock Celebrations and Shining Fates sealed products alongside every other current SWSH-era special expansion at DexHaul's Elite Trainer Box collection, sourced from independent shops worldwide. DexHaul is independent and unofficial, not affiliated with The Pokémon Company.
Catch 'em all
More Celebrations and Shining Fates sealed products from independent shops.