The latest Pokemon Trading Card Game set, Prismatic Evolutions, officially launches on January 17, but the state of pre-orders and early sales suggest this release is going to be a particular feast for scalpers. The Pokemon Company is already warning of shortages and promising to print more products.
“We’re aware that some fans may experience difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet-Prismatic Evolutions products at launch due to high demand impacting availability,” according to a post from the official Pokemon TCG account on Twitter.
“We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this. Reprinted products are expected to be available at participating retailers as soon as possible to help ensure more fans receive opportunities to access Scarlet & Violet-Prismatic Evolutions.”
Official Elite Trainer Box and booster bundles are already sold out on the official Pokemon Center store, and eBay listings for these items are already selling for well over their retail cost. The Elite Trainer Boxes, which have an MSRP of $60 USD, are now being bought for well over $200 on eBay. Booster bundles, similarly, normally sell for $27, and are now going for about $70 apiece.
Pokemon TCG fansite PokeBeach has polled local retailers to report that many of those stores are expecting to receive much less Prismatic Evolutions product than they’ve attempted to order from distributors. Players have reported on social media that many local retailers are taking extra measures against scalpers for this release, implementing ticketing systems, limiting sales per customer, and cutting open boxes at the point of sale to devalue the items for scalpers.
We won’t know exactly how these shortages play out until the set actually launches, but if The Pokemon Company is already warning buyers about it, it certainly seems likely that this release is going to be a bit of a nightmare. Here’s hoping the reprints ease the burden.
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