Fans queue overnight in London as Pokémon card demand collides with scalpers
Ahead of a new Pokémon trading card release, fans lined up overnight outside the Forbidden Planet store in London. They say resellers and soaring demand have made the hobby far more expensive.
More than 120 people had gathered outside the pop culture store Forbidden Planet in central London before it opened at 10am on Friday, hoping to buy the latest Pokémon trading card set. Some in the line were fans, others resellers who sell cards on at a higher price. Several people said they had arrived in the evening or overnight to avoid missing out.
Limits and reselling
The store caps its most sought-after products at one per customer, including the Delta Reign “elite trainer” box priced at £49.99. It also applies a supplier-requested unsealing policy, which discourages some resellers because an opened product can no longer be sold as brand new. According to the report, the set was already selling at a large markup on eBay by the end of the day.
Kai, 25, who had queued since 3am, estimated that the crowd was about half fans and half resellers. He said card prices have ballooned and linked the surge in demand to people from the cryptocurrency scene entering the Pokémon market. Others in the queue said nostalgia around Pokémon’s 30th anniversary had pushed them to buy, and that scalpers are the reason they have to turn up so early.
Other retailers also restrict sales: Argos sells the cards only online, while Amazon offers high-demand lines through an invite-only process meant to counter scalper bots.
A hard supply limit
Calvin Innes, a fandom and pop culture strategist, noted that Pokémon produces about 10bn cards a year, but demand has outrun production. He advised parents to buy single cards from UK card shops, from marketplaces such as Cardmarket, or from top-rated sellers on eBay UK, and to consider prerelease or league events at game shops, which typically cost £25–£30.
Daniel Garnett, who owns the Hull Pops Gaming Centre in Hessle, East Yorkshire, said he tries to keep stock for regular players. He added that about a month ago many parents brought children in purely to buy products, with no intention of playing.
