Pokemon TCG is one of the biggest card games, rivaling Disney Lorcana and Magic The Gathering. The release of Pokemon TCG Pocket has only brought more players to the game, and each new expansion generates a buzz around the game. The Pokemon Company’s latest expansion, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution, is set to release on January 17, 2025. Fan hype is through the roof, but there always remains a nagging thought in players’ heads: scalpers. Scalpers are notorious for buying up new expansions and booster packs, but GameStop is looking to get ahead of scalpers and made an announcement to fans.
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GameStop is preparing for the launch of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution Pokemon TCG expansion and issued a message in advance to caution buyers. The company plans to limit customers to purchasing two units of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution. Those who pre-order can purchase more units though.
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The goal for this is to prevent scalpers from scooping up all of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution and ensure more fans can get the new expansion. The question remains of whether scalpers can simply pre-order all the copies, thus leaving others unable to show up and purchase them. Of course, many stores keep stock on hand that isn’t available for pre-order, so this can prevent scalpers from getting everything.
The reason Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution has generated such a big buzz is the fact it is a special set. It will not feature normal individual booster packs, instead only releasing in bigger sets. Fans have theory-crafted other reasons why this expansion is so important for Pokemon TCG.
A large focus of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution is on Eevee, a fan-favorite Pokemon, so players want to get the new cards revolving around Eevee. This is also the first major expansion since the launch of Pokemon TCG Pocket. The mobile app has brought more fans to the actual Pokemon TCG, increasing demand.
Finally, major retailers are showing higher demands for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution sets, receiving larger shipments to their stores. This has affected smaller stores and how much stock they can get. Smaller stores are generally better at preventing scalpers from grabbing all the products than larger box stores.
All of this has led to the perfect store for scalpers to purchase all of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Prismatic Evolution, thus artificially increasing the demand. This drives up the price of reselling, meaning scalpers who have purchased large quantities would make big profits.
GameStop’s statement follows an official statement from The Pokemon Company. It reads, “We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokemon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this. Reprinted products are expected to be available at participating retailers as soon as possible to help ensure more fans receive opportunities to access Scarlet & Violet – Prismatic Evolutions. In addition, more new products from the Scarlet & Violet – Prismatic Evolutions lineup will be launching in the coming months.”
