The Pokemon franchise started in 1996 with the first games releasing on GameBoy, and since then, the franchise has grown to include an anime, toys, but popular today, a trading card game. Fans were loving the cute characters that came along with the Pokémon release including Pikachu, Eevee, Pichu and more.
Pokemon cards have been trendy from the beginning. Pokemon cards were popping, being able to collect cards, battle, and trade them. In 2016, things started to lose fade in popularity, the cards were popular, but not as much as before.
It wasn’t until January 19, 2022, where content creator Dooley opened a booster pack in a YouTube video named “THE GOD PACK” where he pulled multiple top tier cards some even worth a pretty penny. , Then it became more than just a game.
Since that video, people across the world have been going to stores buying all the Pokémon related items and leaving the shelves empty, selling them for a higher price to make profit, gaining the name scalpers.
A scalper is a person who resells items for a large and/or quick profit. This has not only left children and people who collect for fun without the ability to purchase cards at an affordable cost, it has also made people get physical in stores.
TikTok has been a popular app to get a load of content and information on scalpers, showing recordings of people shoving each other just for decks of cards.
The Scarlet and violet prismatic collection set retails around $89.99 after scalpers get their hands on most and sell them for $150-$200 dollar range. Blooming waters, another premium collection known to have God packs, ranges around $59.99 retail scalpers get them and sell them for $100.00-$250.00.
Leslie Ramirez, a Target employee in the 209 area has been working for over a year now and has witnessed some of the action face to face. Ramirez said, “I’ve seen a man run in the store as soon as we opened just to grab the cards not caring who he bumped into.”
Some Targets even have stopped selling Pokémon cards for a while until things change. In a TikTok by user @meech_scales, pieces of printer paper taped to the shelves, messages say cards including Pokemon TCG will no longer be sold “to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.”
Target isn’t the only store that’s been affected, places like Costco, GameStop and other gaming stores have been a big target of the scalpers community.
Videos showing scalpers getting violent at Costco have surfaced on the web.
Costco is known for selling Booster packs Including Prismatic Packs which are known as the high hitters. (compare base price to scalper price)
Costco employee Steven Woods “I think it’s a little childish,” he said. “I mean it’s a kids game and there’s people fighting for a card.”
With all this going on around the world people have turned to having to buy cards from resellers doubling or even tripling the price of official cards.
Others have turned to Pokémon TCG Pocket to fulfill their card urge. TCGP is a Mobile game where people are able to collect,Trade and battle their Pokémon cards. While getting a small amount of happiness from opening a virtual card it still isn’t the same as opening a Pokémon pack without nostalgia. Jorge Silvia, a senior at stagg prefers to play TCG Pocket ( TCG has been the easiest way for me to be able to get Pokémon cards , It isn’t the same but it’s still pretty fire to open cards virtually) Said Silvia.
