Who Needs Scalpers When GameStop Is Marking Up Pokémon Cards By More Than 300 Percent?

Key Points:

• Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged the problem of high-priced reselling and scalping of Pokémon trading cards during a recent shareholder meeting, promising measures to address the issue.
• GameStop has been criticized for extreme markups on Pokémon card products, with prices sometimes exceeding three to four times the retail cost, such as selling booster bundles at $90 versus the $27 retail price and Ultra-Premium Collections at $600 compared to $120 retail.
• GameStop’s pricing tactics include not listing prices online or in-store, allowing sudden price hikes, requiring half payment upfront for pre-orders, and increasing prices after initial listings, which has drawn backlash from collectors and customers.
• The Pokémon Company is working to alleviate supply issues through measures like account verification, made-to-order sales, and expanding production capacity with a new large facility expected by 2027.
• Nintendo and The Pokémon Company could potentially combat scalping by cutting inventory or restocking privileges for retailers that excessively mark up prices, aiming to maintain affordability and accessibility for fans and collectors.