Pokemon TCG players left empty-handed as scalpers clear Target’s Black Friday sale

Black Friday deals have started as the holiday season is heating up, but a Pokemon TCG discount on ETBs at Target has left many tabletop fans empty-handed and furious following a sudden influx of scalpers overrunning the stores.

Pokemon cards don’t go on sale frequently. Following shortages in 2020 and 2021, and price hikes at the start of 2023 on Scarlet and Violet expansions, the tabletop game has become more expensive to invest in than ever before.

This is why a special 2024 Black Friday deal at Target caught the attention of Pokemon TCG enthusiasts. The deal brings older ETBs from the Sword and Shield era down to as little as twenty dollars a box. This is roughly half of the regular price.

Unfortunately, when players eager to add cards to their collection showed up at Target to grab a box or two, they were met with a frustrating situation reminiscent of the worst parts of the card shortages a few years ago.

Pokemon TCG Black Friday ETBs sold out as soon as stores open

One player shared their shopping experience in a Reddit post, explaining that they were unable to find any ETBs at all. Unfortunately, they did run into the scalpers who were the cause of the problem.

The post stated, “Went with two of my friends this morning to buy one or two each, got there about 20 minutes before opening, and a bunch of people were also waiting, some of them with a cart. Store opened and everyone started hauling to the back of the store, I walked over and there was nothing on display. We overheard some guy on the phone saying their buddy found them and how they’ll get $400? We asked what store and that he bought the whole display.”

Players in the comments shared their own stories, with almost every account ending in empty shelves as scalpers waited outside closed Target doors to rush the isles.

One player shared, “I showed up a few different days at three targets near me. None had them. I visited one today and it still didn’t have the display. I know not every target will have the display, but I feel the sentiment of this post. Every decent deal is bought out in bulk by resellers and it’s an issue. Not sure how else it can be fixed other than limiting purchasing item count. I did see a target have a sign that limits TCG purchases to 4 items due to demand, though I’m not sure it’s enforced.”

Purchase limit signs were a common sight for years at most stores that carried Pokemon cards. It’s only been recently that the signs have vanished, allowing players to grab more than two or three items a piece.

Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the only account of scalpers ruining Pokemon TCG opportunities for fans of the series. During the Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum exhibit in late 2023 through early 2024, the exhibit gift shop was overwhelmed with scalpers attempting to get a Van Gogh Pikachu card that was given with purchases made.

Additionally, Pokemon TCG and McDonald’s crossover promotions are often swarmed by scalpers buying up dozens of Happy Meals for the card packs inside. During the first year of the promotion, most McDonald’s locations ran out of packs long before any of the children they were intended for could get ahold of them.

Unfortunately, the best way to prevent scalping is to avoid buying marked-up products via online marketplaces. Because most TCG players were after the older ETBs specifically because of the discount, the best thing to do is ignore any resales online and wait for the next opportunity to get them at MSRP or below.