Target Pulls Pokemon Cards From Stores Citing Threat To Workers And Customers
May 13, 2021 / 4:46 PM / MoneyWatch
Target is pulling in-store sales of popular trading cards, citing employee safety, after a parking lot brawl in one of its stores last week. The retailer told CBS MoneyWatch it would no longer sell Pokemon and sports trading cars in its physical locations starting Friday.
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com,” a Target spokesperson said in a statement.
Trading cards have surged in popularity during the pandemic. Pokemon cards, especially, are flying off the shelves so fast the printing press can barely keep up. Some early editions of the card game, which turns 25 this year, have fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars in online auctions; even recently printed Pokemon cards are quickly climbing in price.
Soaring card prices are driving some would-be collectors to extremes. In recent months, scalpers have targeted Pokemon cards destined for McDonald’s Happy Meals and ravaged cereal boxes on supermarket shelves to extract the special-edition cards within. In Japan, one man allegedly climbed down a rope to break into a store;and carry away $9,000 worth of Pokemon cards, according to TheGamer.com.
Pokemon Trading Cards Removed From Target Walmart Shelves
You can’t catch ’em all in these stores.
Don’t look to Walmart or Target for your Pokemon trading card needs.
Pokemon trading cards are worth more now than ever before. Thanks to this rise in popularity in trading cards across the board, there’s also been a rise in collectors acting badly leading to stores taking action. ;
Customers visiting Walmart and Target stores this past week saw signs saying NFL, MLB, NBA, Pokemon and other trading cards have been removed from shelves, according to Bleeding Cool on Tuesday. A sign at Walmart says it suspended the selling of cards because of “inappropriate customer behavior.” Target says safety for its employees and customers is the reason it removed trading cards from stores.;
“Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14,” the company said in an email Friday.;
Target is no longer selling Pokémon cards in stores to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.
There were no specific events provided by either store, but on Friday, police were called to a Target store in Wisconsin when a person allegedly pulled a gun over a trading card dispute.;
Walmart didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Retailer Is Pulling Cards Out Of An Abundance Of Caution After A Parking Lot Dispute In Wisconsin Turned Violent
Target says its done with trading cards at least for the time being after a dispute outside one of its Milwaukee-area stores escalated into violence and multiple arrests.
A spokesman for the retail giant said in a statement that it will stop selling MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon cards in stores on Friday out of an abundance of caution, but that theyll still be available online.
The company declined further comment.
The baseball card industry a blanket term for all trading cards, including popular game and collection brands Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh has exploded during the pandemic, according to aficionados, as people reengage with old habits, and many face financial pressures. Grading companies, or firms that appraise a cards value, have been inundated with submissions from new and existing collectors resulting in backlogs of millions of items.
Demand at retail establishments, especially big-box stores, has swelled, collectors say, as enterprising card flippers descend on stores, purchase their inventories and resell them at sometimes four or five times their retail price online, where The Hobby, as collectors affectionately call it, has been sequestered during the coronavirus crisis.
Its probably easier to project a player thats going to get better than analyze tech start-ups.
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Why Is Target Not Selling Pokmon Cards
Target has stopped selling Pokémon cards due to safety concerns for employees and other patrons.
The increased resale values of the collectible item has sparked violence in certain Target stores around the country.
Target confirmed this decision to comic book and game website Bleeding Cool.
The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, weve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14,” the retailer said in a statement.
Why Did Target Stop Selling Sports Cards
Its simple really trading cards are majorly hyped right now. The popularity has skyrocketed throughout the pandemic as people sought out new investment opportunities. But the search for trading cards has become troublesome, too. For example, a man pulled a gun on someone in a Target parking lot over trading cards in the last few days.
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- People have reportedly been opening cereal boxes in stores to steal the included Pokémon cards out of them. And someone in Japan even climbed down a rope to steal almost $9,000 worth of the cardboard cards designed for kids, The Verge reports.
In addition to the Pokemon card crisis, Target has seen major lines as people waited for cards to hit the shelves, according to Vice.
- Target stores around the country have lines around the block every Friday morning and the company has begun to consider whether it might have to call the cops to prevent people from camping out overnight
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Target Halts Sale Of Trading Cards Including Pokmon Over Safety Concerns
Target said it will temporarily stop selling trading cards, including Pokémon, after a disagreement over the collectibles sparked a fight at a store in Wisconsin.
In an emailed statement, a Target spokesperson said that beginning Friday it will “temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores.” The cards will still be available for purchase online.
