By Dexerto | Created at 2026-10-13 13:44:56 | Updated at 2026-10-15 20:03:44
2 days ago
The Pokemon Company has teamed up with major Japanese online marketplaces to introduce new restrictions aimed at preventing scalpers from reselling Pokemon cards.
The measures, which came into effect on October 13, target bulk listings and certain types of Pokemon TCG products on Yahoo! Auctions and Yahoo! Flea Market in Japan.
Pokemon introduces new restrictions to tackle TCG scalpers
Announced by LINE Yahoo (machine translated), the new rules prohibit sellers from listing Pokemon cards by the carton (multiple booster boxes still in wholesale packaging), as well as empty booster boxes and packs.
The platforms are also restricting large quantities of the same product being listed shortly after release, beginning with the Pokemon TCG’s 30th Celebration set.
PokemonPokemon’s 30th Anniversary set has been heavily targeted by scalpers.
The restrictions are intended to make it harder for scalpers to buy up large quantities of newly released cards and immediately resell them through popular online marketplaces.
However, the changes do not amount to a blanket ban on Pokemon card resales. Individual cards and other products can still be sold, provided they comply with the platforms’ rules.
The crackdown follows similar measures introduced by Mercari, another major Japanese resale platform, which placed temporary restrictions on sealed 30th Celebration products in September.
No such measures exist outside of Japan, where scalping has been a recurring problem in the hobby, especially on sites like eBay, where retail TCG products are regularly relisted for more than their RRP.
Prices for modern and vintage cards have ballooned to such a degree that thefts and store break-ins have become frequent occurrences.
