New Pokémon merch has been coming to Target stores, and with new policies being put in place, it’s going to be harder for the scalpers to scoop everything up themselves. It’s bad news for those looking to resell these items at a marked-up cost online, but it’s good news for other collectors.
As reported by Polygon, many Target stores are enforcing purchase limits across all Pokémon merchandise. Shoppers have also observed trading cards and trading card accessories being limited to one item per buyer. The company is said to be allowing individual store owners to handle the situation as they choose, but more and more locations are getting in on the enforcement of these rules with the support of Target execs. By and large, it’s looking to be mostly well-received by collectors outside of resellers, going by the reactions on social media.
Limits Are Being Enforced at Target Locations
On Reddit, there are also posts going viral with shoppers sharing images of new fliers touting these policies. One new image shows a flier that specifically forbids selling to resellers to ensure “all guests have a fair opportunity to purchase products,” which must be “for personal use only.” While it’s not always possible to know who might be buying items with the intention of reselling them, moving forward with added restrictions, like selling one or two items per person, would play a big part in cutting down on the practice.
“The Target I work at it’s been a limit of 2 per item per person but the new Pokémon stuff some has gone to 1 per person because of how crazy people get. It’s sad to see grown men fight over a Pokémon themed kickball at 7am,” one comment reads.
Target Workers Are Implementing New Methods
Of course, there are other ways to push back against scalpers. Recently, footage went viral of a Target employee cutting open Pokémon card boxes to prevent resales. This has gotten a lot of support from fans, with some commenters saying they’ve actually seen products sitting on the shelves long enough to be purchased by kids as a result. In the viral video, the Target worker says he’s been given the right to slash open boxes to mitigate the issue of scalpers, claiming that it’s being enforced on a store-by-store basis.
The situation with Pokémon products has become quite problematic in recent years, leading to issues with theft and in-store confrontations between customers. Many shops have stopped selling cards and similar products altogether in order to avoid the problem entirely. In 2021, Target temporarily suspended in-store sales of trading cards, citing safety concerns, making them available online exclusively for a period of time. In Japan, The Pokémon Company announced a policy that requires customers to show ID before buying products.
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