This is pretty wild, but some adults are being banned from buying Pokemon cards in Japan from at least one major retailer so far…
It was only about a week ago that the Clay Burst and Snow Hazard expansion sets came out in Japan, and they actually sold out of all the pokemon cards… Not just those two sets, Pokemon actually sold out of every last bit of stock in their warehouse.
Obviously, they are having issues keeping enough Pokemon cards in stock in Japan, and from the looks of it, the majority of the cards are getting bought by older collectors. Well, for now, that is…
Amid Shortages in Japan Adults are Being Banned From Buying Pokemon Cards!
This is from the @hareruya2pokeca Twitter
【商品情報】
1Fにて中学生以下のお客様限定で
パック販売を行っております各パック当日分がなくなり次第販売終了となります
※おひとり様1日合計10パックまで
※スタッフが年齢確認をさせて頂く場合がございます
※保護者様含むご本人以外の代理購入はご遠慮いただいております pic.twitter.com/kGyWCjc8EF— 晴れる屋2 (アキバのポケカ専門店/ハレツー) (@hareruya2pokeca) May 1, 2023
Here’s the translation, but it is Google Translate, so it might not be perfect.
[Product information] Packs are sold only for customers under junior high school students on the 1st floor. Sales will end as soon as the packs for the day are sold out * Up to 10 packs per person per day *Please refrain from purchasing on behalf of anyone other than the person himself/herself, including parents.
While this was only spotted at one major retailer so far, this is a very interesting decision and might be something that spreads to other stores in Japan for Pokemon.
While the TCG culture in Japan is quite different, with many players who actually pledge to only get cards at a single store, this store could have easily quickly flipped these cards for a huge profit.
Generally, the collectors go out the second these hit shelves and scoop everything up. So it’s good to see them letting younger kids actually get a chance to get the cards.
Obviously, someone could pay kids to grab the cards for them, but this is better than nothing!
Here in the States, stock levels are not the best, however, besides limiting daily pack purchases, we haven’t heard of any store restricting sales further.
There are plenty more hot sets on the horizon, like Pokémon 151, that releases on 16 June 2023 in Japan, with throwbacks to the original 151 Pokémon may lead to more nostalgia-filled runs on inventory.
What do you think of the ban on adults buying cards? Do you like the idea of kids still having a chance to by Pokemon Cards?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
