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Target has First Partner Series 3 boxes for $17.99 versus $35–$40 on TCGplayer; each includes three starter promos and two packs from Chaos Rising and Pitch Black.
Fans report Target is removing or cutting shrink wrap in stores and on online orders, including Prismatic Evolutions ETBs, to reduce products’ resale appeal; Target has not confirmed the policy.
Fans report Target is removing or cutting shrink wrap on in-store and online orders, including Prismatic Evolutions ETBs, leaving affected products worth less on the sealed resale market.
Some shoppers report Target staff removing or cutting shrink wrap, including on Prismatic Evolutions ETBs and online orders, to reduce sealed-product resale value; Target has not confirmed the policy.
Fans report Target employees removing shrink wrap from Prismatic Evolutions ETBs under an alleged corporate directive, reducing their resale value by making tampering impossible to rule out.
Target is cutting shrink wrap on in-store and online Pokémon TCG orders, including Prismatic Evolutions products; one cut reportedly damaged the collection box itself.
Some Target stores are slashing shrink wrap or opening boxes before shelving Pokémon TCG products, a location-dependent tactic intended to reduce their sealed resale value and deter bulk buying.
Target’s wider electronics-area displays are holding more Pokémon inventory, with some Minnesota restocks lasting hours; the retailer’s TCG category reportedly grew 70% to over $1 billion.
Customers in Minnesota and Pennsylvania reported that local Target stores received no Pitch Black stock at launch, with no arrival date confirmed and the scale of the disruption unclear.
Customers in Minnesota and Pennsylvania reported that Target stores received no Pitch Black stock on launch day, with no arrival date given; the issue appears to be a shipping error.
Customers in Minnesota and Pennsylvania found some Target locations empty on July 17, while one store received 20 ETBs; later vendor drops may still replenish stock.
Target has the Mega Zygarde ex Premium Collection for $44.99, with six Perfect Order packs, two Phantasmal Flames packs, and two Zygarde promo cards.
GameStop opened Sept. 16 pre-orders with the anniversary ETB at $129.99 versus a typical $49.99, yet buyers reported ordering as many as eight amid sellout fears.
First Partner Illustration Series 2 products are reportedly reselling for $58 against a $15.99 MSRP, as the article proposes Valve’s randomized reservation queue as an anti-bot model.
Some Target stores are reportedly opening eligible boxes before shelving them and limiting customers to one purchase per Pokémon product, though a corporate mandate remains unverified.
Some Target stores are reportedly limiting shoppers to one item per Pokémon product and refusing reseller sales, though enforcement varies by location and Target has not confirmed the policy.
Pokémon listings on StockX rose 367% in early 2025 as crypto-era collectors shifted toward graded cards; Courtyard’s monthly sales grew from $50,000 to $50 million in 18 months.
Customer reports say some Target managers are opening new Pokémon TCG boxes before shelving them, potentially deterring resale; a claimed corporate mandate remains unverified.
Customer reports say Target managers are opening some sealed products, including Elite Trainer Boxes, before shelving them to deter resale; a claimed corporate mandate remains unverified.
An apparent manager says some Target stores are opening Pokémon products before sale under a corporate anti-scalping measure, though Target has not confirmed the policy and enforcement appears store-specific.