People really underestimated the One Piece Card Game (OPCG) when it first dropped. They thought it was another flash-in-the-pan anime TCG that would lose steam once the "new car smell" wore off. Then the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set happened. It wasn't just a box of cards; it was a statement of intent from Bandai. If you were there for the release in 2023, you remember the chaos—the pre-order sell-outs, the skyrocketing secondary market prices, and the genuine awe at the card art.
It's been a while since that release, but we need to talk about why this specific Premium Bandai product changed everything.
Honestly, most "anniversary" products in the TCG world are kind of lazy. They're usually just a couple of repurposed promos and a playmat with a logo slapped on it. Bandai went a different route. They leaned into the "Premium" part of Premium Bandai.
What actually comes inside the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set?
Let’s get the basics out of the way first. You aren't just getting cardboard. The set was designed as a "complete" experience for someone who actually plays the game but also wants their desk to look like a shrine to Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece.
The box includes a high-quality storage box, a playmat, a set of sleeves, and a card case. But let's be real: nobody paid $100+ for a plastic box and some sleeves. You bought it for the cards. Specifically, the set contains three distinct cards that have become legendary in the community. We're talking about the alt-art versions of Monkey.D.Luffy (ST01-012), Trafalgar Law (ST03-008), and Eustass "Captain" Kid (ST02-013).
These aren't just any cards. They are reprints of the Super Rare (SR) cards from the original three Starter Decks.
The art style is what sets them apart. Bandai commissioned new, stylized illustrations that look less like screenshots from the Toei anime and more like high-end manga covers. The Luffy card, in particular, with its vibrant red and gold accents, became an instant grail for "Supernova" deck players.
🔗 Read more: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
The market reality of the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set
Markets are weird. You’d think that after several more sets (like Wings of the Captain and 500 Years in the Future) released, the first anniversary stuff would fade. It hasn't.
Why? Because Bandai under-printed it.
Okay, maybe "under-printed" is the wrong word. They printed to order on Premium Bandai, but the demand for One Piece cards grew exponentially faster than the production cycle. By the time people realized they wanted the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set, the pre-order window was slammed shut. This created a massive supply-demand gap.
If you look at secondary marketplaces like TCGPlayer or Cardmarket, the price trajectory for a sealed anniversary set is fascinating. It didn't just spike and crash. It climbed, stabilized, and has stayed remarkably high compared to its MSRP.
I've seen collectors argue that this set represents the "Silver Age" of the game—the moment where the mechanics were settled, the player base was booming, and the "investor" crowd hadn't totally soured the experience for casual fans yet.
The "Big Three" of the Set: A Closer Look
- Monkey.D.Luffy (Red): This card is the heart of the Red deck archetype. In the early meta, Rush Luffy was a menace. Having an anniversary version that looks this good? It's basically a flex every time you swing for game.
- Trafalgar Law (Blue): Blue wasn't always the strongest color, but Law enthusiasts are a different breed. The aesthetic of this card matches the "Surgeon of Death" perfectly.
- Eustass Kid (Green): Green Kid was the gatekeeper of the early competitive scene. If your deck couldn't get past an 8-cost Kid, you weren't winning anything. The anniversary art makes him look even more menacing than his original starter deck counterpart.
Why collectors still hunt this down
There is a psychological element here. The One Piece TCG has a lot of "chase" cards—Manga Rares like the Sogeking or the Gear 5 Luffy. But those are 1-in-several-cases hits. They are gambling wins.
💡 You might also like: Siegfried Persona 3 Reload: Why This Strength Persona Still Trivializes the Game
The One Piece 1st Anniversary Set is different. It's a guaranteed win. If you own the box, you own the cards. There’s no "pulling" involved.
Because of that, it represents a stable asset in a collection. It's a "known quantity." For many, it’s the centerpiece of a sealed collection because the box art itself is gorgeous. It features a collage of the Straw Hat crew that looks great on a shelf, which is something you can't say about a crumpled booster box of Romance Dawn.
The "Special Goods" Trap
You have to be careful when buying these today. I’ve seen some listings on eBay that are "partially complete."
Some sellers will take the high-value Luffy card out, grade it with PSA or BGS, and then try to sell the "set" (minus the card) for a "discount." Don't fall for it. The value of the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set is intrinsically tied to it being a complete, untouched package. If the seal is broken and the cards are missing, you’re basically just buying a very expensive mousepad (the playmat).
How to authenticate your purchase
If you're looking to pick one up now, you need to check the foil stamping. Bandai used a specific texturing on these anniversary cards that is notoriously difficult for bootleggers to replicate.
Hold the card to the light. The texture should have a "swirl" or "cross-hatch" pattern that follows the art, not just a generic shiny coat. Also, check the box corners. Real Premium Bandai shipping boxes usually have specific Japanese or English labeling depending on the region of origin.
📖 Related: The Hunt: Mega Edition - Why This Roblox Event Changed Everything
Most people get this wrong: they think all anniversary sets are the same. But the Japanese version and the English version do have slight differences in card backings (obviously) and sometimes the texture of the playmat material. If you're a player, you need the version that matches your region's tournament legality.
Moving forward with your One Piece collection
If you are just getting into the game now, you might feel like you missed the boat. You didn't.
While the One Piece 1st Anniversary Set is a premium item, Bandai has shown a willingness to release "Premium Collection" folders and other anniversary-adjacent products. However, none have quite captured the lightning-in-a-bottle feel of that first one. It was the first time we saw what the game could be when it really leaned into its luxury potential.
The Actionable Path for Collectors:
- Evaluate your goal: If you want the cards to play with, buy the singles. It is significantly cheaper than buying a sealed box. The Luffy single is the most expensive, followed by Kid and Law.
- Check the seals: If buying sealed, ensure the outer white box (the "shipper") is present if you want max resale value. Collectors pay a premium for that ugly brown or white cardboard shipping box because it proves the inner contents haven't been tampered with.
- Monitor the Japanese market: Sometimes it is actually cheaper to import the Japanese anniversary set via a proxy service, even with shipping fees, because the supply in Japan was slightly higher than the Western allocation. Just remember you can't use Japanese cards in English-speaking tournaments.
- Storage is key: The playmat in this set is "rubber-backed" but can still crease if left folded or under heavy books. If you buy the set to keep it, keep it in a temperature-controlled environment. Humidity is the enemy of the foil-stamped cards included in this box.
The One Piece Card Game isn't slowing down. With new sets dropping every few months, the "First Anniversary" remains a foundational piece of history. It marks the transition of the game from a "hit anime tie-in" to a legitimate heavyweight in the TCG industry alongside Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon. Whether you own it for the art or the investment, its place in the hobby is firmly cemented.