By Jay’Mi Vazquez
Managing Editor
An empty shelf in Walmart which should contain Pokémon packs in New Milford, Conn. on Sept. 2.
Buying Pokémon cards used to be as easy as walking into a store and grabbing a few packs. Today, it feels more like hunting for a shiny Charizard in real life.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has exploded in popularity again, fueled by nostalgia, investment hype and a massive cross-generational fanbase.
Sets like Prismatic Evolutions, 151 and Paldean Fates have taken on near-mythical status, driving collectors old and new back into the hobby. But the surge in demand has far outpaced the supply.
Retail locations only receive small allocations of products at release, while online listings are often snatched up instantly by bots and scalpers.
A $4 booster pack can rise to $15 or more within days. Sealed boxes that retail for $30-60 often exceed $300 on the secondary market. The rarest cards from sets quickly climb into the hundreds, making the hobby frustrating for anyone just trying to chase a favorite pull or complete a set.
For many collectors, the casual joy of opening packs, trading duplicates and building decks is slipping away. The scarcity has priced out casual fans, leaving them stuck in a cycle where timing, strategy, or a much higher budget is required just to participate. What was once a hobby built on curiosity and connection now feels more like a competition for access.
The problem is not with the fans but with the system itself.
The Pokémon Company has increased print runs of popular sets, yet it remains far from enough. Supply chain issues linger, while scalpers and resellers dominate the market. Experienced collectors who know release calendars and online drop times often strike out, while newcomers face inflated prices just to engage in the hobby.
This shift has distorted the culture of Pokémon cards. Instead of celebrating the thrill of pulling a rare card, much of the conversation revolves around resale value. Sealed products are hoarded as investments rather than opened for enjoyment.
Videos and online discussions now focus more on profits than on the excitement of discovery. These videos are annoying, as common cards which may be valuable to some collectors because of the character or art are tossed into a pile because they are considered worthless.
To restore balance, changes are needed.
Online retailers should strengthen anti-scalping measures with better bot detection, stricter purchase limits and verified customer queues.
The Pokémon Company could further expand print runs, reissue popular sets and offer more transparency about restocks to rebuild trust among fans.
Until then, the cards remain harder than ever to find despite being more popular than ever. The classic slogan, “Gotta catch ’em all,” feels more like “Good luck finding ‘em” as the joy of collecting is overshadowed by the struggle of simply finding a pack.
I have experienced this firsthand. A few months ago, I ventured back into the world of Pokémon cards and quickly discovered how scarce they have become.
I have spent hours driving around Connecticut just to track down a few packs of the new Destined Rivals set. While major retailers like Target and Walmart are usually empty, smaller spots like Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have surprisingly been more reliable.
Still, the constant disappointment of bare shelves has made collecting a very different experience than it used to be.
