Reportedly, American retailer Target will halt sales of physical Pokémon trading cards due to persistent issues concerning scalpers. Gaming and a wide range of other industries have grown very familiar with scalping in recent years. The release of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S turned it up a notch late last year as reselling became a small industry of its own; thus, even entities such as the UK government felt compelled to make a stand.
Oddly enough, physical purchases of trading cards only constitute one facet of the business that Pokémon card scalpers have taken advantage of. They’re also known for ruining Pokémon Happy Meal promotions at McDonald’s, which recently forced the corporation’s UK chain to institute certain measures in an effort to combat scalpers. Apparently, cereal boxes are no longer safe, either. A promotion between the Pokémon Trading Card Game and General Mills resulted in people stockpiling the promo cereal and selling the limited edition cards online for egregiously high prices. It’s a shame that Happy Meal and cereal box card collecting, both targeted towards children, has been infected with the disease of overly greedy adults.
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Yesterday, Pokémon TCG fan account Pokémon Drops called attention to reports that Target will cease the sale of Pokémon and sports trading cards for an undisclosed period of time. As noted by Dexerto, the halt on sales will become effective on Friday, May 14, per images shared by fans online. The images themselves feature an in-store message from Target retailers around the U.S., each notifying customers with the exact same verbiage: “To ensure the safety of our guests and team members, effective May 14th, MLB, NFL, NBA, and Pokémon trading cards will no longer be sold until further notice.”
The retailer’s new policy is certainly within reason, given the chaos some stores continue to endure. If customers camping out wasn’t bad enough, earlier this week a Target in Brookfield, Wisconsin called the police when a man pulled a gun during an altercation. Reportedly, the gun owner was attacked by a group of men upon leaving the store with a newly purchased box of sports cards.
While no one sustained any serious injuries during the above mentioned altercation, it’s safe to say the scalping situation has gotten out of hand. And, again, these persistent issues extend beyond collectible trading cards. Game consoles and sneakers enter the mix far too often, as well.
Source: Pokémon Drops via Dexerto
