Chaos has struck countless Target retailers around the country as frantic Pokémon card collectors continuously purchase entire stocks of cards. The Pokémon Trading Card Game was first published in October 1996, shortly after the release of the franchise's first video game in February of the same year. Since its launch, the Pokémon TCG has soared in popularity, with the franchise's video games and trading cards growing in tandem into the modern-day. Pokémon TCG has also been known to cross over with other parts of the Pokémon franchise, such as video games and anime, which helps to establish one unified world for fans to experience. To celebrate the release of New Pokémon Snap, The Pokémon Company recently created a collectible card for the game's helpful mentor Professor Willow.
The popularity of Pokémon TCG has remained steady even 25 years after the franchise's birth. New cards and sets are released frequently, ensuring that there is always something new for collectors to hunt or for players to fit into their strategy. The Pokémon Company recently announced the game's next expansion, Pokémon Sword & Shield - Chilling Reign, which will bring brand-new legendary Pokémon into the huge array of cards. The expansion will be based on the Galar region's tundra area and will see the addition of Calryex, Glastrier, and Spectrier when it launches on June 18.
Digital media publication Vice recently reported that Target stores around the United States are taking precautions against Pokémon TCG collectors who are buying out stores' entire Pokémon card stocks. Pokémon TCG's recent spike in popularity has led to many cards, both new and old, selling for quite a lot of money. Target recently began carrying "Shining Fates" trading card tins, which sell for $30 but contain 60 cards and have the possibility of containing ultra-rare cards worth hundreds of dollars. These tins, and other Pokémon TCG packs like it, have been aggressively hunted by collectors and sellers who immediately purchase a Target's entire stock when available. To prevent this practice Target has implemented several new policies, such as limiting each customer to only one purchase and refusing to stock shelves with new packs until a specific time and day of the week.
Infamous internet celebrity Logan Paul recently proved the value of these cards, as the streamer opened a pack of Pokémon cards worth over $2 million while streaming live on YouTube. Paul opened 36 first-edition starter packs of Pokémon cards, first released back in 1999, which he acquired for an average of $39,206 each. The packs contained two first-edition Charizard cards as well as a first-edition Mewtwo, Venusaur, and Blastoise. The combined worth of every card he opened exceeded $2 million.
The popularity of the Pokémon franchise is hard to overstate, with countless fans all around the world. The trading card game's popularity may be eclipsed by the hugely successful video games, but there are still plenty of collectors and players out there. While Target implements new policies to prevent their stock from being wiped out, Pokémon fans may prove difficult to circumvent.
Source: Vice