With the Pokémon TCG’s explosion in value in 2022, collectors have struggled to purchase Pokémon cards. Here is how to avoid TCG card scalpers.

With the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s increase in TCG card scalpers, it’s left many fans wondering how they can get their hands on Pokémon cards without having to buy from resellers. Despite releasing in North America decades ago, the Pokémon TCG has seen a major resurgence in popularity in 2022 after a handful of Pokémon cards sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. YouTuber Logan Paul even scooped up a rare Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator promo card from 1997 for a record $5.2 million. Due to the skyrocketing prices, scalpers have flooded the Pokémon TCG market to try to get in on the profits being made on the Nintendo collectibles.

Although the most valuable items in the Pokémon TCG have been from retro releases such as the iconic Base Set from 1999, even modern-day expansions such as Shining Fates and Brilliant Stars have not been safe from resellers. Across the world, retailers have not been able to keep Pokémon cards in stock, due to TCG scalpers stripping store shelves of any product as soon as they go on sale. Resellers became so problematic that Target temporarily stopped selling Pokémon cardsaltogether due to how overwhelming scalpers had become at retail locations. Even when popular fast-food chain McDonald’s launched a Pokémon 25th Anniversary promotion campaign in 2021, TCG fans were disgusted by reports of scalpers buying hundreds of Happy Meals so they could resell the promotional Pokémon cards for exorbitant prices on eBay.

While for decades Pokémon TCG collectors have been able to buy cards without any problems, the massive influx of scalpers has left many out in the cold. The problem became so bad that The Pokémon Company addressed the supply issues on the official Pokémon Support website. As a result of rampant scalping, Pokémon card collectors have had to come up with crafty strategies to get a one-up on scalpers. Some Pokémon fans have even started hiding TCG products from resellers under store shelves so that they can purchase the cards at a later date. The controversial tactic is frowned upon by most retailers, however, and has also become pretty well known in the community. Here are the best strategies for how to avoid Pokémon TCG card scalpers. 

Wait For Pokémon Card Restocks

Although fear of missing out is a feeling any Pokémon TCG fan can relate to, it’s better to just sit tight and wait for a restock than to buy from resellers. Ever since the influx of consumers purchasing Pokémon TCG products, The Pokémon Company has made an effort to do re-prints for every new set up to a year after its release. As of 2022, most modern Pokémon card expansions no longer stay sold out, so collectors willing to wait a few months after the expansion's launch will be able to get their hands on an abundance of products for retail prices. 

Purchasing Pokémon TCG restock will not only lead to massive savings for collectors, but it’s also the most direct way for the Pokémon TCG community to put a dent in the scalping industry. After all, it’s consumers willing to purchase from resellers that allow them to thrive in the first place. Pokémon fans should make sure to check the official Pokémon Center website, which actively updates its store with TCG restock. In 2021, the storefront even started selling older sets from the Sun & Moon era at a fraction of the price that products from the set had been reselling online. 

Join Pokémon TCG Fan Groups

One of the most effective methods for avoiding Pokémon TCG scalpers is to join community groups on Facebook and Reddit. Since the scalping problem impacts all Pokémon collectors, fellow fans are willing to help each other out. Popular groups such as the r/PokemonTCG Reddit forum will often track when Pokémon card products will come back into stock, giving members an early shot at purchasing items before scalpers can swoop in and snatch them up.

Another major benefit of Pokémon TCG fan groups is trading. Pokémon fans desperately trying to complete their collection can find others with duplicates of the item they are looking for. Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for a Brilliant Stars Charizard, players can obtain it for free with a simple trade. Unlike in the '90s when trading was done on school playgrounds, Pokémon TCG collectors can now be instantly connected with thousands of players around the world through online forums.

Community groups will also have members willing to sell brand new Pokémon TCG products at retail prices. Due to the massive influx of scalpers hitting the hobby, many Pokémon fans have been purchasing extra TCG items to sell to other collectors who are not able to find Pokemon cards in their local area. All told, Pokémon TCG fan forums are some of the most useful resources out there for those trying to collect Pokémon cards in 2022.

Don't Purchase Pokémon Cards From Unofficial Retailers

In 2017, Pokémon TCG collectors discovered that the Sun & Moon era booster boxes could have their contents mapped out. This meant that collectors were able to figure out which packs had the rare Pokémon cards inside, which resulted in scalpers selling the rest of the dud packs online. While The Pokémon Company has since taken steps to correct this, various reports in 2021 claimed that the Japanese version of Evolving Skies had seen a return of the mapping problem.

Even when Pokémon TCG products aren't mappable, scalpers have also discovered that weighing packs in various sets can also tip them off to which packs have rare holographic Pokémon cards inside. Ultimately, it's not worth purchasing Pokémon card products online from unofficial retailers. Not only are items often grossly overpriced, but Pokémon fans can't be guaranteed they are going to have a fair shot at scoring a rare collectible inside of the pack they bought.

Since the Pokémon TCG has skyrocketed in popularity, so much of the discussion has been around scalpers and the impact the resellers have had on the Nintendo hobby. The 2021 launch of Pokémon Shining Fates was overshadowed, for instance, after scalpers turned violent due to product scarcity. While there is no definitive fix to the scalping problem, The Pokémon Company has taken serious steps to combat the issue by increasing production. The best way for Pokémon fans to avoid scalpers is to have patience and not buy from resellers at any cost if possible. If nothing else, the problem has united the Pokémon TCG community in a way not seen since its launch in the '90s.

Next: Best Pokémon Cards That Don't Cost A Fortune

Source: Pokémon Support, Pokémon TCG/Reddit