Trading cards have been popular for decades at this point. From sports trading cards, to Magic the Gathering, to Pokemon, fans of different franchises have collected and searched for cards. The global pandemic seemed to increase the popularity of trading cards as people looked for new hobbies to pass the time, and unfortunately it has required that collectors of all ages face some dark realities. Both the behavior of adult fans in public, as well as the increase in scalpers have negatively affected trading card communities.
This came to a boiling point recently and led to the removal of trading cards, including fan-favorite Pokemon cards, from physical Target locations. This action is something that many should have seen coming. In some ways, shutting down the physical sale of cards might hurt the industry more than it helps, but the move was almost necessary. As easy as it might be to try and shift the blame for this, no one group is solely responsible for Pokemon cards being forcefully taken off shelves.
The Problem With Pokemon Card Scalping
What many people, especially long-time fans, will point to as the biggest culprit for the recent unruliness of customers is scalpers. The subculture that has grown around aftermarket sales is seen as an easy out, and for good reason. Most, if not all, scalpers seem to be in the business of collectibles of any kind only to turn a profit, even McDonald's Happy Meals. This degrades the enjoyment that many get out of the hobby and can greatly limit supply.
When scalpers are willing to get to physical locations exceptionally early and use bots to completely drain stock online, it can make it incredibly difficult for the everyday person to get their hands on something. This has been demonstrated time and time again with the new release of games, comics, hardware, cards, action figures, shoes, and everything in between.
The problem of digital scalpers can be exceptionally difficult to deter. Many bots are designed to trick systems and there do not seem to be a great number of ways to stop them. Meanwhile, in-person sales have led to physical altercations between people like the most recent incident over Pokemon cards. Still, scalpers are not the only people to blame in the situation. The culture around goods in society needs to change beyond just the speculative market.
Pokemon Card Collectors
As hard as it may be to hear, adult fans are partly responsible as well. Anyone that has participated in any community has seen negative actions by their peers, and gaming is no exception. It does not matter if it is video games, tabletops, or trading cards there are going to be those that exploit systems around them or ruin the experience for others. While not every action is intentionally malicious, it is still important to think about who Pokemon’s primary audience is.
It is no secret that as a franchise, Pokemon is aimed at kids. Many people were once part of that target demographic, and the community that has grown around the series is huge. Whether those fans joined as children who have grown up, or adults that were introduced with Sword and Shield, there is a lot of interconnectedness. With that cohesive fandom comes some responsibility for the current situation.
This largely can be viewed from the perspective of staving off the want for an item, if only to allow others to have it. It can be a difficult decision to make especially when Pokemon cards and the trading card game have been a hobby for so many people for so long. But it is an important one to make to help younger fans feel that same excitement many adult fans felt as kids. The disposable income that adults have over children has led many, no matter how unintentional, to drain in-store stock almost as bad as some scalpers.
How to Buy Pokemon Cards
While under normal circumstances there is generally enough stock to go around, the world has changed a lot in the last year. Scalpers have drained online stock, in stores scalpers and adult fans clamor for what supply is left, and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have made it difficult for companies to manufacture enough inventory to meet the current demand.
The combination of all of these has made for the perfect conditions to exasperate already tense situations. There have been attempts to curb the strain on trading cards but they have not been the most successful. In truth, there is little incentive for big companies and corporations to do much so long as they are making money. This makes the overall wellness of the collecting community, especially for hobbies like the Pokemon TCG, a responsibility for older fans.
Buying less or avoiding collections and releases that do not interest you as much as others could be a great way to contribute. Not only would it keep more stock available for other fans but as the feverish search for Pokemon cards slows down the after-market could begin to die. It might not be the best idea, but it feels like the one that the community has the most control over. Negative interactions have already resulted in Target no longer selling Pokemon cards which makes leading by example one of the best avenues for older fans to take. Hopefully, as things get back to a more level state the strain on supply falls but that is yet to be seen.