Target’s New Pokémon Card Policy Sparks Debate — ‘Limits Would Make More Sense’

A video showing how one Target store is handling popular Pokémon card releases has sparked debate online. The clip shows employees removing the plastic wrapping from Pokémon card boxes in what appears to be an effort to discourage scalpers from reselling the sought-after products. However, not everyone was impressed with the approach, with some arguing it could affect legitimate collectors more than resellers looking to make a profit.

In the video, the employees have a cart with boxes of Pokémon cards in front of them. They’re each taking the individual wrapping off the boxes and throwing them away. They then stack the boxes back on the cart to go out onto the sales floor. 

The video was shared to X with the caption, “Targets are now completely removing the plastic seal on Pokémon products to stop scalpers.”

While some collectors thought this would be beneficial, others thought it would end up giving genuine Pokémon collectors cards that were no longer properly sealed in the box.

“This backfires on actual collectors way more than scalpers at first. Scalpers will just move on to sealed inventory somewhere else, leaving regular buyers stuck with ruined boxes. It could work in the long run, but right now it’s just collateral damage for the wrong people,” one person wrote. Another added, “This actually punishes honest collectors more than scalpers in the short term, since scalpers just move to whatever's still sealed elsewhere while regular buyers get stuck with damaged boxes. Might work eventually but the timing hits the wrong people first.”

Others came up with solutions they thought were better. “This is a bad move. Sealed product is what a lot of actual collectors and kids want, not just scalpers. Ruining the packaging for everyone doesn’t fix the shortage, it just makes the cards less desirable for the people who actually care about them. Limits on how many you can buy would make way more sense.”

True Pokémon Card Collectors Didn't Like This Idea

Others thought it may be beneficial to place the Pokémon cards in a locked case. They argued purchase limits would address the issue without removing the packaging.

Some couldn’t believe Pokémon cards were still something people cared about. “I used to collect Pokémon cards when I was like 9. What’s the craze for them now? I swear they died out and now they’re having a resurgence. Have I just been living under a rock or sumn?”

Overall, it seemed genuine collectors were not interested in having unsealed boxes available to them, even if it prevents scalpers from reselling them online. Instead, they’d prefer stores to limit the amount that could be purchased per person to give all shoppers a fair chance to get the latest Pokémon card releases.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify whether the practice shown in the video reflects Target's broader policy or was limited to a single store.