It feels like only yesterday that people were brawling in Costco over Scarlet and Violet – Prismatic Evolutions Pokemon cards. Yet another popular Pokemon TCG set has arrived, and it’s seeing similar shortage issues to the Eeveelution set. The Pokemon 151: Blooming Waters Premium Collection launched on February 7th alongside the Prismatic Evolutions mini-tins. Both of these are new collections of cards that have already been printed, but clearly, demand for Pokemon 151 and Prismatic Evolutions remains high. This led Pokemon fans and resellers to once again line up at their local Gamestop, with disappointing results.
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Though no all-out fist fights have made the rounds with this latest release, many fans are sharing the long lines at retailers, particularly GameStop. Once again, there don’t seem to be nearly enough cards to go around as fans attempt to get ahold of even just one Blooming Waters set. In fact, many GameStop locations have reportedly been posting paper signs on their store windows with updates on their stock. And that stock seems suspiciously low, even by Pokemon TCG standards.
While some lucky fans have managed to get their hands on the Blooming Waters Premiun Set, plenty of collectors are once again leaving empty handed. Many GameStop locations appeared to have anywhere from just a few to zero of the new Mini Tins, Surprise Boxes, and Blooming Waters sets. This led some fans to wonder if employees weren’t taking advantage of the early access to stock, as many question how stores have so few of the new sets even after the Pokemon Company promised to do better after Prismatic Evolutions.
Pokemon Fans Turn on GameStop, Citing Shortages & Price Gouging
Shortly after the Costco debacle with the last Prismatic Evolutions release, GameStop posted a sassy message on social media. The repost of the viral video included a suggestion that, due to GameStop’s Blooming Waters limit of 2 per customer, their stores were above such issues.
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Many fans are thinking back on this post now, as stores seem unable to provide even those two measly boxes for most customers. As one post compiling signs from various GameStop locations reveals, many shops claimed to have only 1 or 2 total boxes of the new Pokemon TCG cards before they even opened. This has led many fans to speculate that employees must be buying up the stock before it hits shelves.
Whether or not that’s true, many stores accepted preorders for Blooming Waters and the new additions to the Prismatic Evolutions line. So, it is certainly possible that the shortages are due to the fact that preorders accounted for most of the stock these locations received. Regardless of the cause, collectors are frustrated to once again line up early only to find no Pokemon TCG cards available.
Others note the upcharge on stock that is available. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Blooming Waters Premium Collection. is $59.99. According to customer reports and the current website pricing, GameStop is selling the sets for $10 above that, at $69.99. This isn’t nearly the upcharge we can expect from resellers who nabbed the cards today, but has some customers feeling extra frustrated as the stock shortages and excess cost combine.
Unlike with Prismatic Evolutions, The Pokemon Company has not yet issued a statement about the shortage issues for Blooming Waters specifically. They have, however, implemented changes to the Pokemon Center website in an effort to tackle bots and scalpers buying up cards online. Despite this, many fans report being unable to get ahold of the cards on release day. Clearly, the difference in supply and demand will continue to be an issue for Pokemon TCG fans for the foreseeable future.
Were you able to get the Prismatic Evolutions or Blooming Waters sets? Let us know in the comments below!
