The high demand forPrismatic Evolutionsis givingPokémon Trading Gameplayers flashbacks of pandemic-era shortages. This month, thePokémon TCGofficially releasedPrismatic Evolutions, a new “special set” focused on Eevee and its evolved forms. While normal sets are sold in individual booster packs and bundled products,Prismatic Evolutionscan only be found in special boxed sets. Unfortunately,Prismatic Evolutionshas seen overwhelming demand, which in turn has led to instant shortages during their release. Some stores have even gone as far as to say that they won’t carryPrismatic Evolutions, citing safety concerns.
ThePrismatic Evolutionsshortages are reminiscent of supply issues that first arose during the pandemic. Thanks to hype from celebrities and additional spending money thanks to travel restrictions and stimulus checks, there was an explosion of interest in thePokémonTCGand other collectible card games. Unfortunately,scalpers raided many big box stores in the hopes of re-selling the cards at a markup, leading to inflated prices and widespread shortages. Although The Pokémon Company eventually increased print runs to ease supply concerns, the recentPrismatic Evolutionsshortages have brought out the worst in Pokémon card collectors.
Prismatic Evolutions Brings Out High Demand From Fans
Special Sets Have Different Products That Are More Expensive For Stores To Stock
There are two main causes why so many people are looking forPrismatic Evolutionscards. The first is that Eevee-themed sets have traditionally sold very well on the secondary market.There was a similar run on the Eevee-themedEvolving Skiesproducts several years ago,especially once rare cards such as the Moonbreon started to sell for over a thousand dollars on eBay and other card sellers. At least inPrismatic Evolutions' early days, several cards in the set are selling for hundreds of dollars, includinga new Umbreon cardselling for as much as the last Moonbreon card.
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The other reason is the manner in whichPrismatic Evolutionswas released. The set is only available in special boxed products like Elite Trainer Boxes and special boxed collections.These products are more expensive than standard booster packsand take up more space on store shelves. While a store can spend around $100 to get a booster box display of Pokémon cards, they’d only be able to purchase around 3 Elite Trainer Boxes (rounding up) for the same amount.
Not every special set is going to be a hot seller likePrismatic Evolutions, so retailers are often faced with a choice.
Similarly, while a store could hypothetically sell the booster box’s contents to 36 different people, they’d only be able to sell the Elite Trainer Boxes to three customers. Not every special set is going to be a hot seller likePrismatic Evolutions, soretailers are often faced with a choice.Do they attempt to get in additional stock beyond what they’d usually sell in boxed product, or do they lean on past sales to make a decision?
In this case, while many retailers tried to purchase additionalPrismatic Evolutions stock, the number of stores ordering product led to some allocations, leading many retailers to getting only a fraction of what they originally ordered. If a store had pre-orders, it’s possible that they ended up with no stock left to sell after fulfilling those.
Why Scalpers Are A Big Problem In Pokémon TCG
Scalpers Buy Up Stock Using Insider Methods, Making It Harder To Find Cards At Standard Prices
In addition to the high demand for the set,Pokémon TCGcollectors have also had to deal with scalpers. Similar to the pandemic, scalpers take advantage of high demand and low supply for their financial gain. Scalpers have a few tools to help them get ahead of the average Pokémon fan.Some use computer programs to automatically buy up online stock the second it goes on sale,while others lean on their knowledge of distribution schedules to get to stores the moment that a store puts inventory on the shelf.
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Several videos have gone viral of scalpersraiding Costco storesfor a newScarlet & Violet - 151boxed set, which is rumored to be the last151set to be printed by thePokémon TCG. Not only do the videos show scalpers attacking each other, but they also reflect another sad truth.All these scalpers knew exactly when these stores were going to place their stockon shelves. While individual stores might have ways to promote a more orderly sale, the average Pokémon card buyer doesn’t have a chance against scalpers with inside information.
There’s Good News For Patient Prismatic Evolutions Fans
More Reprints Are Planned For Prismatic Evolutions
While Pokémon fans might be fretting over Prismatic Evolutions now, they shouldn’t have to wait forever.Scarlet & Violet - 151had similar influxes of demand, but Pokémon continued to print stock for well over a year.The Pokémon Company has already confirmed that they’ll be releasing additionalPrismatic Evolutionsproductsover the next few months, andreprints are also planned. This reflects a commitment by The Pokémon Company to getting their products into the hands of fans, even if takes a few extra months. However, it still doesn’t fix the overall problems caused by these special sets.
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The reality is that something needs to change with special sets. Not only are some stores opting out of stocking Prismatic Evolutions due to safety reasons, but most other retailers have also already sold out of product. While thePokémon TCGhas taken steps to increase production of their cards,some special sets are always going to have shortagessimply because they represent a bigger investment for retailers to stock properly. Gatekeeping sets behind boxed products decreases the number of customers that product reaches, no matter how many print runs a set has.
Every trading card game has its own quirks, ranging from limited promo cards to expensive “collector booster packs” that only contain rare cards. The major difference is thatthePokémonTCGis a game made for kids.Even if most players aren’t kids spending their hard-earned allowance money on cards, it’s still difficult to explain why there aren’t any Pokémon cards anywhere in the city to a nine-year-old. For the good of the game, thePokémonTCGshould consider ending special sets or at least radically changing how they get to stores.
