Pokemon Scalpers Are Forcing Stores to Lockdown Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cereal

Pokemon is living big right now on the heels of its most recent game, but not even New Pokemon [...]

By Megan Peters

Pokemon is living big right now on the heels of its most recent game, but not even New Pokemon Snap can snap scalpers away from trading cards. If you haven't been paying attention to the fandom as of late, you should know Pokemon cards are at a premium these days. The collectibles have been pushed high in the market by celebrities and influencers, so new packs sell out nearly instantly thanks to scalpers. And in light of one promo release, stores are now having to lock down cereal boxes.

A couple of months back, it was announced that The Pokemon Company was making a deal with General Mills to celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary. The deal would bring promo packs of three cards to select cereal boxes of Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and Golden Grahams. The promo collection would contain 14 different cards with a holographic Pikachu piece in each box. Plus, stores like Walmart got certain exclusive cards for monsters like Galarian Ponyta.

What happened next after the cereal promotion launched should surprise no one. We just said the Pokemon trading card crisis is hitting new levels, and it came for cereal when this news broke. Pokemon fans have flooded social media with photos of cereal aisle carnage as scalpers have ripped open boxes in stores and looted the card packs outright.

Of course, some scalpers did try to be. More courteous in their work if that's even possible. Stores have said entire pallets of these boxes have been gobbled up by Pokemon flippers. This is why you can find these promo cards going for big buck online. As you can imagine, retailers aren't too thrilled about their cereal being unboxed and plundered, so photos have surfaced showing how outlets are dealing with scalpers.

And what was the solution? Well, it came down to anti-theft devices. Some stores like Walmart have been forced to put tech on each cereal box that prevents them from being opened. These tools can be opened by cashiers once the cereal has been bought, so we can all agree this measure is a wild one. Of course, this device won't stop the most brazen of scalpers, but it is hard to believe Pokemon cards have gotten to this point in the past year.

What do you make of this absurd story...? Do you think the hype around Pokemon cards has gone too far? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

HT - Polygon

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