Retail giant puts a pause on Pokémon card sales

If you’ve been following TCG current events or our blog for that matter, then you know that card sets is as popular as ever. With the 25th Anniversary, new expansions, and things just starting to get back to normal, sort of, gamers have been going all out by scooping up as many cards and collectibles as they can. Many attribute this to the pandemic itself, but now that we’re starting to see a slight return to normalcy, sales are rising even higher. This is great news for the entire gaming/TCG world.

We can speak to this fact first-hand, as new Pokémon gear, especially card sets, have been flying off of our virtual shelves faster than ever. So, we can’t argue with the results. However, it seems that things have gotten a little too hectic, at least for one major retail outlet that recently decided to put a temporary stoppage on in-store Pokémon (and other cards) purchases.

According to numerous reports that came out in the middle of May, Target has decided to suspend the in-store purchases of Pokémon cards. In what follows, I’ll tell you all the details behind this decision and how it will affect gamers going forward. 

With that said, let’s get to the root of the story and why you can no longer ‘catch’em all’ at Target storefronts.

As you probably know by now, Target is one of the largest retail stores in the U.S. right now with almost 2,000 stores across the country. It’s in these stores, where shoppers can find nearly everything they need for sustaining their way of life. Target storefronts carry food, clothes, tools, toiletries, electronics, and, until recently, even Pokémon trading cards. So, what would prompt them to suddenly put a halt on selling one of the most popular TCG’s ever produced?

Reportedly, on May 7th, a feud between shoppers and fellow card collecting/gaming enthusiasts led to a violent outburst that resulted in one of those shoppers drawing a concealed weapon (a gun). According to reports, the dispute started in the store over a sports card pack, which then continued out into the parking lot where four individuals assaulted the customer who made the purchase. The assaulted customer responded by drawing a pistol that he had concealed under his clothing. The four attacking individuals quickly dispersed and left the area. No shots were fired throughout or after the attack.

The details behind the disagreement and what prompted the violent response are still a little sketchy, but no matter what it was, Target has since responded to the incident by suspending the in-store sale of trading cards until further notice. I actually heard a story that Target had recently put a limit on the number of trading cards in stock and sold prior to the incident, and this only pushed them further in that direction. Now, you can’t buy ANY trading cards, (Pokémon, NFL, NBA, MLB) in a Target storefront. Customers can only make these kinds of purchases online until further notice. We’ll see just how long that lasts!

Most of us are used to shopping online by now, but with so many awesome card sets out there, it’s not guaranteed that certain stores will have the exact pack that you’ve been hunting for. Here are a few of the new ones that we recently added to our site:

You can check out all of the precious Pokémon pieces that we have in our collection by clicking here. Who knows, you may come across something that Target doesn’t carry, both in-store and online. 

Also, don’t forget to find and join us on the Loupe app, which is where we do our live break sessions. Give this blog a quick read for more info on the what, where, when on that!

If you come across any further updates, news, or details from Target in regards to this ban, be sure to leave them for me in the comments section. I’ll keep an eye on this story myself, and if anything develops, I’ll add in a little update of my own.

Until we meet again,

Vince The Prince