Archive
Vendor and marketplace drama
Feb 2024 – Sep 2026. Named outlets only, oldest reporting in this set through the September Pokémon Center cancellations. Weekly editions stay on the newsletter.
Newest first
- Reported
Pokémon Center cancels a large wave of 30th Celebration orders (bots suspected)
Pokémon TCG — official web anti-bot enforcement / preorder cancellations
- Reported
Target quietly raises shelf prices on high-demand Pokémon SKUs
Pokémon TCG — mass retail above-prior-price / MSRP ethics (Target tier)
- Reported
Target purchase limits and “we don’t sell to resellers” notices on Pokémon drops
Pokémon TCG — retail purchase limits / reseller bans
- Reported
Target starts cutting Pokémon shrink wrap to deter sealed flips
Pokémon TCG — mass retail anti-scalping mechanic / sealed vs rip-and-ship
- Reported
TPC figures: ~10 billion cards printed Mar 2025–Mar 2026 amid a capacity ceiling
Pokémon TCG — supply/print capacity context for allotment and retail drama
- VerifiedReported
Pokémon Japan: My Number Card ID verification for PC Online lotteries and some events
Pokémon TCG (Japan) — anti-scalping ID / residency gate on official commerce
- Reported
Costco Prismatic Evolutions restock: parking-lot chaos (coffee, cart, car, cops)
Pokémon TCG — Costco drop / public disorder / big-box vs LGS allotment resentment
- Reported
Indianapolis: man shot after Pokémon vending-machine line argument (Kroger lot)
Pokémon TCG — retail violence adjacent to restock machines
- Reported
News12 New Jersey: chargeback scam targeting Pokémon card shops
Pokémon TCG — LGS fraud / chargebacks / store cash-flow harm
- Reported
Pokémon Center Surging Sparks restock ships with Battle Academy “troll” bundle
Pokémon TCG — official web restock / anti-bot friction / allocation frustration for LGS
- Reported
Scalper group “Hidden Society” buys Phantasmal Flames early via Pokémon Center backend
Pokémon TCG — marketplace/official web bots / pre-launch checkout abuse
- Reported
ICv2 sealed-chart analysis: MTG Final Fantasy MSRP jumps; Pokémon still “runaway train”
Magic: The Gathering (primary MSRP drama) + Pokémon (chart dominance)
- Reported
Prismatic Evolutions: named LGS says distributor allocations crushed preorders
Pokémon TCG — distributor allotment / LGS vs big-box supply
- Reported
Federal indictment: ~$2M fraud scheme with counterfeit graded Pokémon (and sports) cards
Pokémon TCG — counterfeit / marketplace authenticity / graded-slab fraud
- Reported
TPCi warns hobby stores: League promos / Prize Packs not for free-market flip
Pokémon TCG — LGS / League program compliance / gray-market promos