In progress Pokemon The shortage of cards has become one of the biggest issues facing collectors, players and retailers alike, and Nintendo says it's paying close attention. There is no doubt that it is difficult to get anywhere Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) without mentioning the scalps and the dealers who buy them all.
The Pokémon TCG has always been popular, but its popularity seems to have continued to explode over the past few years, with rare Pokémon cards becoming valuable collectibles and new expansions routinely selling out within minutes. This demand has fueled widespread scalping, making it difficult for everyday fans to purchase products at retail price, despite The Pokemon Company dramatically increasing production of Pokemon cards in recent years.
Nintendo President Talks About Pokemon Card Scalping
Now, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has addressed Pokemon card scalping directly, saying that the company is working with The Pokemon Company to get the cards into the hands of players instead of retailers. During Nintendo's recent annual shareholder meeting (as first reported by Kotaku ), Furukawa acknowledged these concerns after being asked how Nintendo plans to ensure fans can buy Pokemon cards “with peace of mind.” He said Nintendo continues to work with The Pokemon Company on ways to better deliver products to consumers, while pointing to stronger anti-scalping efforts that have already been implemented. in his own words,
“Nintendo is also communicating with The Pokémon Company as needed to discuss appropriate ways to deliver products to consumers. We trust The Pokémon Company will continue to take steps to address this issue.”
New questions added!
GameRant Quiz
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Some tactic to discourage Pokemon TCGs under discussion include closer cooperation with online marketplaces, more custom sales, in some cases state-issued IDs (like Japan's lottery), and other anti-scalping measures. When consumers actually feel their impact on Pokemon franchise unfortunately remains to be seen as fans may not always care about individual scalpers or bots.
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Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company
The comments come as the Pokemon TCG finds itself back in the spotlight. GameStop recently drew criticism after listing several upcoming ones Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration products well above suggested retail prices. Among the reported deals were the Ultra-Premium Collection for $600 (compared to the MSRP of $180), the Elite Trainer Box for $130, and several premium collection boxes well above the asking price. GameStop has not publicly commented on the reported prices, but the controversy has only added to growing frustration over how difficult — and expensive — it has become to collect Pokemon cards.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover and scrape off as little of the foil as possible.
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Nintendo's latest comments indicate that the company recognizes that simply printing more cards may not solve the problem by itself. At the very least, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company seem to be taking a broader approach to combating Pokemon TCG scalpers. Whether that effort will be enough remains to be seen, but for Pokemon fans hoping to buy the upcoming sets at retail price, it's one of the clearest confirmations yet that the issue has reached the head honchos at the Big N.
