The news that Pokemon Card Stores are selling out due to the lack of stocks is already widespread. The Pokémon Company dropped a new expansion pack for the Pokemon Card Game on April 14. Only 4 days after, April 18, 2023, The Pokemon Company admitted that the popular Pokemon Trading Cards are already sold out in Japan.
The new packs, Clay Burst and Snow Hazard were based on the newest installment, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Clay Burst and Snow Hazard are distinctly different because of the cards available in each pack. You can only acquire Pokeinfluencer Iono in Clay Burst. Additionally, Pokeinfluencer “Iono” now has a Special Illustration Rare card.
It is due to the sheer rarity of these new packs that caused the Pokemon Cards to sell out. Hardcore collectors flocked to the stores and bought out almost all of the cards, hoping to get the rare ones. Due to this chaos, a particular store has made the headlines after issuing a rule to its customers. Apparently, the store banned adults from buying Pokemon Cards from them.
Pokemon Card Store in Akihabara Bans Adults
On April 30, Hareruya 2, the Pokémon trading card specialty store in Akihabara sent an announcement on Twitter. In the tweet, they said they will reserve a section of Pokémon cards exclusively for young adults. The tweet revealed that the cards would be available until the end of the day or until the stock runs out.
It specifies that each customer can buy a maximum of only 10 packs per day. Additionally, the store will verify the age of customers by checking their IDs. While liquor stores generally do this to confirm that the buyer is an adult, this Pokemon card store checks their IDs to make sure that the buyer isn’t. Moreover, the store prohibits adults, including guardians and parents, from purchasing these cards.
The store manager explained this decision in an interview. “Many shops exhaust their entire stock [of Pokémon cards] as soon as they go on sale, and people active late at night or early in the morning always seem to buy [the cards].”
He went on to say: “By allocating half our stock for general customers, shops can continue to sell [the cards] to students and young children. Selling [goods] to children not only pleases them but their parents as well. [We] feel this method of sales enables us to satisfy the greatest number of customers when the items are in such limited supply.”
Pokemon Cards are Meant to be Played with Not to Gain Profit From
While the store’s rules may sound a little extreme (and perhaps a bit unsettling for some), their decision comes from a good place. Kids should be able to enjoy the coveted Pokemon cards as much as we do. After all, these cards are originally meant to be played by kids and young adults.
It is better to see the kids playing card games just like we were in the past. This simple act by the particular Pokemon card store hinders adults from buying the cards to resell them at a higher price. At the end of the day, this hobby is meant for people to enjoy, not for adults to gain a profit.
