Target will now call the police on Pokemon card scalpers

Brent Koepp
Target store next to Officer Jenny from the Pokemon anime

Popular retailer Target has had enough of Pokemon Trading Card Game scalpers. Following a drastic overhaul to their policies, the store is now willing to call the police on the relentless Nintendo collectible sellers.

Pokemon card fever is in full swing, with the 90’s hobby reaching a level of popularity that no one could have ever imagined possible. With items once traded on school playgrounds selling for as much as a house, scalpers have gone to great lengths to get their hands on whatever products they can.

From ruining McDonald’s Happy Meals for children in February to literally tearing open cereal boxes, the insane desperation of sellers has become overwhelming. North American retailer Target is no longer having it, and is now willing to get law enforcement involved to stop the TCG scalping.

Officer Jenny in Pokemon anime arresting
Target may now call the police on Pokemon card scalpers.

Target is willing to call the police on Pokemon card scalpers

The Pokemon TCG is in a dire state in 2021 as fans and players are struggling to buy cards. The Nintendo collectibles’ explosion over the past two years has led to a major surge in sellers devouring products as soon as they hit store shelves.

North American chain Target was particularly hit by the problem and became so overwhelmed in March that they had to start selling Pokemon cards only one day a week. With the situation not improving, the corporation is now willing to call the cops on scalpers.

According to posts on the r/PokemonTCG subreddit, various locations of the retail giant have told staff that they may call the police on scalpers. In an April 23 upload, a Pokemon fan posted a policy letter from the corporation that read: “Inform guests as of April 30th, they are not allowed to spend the night in line. If guests have been informed but remain on the property for 30 minute afterwards stores should partner with their [security] and determine if law enforcement is required.”

It is unclear if this is a nationwide policy, although various collectors have reported seeing the image at their local store. This isn’t the first time the company has taken aim at TCG scalpers either, as in March they took major steps to limit the amount of Nintendo collectibles that they can buy.

While the move to get police involved may seem drastic, fans of the trading card game have reported chaos at shops as scalpers and fans battle it out to secure products. There has even been instances of players being physically assaulted. One thing is for certain, Pokemon cards are in a dire state.

About The Author

Brent is a former writer at Dexerto based in the United States, who covered topics such as Pokemon, Gaming, and online Entertainment.