The Pokemon Company takes big step in fighting against scalpers with TCG changes

Pokemon TCG is taking action against scalpers by enforcing a new policy that makes it harder to sell products.

While the Pokemon franchise is known to appeal to all ages, not everyone is able to fully enjoy the experience of collecting cards due to scalpers, who have become a huge problem in the community. 

These kinds of people often go all the way to empty out shelves and vending machines, leaving fellow fans unable to obtain Pokemon cards.

As many players have reported, the situation has gotten out of control recently to the point that there’s been some crisis in stock in local stores. Following this, it appears that the Pokemon Company has started to take action against scalpers.

Pokemon TCG products will have plastic wraps removed at the point of sale

As spotted by PokeBeach, the company has added a policy to combat scalpers by having stores remove the plastic wrap on booster boxes. 

Though this practice isn’t new in Japan, it is being implemented for the first time with English products, with Pokemon Center Singapore being the first to announce that they’ll be using this method.

The way this works is that when a customer makes a purchase, the outer plastic wrap will be removed before the product is handed to them.

pokebeach / the pokemon company

A comparison between a sealed and unsealed TCG product.

Of course, this isn’t generally a big deal for fans who actually purchase the product for themselves – but it’s a different story for those looking to sell at a higher price. Normally, a sealed product shows that the pack is in pristine, perfect condition.

However, with the plastic wrap removed, chances are people will be having second thoughts before buying it. In a way, it signals to them that the cards might have already been tampered with or even swapped without their knowledge.

In addition to this, the company is also taking action with vending machines. Due to the new purchase limits, scalpers can no longer clear out an entire machine in one sweep. Each machine will only release a specific amount of products at intervals.

It will also display a sign saying that “Loitering is not permitted,” likely referring to those who often camp near them.