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, a man was injured after he got into a fight with four suspects in the parking lot of a Target in Brookfield. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the brawl started after the men got into a disagreement over trading cards.
Police told the outlet that four men between the ages of 23 and 35 physically assaulted the victim. The man, 35, suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization.
The victim, who has a concealed carry weapons license, allegedly grabbed his gun and the four men fled. They were eventually located and arrested on charges of battery, strangulation and disorderly conduct, the outlet reported. Brookfield police did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
According to eBay’s first-ever State of Trading Cards report, there was a 142 percent surge in domestic sales of sports, collectible card games and non-sport trading cards in 2020 than the year before.
Target Is Temporarily Stopping Sales Of Pokemon Sports Trading Cards In Stores Amid Safety Concerns
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Video above: Man attacked over sports trading cards, police say
Target has announced that it will temporarily stop selling trading cards of both the sports and Pokemon variety in stores following a recent violent dispute at one of its locations.
Last week, a Target in Wisconsin was locked down after a man was physically assaulted by four others over sports trading cards.
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority,” Target said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14.”
The cards will still be available online, the company said.
The value of trading cards has skyrocketed in recent months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2020, a rare Charizard Pokemon card with minimum bid set at $50,000 sold for $360,000 through Goldin Auctions. Another sold for almost $400,000 earlier this year, and the auction house told CNN they’ve seen an increase in value over the course of the pandemic.
Sports cards have seen a similar rise.
In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000 at an auction run by Goldin Auctions. The exact same item went for nearly $215,000 just weeks before.
Target did not say when it would begin selling the cards in stores again.
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Target To Temporarily Pause Sales Of Popular Sports Pokmon Cards Due To Safety Concerns
Retail store Target released a statement this week stating it will temporarily pause sales of NFL, NBA, MLB and Pokémon cards out of caution for its employees and customers.
The increase in demand for trading cards has caused issues for the retailer in its stores that range from massive crowds gathering trying to obtain the cards to, in some cases, violence.
These issues are not limited to Target stores and have been occurring nationwide. Retail store Meijer has had to adjust its policies due to demand, limiting customers to only two items per transaction, and the cards are sold behind the electronics desk instead of on the shelves.
Target implemented a policy in early 2021, limiting customers to just three sports card items per customer. That eventually was adjusted to only one item per household, and at most locations, the cards were moved from the shelves to the customer service desk where the sales could be controlled.
Part of the increase in issues has been through the increase in popularity in sports cards, but also the increase in prices on the secondary market.
A company spokesperson confirmed the removal of the cards was only temporary. The store will continue to sell cards online through Target.com.
The store has put restrictions on high demand products in the past and will evaluate its options for how to better sell the cards in the near future.
Target Will Stop Selling Pokmon Cards In Stores Citing Employee Safety
Target has decided that its had enough: the company has officially confirmed to Bleeding Coolthat it will halt the sales of Pokémon cards throughout the US, starting Friday, May 14th. The retailer cities an abundance of caution for the safety of both guests and store employees and notes that it will still be selling the cards on its site.
Currently, Pokémon cards are having a moment: people have swamped card grading companies, hoping to get a rating that makes their cards more valuable, and The Pokémon Company has been rushing to print enough cards to meet the demand. It seems that all the big numbers around the truly rare original cards have caused a lot of excitement around new cards as well. But Target isnt feeling the hype.
Its hard to blame the retailer, as the situation around the trading cards seems wildly out of control. People have reportedly been opening cereal boxes in stores to steal the included Pokémon cards out of them. And someone in Japan even climbed down a rope to steal almost $9,000 worth of the cardboard cards designed for kids.
The situation around the trading cards seems wildly out of control
Before Targets official statement, some people had seen signs announcing the new policy in the aisles of their local stores, signs which have apparently been showing up all over the US.
So, I guess Pokémon, MLB, NFL, and NBA trading cards are no longer going to be sold at Target stores starting this Friday.
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Target Stops Selling Pokemon Sports Trading Cards In Stores Over Safety Concerns
Target is temporarily halting sales of all Pokémon and sports trading cards in its stores.
Last week, a Wisconsin Target was locked down after four people assaulted a man over sports trading cards.
The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority, Target said in a statement to CNN. Out of an abundance of caution, weve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14.
Target plans to continue selling the cards online and didnt say when they might return to stores again.
Competitor Walmart says it will continue to sell cards in its stores.
The value of trading cards has skyrocketed during the pandemic.
