Nintendo Issues New Official Statement on Pokemon Card Scalping

The ongoing Pokemon card shortage has become one of the biggest headaches facing collectors, players, and retailers alike, and Nintendo says it’s paying close attention. No doubt, it’s hard to go anywhere near the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) without there being some kind of word on scalpers and resellers buying them all up.

The Pokemon TCG has always been popular, but it seems to have still exploded in popularity over the last several years, with rare Pokemon cards becoming valuable collectibles and new expansions routinely selling out within minutes. That demand has fueled widespread scalping, making it difficult for everyday fans to buy products at retail price, and this is despite The Pokemon Company dramatically increasing Pokemon card production in recent years.

Nintendo President Addresses Pokemon Card Scalping

Image via The Pokemon Company

Now, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has addressed Pokemon card scalping directly, saying the company is working with The Pokemon Company to get cards into the hands of players instead of resellers. Speaking during Nintendo’s recent annual shareholders meeting (as first reported by Kotaku), Furukawa acknowledged those concerns after being asked how Nintendo planned to ensure fans could purchase Pokemon cards “with peace of mind.” He said Nintendo is continuing to work with The Pokemon Company on ways to better deliver products to consumers, while pointing to stronger anti-scalping efforts already being implemented. In his own words,

“Nintendo also communicates with The Pokémon Company as needed to discuss appropriate ways to deliver products to consumers. We believe that The Pokémon Company will continue to take measures to respond to this issue.”

Some tactics to dissuade Pokemon TCG discussed include closer cooperation with online marketplaces, more made-to-order sales, government-issued IDs in some cases (like lotteries in Japan), and additional anti-scalping measures. When consumers can actually feel the impact of these on the Pokemon franchise remains to be seen, unfortunately, as it’s not always just individual scalpers or bots that fans have to be concerned with.

The comments come as the Pokemon TCG finds itself in the spotlight once again. GameStop has recently drawn criticism after listing several upcoming Pokemon TCG: 30th Celebration products well above their suggested retail prices. Among the reported listings were a $600 Ultra-Premium Collection (compared to its $180 MSRP), a $130 Elite Trainer Box, and several premium collection boxes marked significantly above the asking price. GameStop has not publicly commented on the reported prices, but the controversy has only added to growing frustration over how difficult—and expensive—it has become to collect Pokemon cards.

Nintendo’s latest comments suggest the company recognizes that simply printing more cards may not solve the problem on its own. At the very least, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company appear to be taking a broader approach to fighting Pokemon TCG scalpers. Whether those efforts will be enough remains to be seen, but for Pokemon fans hoping to buy upcoming sets at retail price, it’s one of the clearest acknowledgments yet that the issue has reached the head honchos at the Big N.