Pokemon Fans Celebrate Target Over The Retailer’s Aggressive Tactics to Prevent Scalpers: “They’re On a Slash Fest”
Over the last several years, Pokemon fans have struggled to enjoy the Pokemon TCG due to increasingly aggressive scalpers. Rare promo cards like the infamous Van Gogh Pikachu are often targeted, but more often, resellers bank on sealed product to make the biggest profit. That’s part of why new Pokemon card drops disappear from shelves in retailers so quickly. Recently, however, Target garnered the attention of Pokemon fans with a new anti-scalper measure in stores. Target employees have been slashing open the shrink wrap on Pokemon TCG product before putting it on shelves. Now, fans are once again praising the big box store for this measure, which goes even further than we previously believed.
The word about Target’s new scalper prevention process quickly spread on the Pokemon corner of social media. Fans shared videos of Target shelves, with slashed shrinkwrap on each and every box. But now, Pokemon fans are singing the store’s praises yet again as online orders arrive at their final destinations. Apparently, it’s not just in-store product that Target is trying to protect from scalper resales. It’s also online orders, making it even harder for scalpers to get their hands on sealed product to resell.
Target Delivers a Critical Hit in the Battle Against Pokemon Scalpers
Individual rare cards from the Pokemon TCG do make up some percentage of the resale market. That’s why events like McDonald’s collabs with Pokemon cards involved quickly devolve into chaos. But by and large, many resellers have turned to sealed, unopened Pokemon product for the majority of their profits. After all, unopened ETB from a coveted release like Prismatic Evolutions could contain a rare card that’s worth thousands. But it also might not contain any cards of value. So, marking up a sealed collection over MSRP is a more consistent way to profit off Pokemon cards. That’s especially true when demand outpaces supply, which has been the case the last few years.
Not long after new sets release, listings on reseller sites like eBay and TCG Player often hit numbers way above MSRP. But in order to sell sealed ETBs and similar product, scalpers rely on the box being sealed, shrink wrap intact. It’s the only way to really prove you didn’t open the box and take all the valuable goodies out of it, after all. That’s part of why some card shows have begun banning the sale of sealed Pokemon TCG product. Now, Target is taking it a step further to make sure no one has access to sealed product to scalp in the first place.
Though scalpers certainly do show up in person to buy Pokemon TCG product they plan to resell, many also employ bots to quickly snatch up online merchandise. Those who employed that tactic in the recent Target restock of Prismatic Evolutions, however, may well be in for a shock. According to posts like this one from a popular Pokemon TCG account, online orders for Pokemon cards are also having the shrinkwrap cut before shipping out to customers. This theoretically hurts the resale value for scalpers, but shouldn’t harm the cards inside for actual fans and players. For the most part, Pokemon fans are applauding the move.
Didn’t realise Target was also cutting the shrink wrap for online orders aswell!
— Pokemon Giveaways (@PokeTCGiveaways) August 6, 2026https://t.co/KaNC24onqE pic.twitter.com/JnTLlJpMEw
“Good, tired of scalpers ruining everything,” says one Pokemon fan on X, adding, “I hope Target keeps doing this.” And between in-store reports and now online orders, it does seem like a new strategy to keep product from falling into the wrong hands. As one comment puts it, “They’re on a slash fest.” By and large, Pokemon TCG enthusiasts are here for anything that might put a damper on scalpers’ spirits. But not everyone is thrilled.
A closer look at the video reveals that the slash on this Prismatic Evolutions Super Premium Collection doesn’t just cut the plastic wrap. The cut goes right through the center of the box itself. Those who like to collect or keep the boxes for their big Pokemon TCG purchases are understandably upset to see it, leading some to feel Target has gone too far with this one. “It is now a damaged box, and I want a discount,” says one X user. Others share the sentiment, noting that cutting the plastic wrap is fine, but Target should be more careful not to also destroy the packaging.
Even with a few detractors, though, most Pokemon fans are just happy to see Target taking measures to stop scalpers in their tracks. Thus far, even in-store item limits and online queues don’t seem to have made much of a dent. But making it so that product can’t be resold for a high value could be a different story, and many fans are hopeful this could finally help keep Pokemon cards on shelves.