Pokémon has a huge scalping problem that doesn't seem to be getting any better, and no matter what it tends to do. Even the video games are no longer safe from the usual Pokémon TCG crowd, with people selling Shiny Pokémon codes in the US for inflated fees if anyone missed out on grabbing one.
I haven't been able to find a TCG set in quite a while, and the casual thought of collecting a Master's Set of cards is gone out of the window when these time-exclusive releases are being hoarded up by those who don't care for the hobby.
I'm not the only one who thinks the scalper situation is getting completely out of hand. But what can Pokémon actually do to counteract this when the company doesn't appear to care? At least, from the outside.
I don't think the solution to the scalper situation is as straightforward as people believe it to be. Even Japan is experiencing issues and has resorted to a raffle system for online orders, where customers can enter their address and individual phone number for a chance to purchase a box of cards or a special set. This can mitigate scalpers hoovering up stock in the West, sure, but would it work?
After all, Pokémon Center exclusives and sales are one thing, but there is nothing stopping people at Costco from buying out sets without stores setting individual sales limits per person. Which most won't do. Companies will not impose these restrictions in most cases when they know they can immediately make profits from selling items in bulk.
However, it seems that a discussion is needed about the excessive scalping occurring both at Pokémon events and sites, as well as outside of them. If the scalping worsens, the hobby will be severely damaged. It's only a matter of time until the scalping expands into other areas of the fandom as well, before any Pokémon is a fight to beat the scalpers.
And I don't want to live in that future. And I doubt you do either. And of course, you can make the argument that the only way to combat scalpers is not to purchase the inflated items and leave them out of money. But if that were so easy, scalping would have stopped by now. Instead, it's increased.
So what can be done, truly?
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The post Real Talk: How does Pokémon deal with its scalper problem? appeared first on Destructoid.