In December 2020, a rare Charizard Pokémon card sold for $360,000 through Goldin Auctions.
In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000.
Just a few weeks earlier, the exact same item went for nearly $215,000.
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Pokemon Tcg Scalping Escalates Target Reacts
On May 14, Target decided to stop selling Pokemon cards altogether as a way to keep employees and customers safe.
Starting in 2020, Pokemon cards blew up thanks to big name YouTubers, causing skyrocketing prices in the once-niche marketplace. This led to scalping, which saw crowds of Pokemon sellers bombarding Target and other retailers in an attempt to grab as much product as possible to sell at extreme prices online.;
In response, Target and other stores put a purchase limit on all cards, usually allowing just two products per customer. This already had many in the Pokemon community infuriated, causing even more tension as scalpers continue dto buy out product at an alarming rate.;
Pokemon community members would often post photos of their kids standing next to empty shelves, unable to purchase packs for their family due to extreme scalping. But some card collectors decided to take matters into their own hands, attacking a scalper in a parking lot.
In response, Target stated that it was “reevaluation protocols.” The Pokemon TCG community instantly started discussing the possibility of Target pulling cards from the shelves altogether. That eventually came true shortly after the violent incident. This caused an uproar in the Pokemon TCG community, with some collectors applauding the stores and others condemming them.;
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Where To Buy Pokmon Cards In The Us As Target Suspends Sales
Pokémon trading cards are getting increasingly hard to come by as such collectibles have seen a huge boom in popularity in the past year, with the rarest ones selling for thousands of dollars.
Card mania has already caused a ban on in-store sales at Target after a fight broke out. There have also been unfounded rumors of a sales suspension at Walmart and collectors are being driven to reselling sites, where they face high prices and the risk of scams.
According to a report by Insider, TCGplayer, one of the main Pokémon card resellers online, shipped more than 16.2 million single Pokémon cards to players and local hobby shops in 2020. It also said that the number of top collectible cards priced over $50 rose 466 percent.
The Pokémon craze may have been partly influenced by YouTuber Logan Paul, who spent $2 million on cards and later auctioned them off. It has also caused fans to do some crazy thingsa man in Tokyo was arrested after climbing down a rope hanging from a rooftop, smashing a store window and stealing about $9,000 worth of the cards.
So, where can Pokemon fans who don’t have $2 million to spend find their trading cards? Find out below.
When Did Things Become Violent
At a Target in Brookfield, Wisconsin, on May 7, 2021, a scrimmage over Pokémon cards became violent.
Five men were fighting in the parking lot of the retailer when one man pulled out a gun, ABC reported.
An onlooker in the parking lot spoke to Fox about the incident.
Its just kind of sad for the kids. It just sounds kind of ridiculous that adults got into a fight in the parking lot about trading cards,” they said.
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Mcdonalds Pokmon Happy Meals Are Coming To The Uk Following Us Scalper Chaos
Earlier this year, McDonalds restaurants in the US had to place restrictions on Happy Meal sales after they were targeted by scalpers reselling their limited edition Pokémon 25th anniversary cards on auction sites for hundreds of dollars.
According to social media reports, some collectors were even buying the Happy Meals in mass numbers, in the hopes of obtaining new cards, and throwing out the food.
McDonalds UK will be selling the cards in Happy Meals from next week, but sales will be restricted in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the situation in America.
Walmart And Target Tcgs Cancelled No More Pokemon Cards
Hey everyone and welcome back to ChannelFireball, your favorite trading card website! I am back with another article on the Pokemon collecting world and boy do I think this will be a good one.
Scalping is certainly a touchy subject in the community, as it should be, and recent developments have shown the effects that scalping has on the hobby. Not only has it led to prices being slightly increased online or in some cases greatly increased but it has created tension in a wholesome community that just wants to have product available on the shelves. Up until recently, this is the worst it has ever been, but now its gone a step further. Pokemon cards and possibly some other trading card games are reportedly not going to be sold at Target and Walmart stores anymore due to the trouble they are causing.
I am sure everyone is aware of this by now, but Pokemon is absolutely booming and has been since right before the pandemic started. It was advertised by celebrities, people were looking for things to do, nostalgia finally kicked in and it was already wildly popular to begin with.
Sealed Pokemon product is performing very well right now and some of it is difficult to obtain at a reasonable price. I do have some bad news and some good news for you Pokemon fans out there that I will be sharing in this article. Time to move on to the bad and then we can wrap things up in a positive manner.
Peace!
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