On January 16th, 2025, a Hawaiian kid, who saved up all his money awaiting the release of a new Pokémon card set, stood in a Target collectible card aisle. Amongst him were numerous adults, all eagerly waiting for a Target employee to allow them to purchase products off the shelves. The moment the employee allowed customers to take products off the shelves, the adults swooped in and grabbed as many boxes as they could, leaving the kid with only one box.
While this may seem like a dramatic one-off event, numerous videos like this are all over social media. All of these videos depict adults aggressively snatching several boxes of Pokémon card products, leaving workers and bystanders shocked.
The current state of affairs of Pokémon card collecting has collectors upset, especially because innocent kids cannot get their hands on Pokémon products. What started as a relaxing hobby has evolved into a collector’s nightmare.
Pokémon
The inclusion of cards illustrated with certain fan-favorite Pokémon within the set, Prismatic Evolutions, is the reason behind the high demand for these particular Pokémon card boxes. The Eeveelutions, a group of elemental cats, are Prismatic Evolutions’ most popular Pokémon.
These Eeveelutions are highly sought after and, depending on which one you obtain, can cost upwards of 1200 dollars in near mint condition. Due to the exorbitant prices people are willing to pay for these products, some people try to buy products to resell at a higher price, leading to a lot of disgruntled fans.
“Talk about being childish, grow up people,” one upset TikTok user writes. “People like that buy all of them and don’t leave any for others. So stupid.”
“Problem is people still [buy] the mark[ed] up products,” another TikTok user notes. “[It] gives scalpers more reason to buy them out because they will make money from it.”
This demand is not solely exclusive to Pokémon cards, and is also seen in other collectibles such as plushes. One such plush, which has grown in popularity recently, is Labubus.
Labubus
Labubus, created by Kasing Lung, are gremlin-esque creatures with various outfits and themes, making each Labubu different from the next. Originally featured in Lung’s story series “The Monsters,” Pop-Mart, a Chinese toy company, has adapted these creatures into little plushies and keychains.
One of the factors aiding in the popularity of Labubus is celebrity appearances. Many celebrities, such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Lisa from BLACKPINK, wear Labubus on their bags.
Since people wear Labubu keychains as an accessory, they are also attractive to those into fashion.
Just like with Pokémon cards, many collectors also fight over Labubus. In certain stores within the United Kingdom, these little creatures have driven customers to get violent. These incidents have become so problematic that the manufacturer of Labubus had to temporarily halt in-store sales in the UK.
“Same thing happened in the 80s with Cabbage Patch dolls”, one YouTube user comments. “I saw a woman punch another woman so hard [that she] broke her jaw. Over a freaking doll…”
Instead of halting sales, certain manufacturers, seeing the demand for these collectibles, have started taking advantage of the popularity. One particular manufacturer notorious for this is Wizards of the Coast.
Magic: The Gathering
Wizards of the Coast, the company responsible for printing and releasing Magic: The Gathering cards, has recently been increasing their prices, knowing collectors will still purchase their products.
The price increase is especially prevalent in Wizards of the Coast’s Secret Lair card sets. Recently, Wizards of the Coast has been pricing 40 dollar bundles at 60 dollars. Needless to mention, fans did not take this price adjustment too kindly.
“It feels as if they are trying to squeeze every last drop from us,” one Reddit user laments. “If the game had been like this in [1993], I would never [have] joined as a kid.”
“They are seeing if you’ll pay double,” another Reddit user hypothesizes. “[Just] dont. Simple as that.”
To make matters worse, local card shops have also raised prices, taking advantage of the increasing demand for these cards. The highly anticipated new Final Fantasy Magic: The Gathering set is a perfect example of this.
The MRSP for Final Fantasy collector booster boxes and pre-release kits stands at 455 dollars and 45 dollars, respectively. However, considering the extremely high demand, many stores and other retailers price their collector booster boxes at 600 dollars and 70 dollars respectively, which is almost a 30% increase in price.
“Even if the set was bonkers powerful, it wouldn’t justify the price increase,” one Reddit user mentions. “It’s a blatant cash grab, whatever the quality of the set [is].”
Considering the threat of violence and unreasonable prices, many wonder why collectors bother going through the effort to continue in the hobby.
Usability of Collectibles
For trading cards, one of the driving factors causing people to collect them is the fact that games can be played using the cards. For instance, both Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering have a dedicated fan base that actively plays matches.
Many local card shops often hold weekly events for players to gather and play against one another. There are even national/international level championships held for players who are exceptionally good at playing these card games. The events often have cash prizes and other goodies that attract players to join in.
For some collectors, the art style and illustrations of the cards are enough to drive them to collect cards. This is particularly influential in Magic: The Gathering, where there are several collaborations with popular characters such as Iron Man from Marvel, Hatsune Miku from Piapro, and Cloud from Final Fantasy.
Considering the introduction of fan-favorite characters, fans of various franchises are more inclined to play the game.
Other Reasons To Collect
Another factor, regardless of a collectible’s usability, that leads people to collect these items is the community aspect.
Many collectors trade plushes and cards with others to get the specific plush/card that they want. This fosters a lot of discussion about the collectibles and leads to lots of interactions with other collectors passionate about the hobby.
For certain collectors, the gacha/gambling aspect of collectibles is enough to draw them in. The thrill provided by obtaining a certain card or plush seems to attract a great deal of people.
“Opening packs releases dopamine in your brain,” one Reddit user humorously writes. “So that’s [your] answer [for why people open packs].”
Barring the chances of being punched over a plush, and the possibility of price gouging, collectibles have a little something for everyone. Whether it be collecting for playing in events with others, or to bond with community members over cool items, it’s certainly clear to see the appeal of the hobby.
Hopefully, as the demand continues to increase, manufacturers will produce a reasonable amount of product to make retailers sell products at an appropriate price.
Until then, as you collect, make sure both you and your wallet don’t get hurt.
