It seems GameStop will be making some huge changes to the way that it handles trading cards very soon. According to a report from PokeBeach‘s Jon Sahagian, GameStop will soon begin accepting PSA graded cards for cash or trade-in value, most notably those from the Pokemon Trading Card Game. This new program will apparently begin at select stores very soon, and will eventually be rolled out to all locations. There will be some limitations, however. At launch, this will only include those graded by PSA, and only cards that have been given a grade of 8 or higher. Only PSA graded cards will be accepted, though PokeBeach does seem to hint that could eventually expand to cards graded by Beckett and CGC. Last but not least, no cards valued at more than $500 will be accepted.ย
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Appealing to Casual Pokemon Collectors
Apparently, that won’t be the only change, as GameStop will begin selling loose cards as well, with holograms cards and reverse holograms both priced at $1.00. A store manager that spoke to PokeBeach seemed excited about the possibilities this could open up for younger Pokemon fans.
“I think this will make the Pokemon TCG more accessible to fans, especially young kids who visit our stores. They will get to pick out cards of their favorite Pokemon. Maybe it will inspire them to dive into the TCG. Or they can pick out cards they need to finish their decks. It opens up so many new doors for fans and of course GameStop,” the manager told PokeBeach.ย
Will Pokemon Cards Save GameStop?
Local comic shops and card stores have been selling loose Pokemon cards for decades, going all the way back to 1999. GameStop’s strategy is hardly new in that regard, but it’s easy to see how this could be a huge opportunity for growth. With the sheer number of locations that GameStop has, it would make it a lot easier to actively compete with other card stores. It also seems like a natural move for the company, given the fact that it already sells Pokemon cards, and how the TCG continues to find interest on the secondary market.ย
GameStop has been struggling for several years now, with the company actively looking for new revenue streams as video games increasingly move to a digital release model. There are still a lot of people that prefer physical video games, but many retailers are shrinking their physical shelf space for games, or phasing them out completely. Those retailers have the luxury of other income streams, which is much harder to pull off for GameStop. Expanding the Pokemon card business is the first new idea from GameStop that seems like it could actually work, and get more people in the door.ย
Are you surprised about GameStop going big on Pokemon? Do you think it will help the company? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
