Pokemon fans camping out for sought-after TCG products days ahead of restocks have had their dedication recognized by GameStop.
The hobby, which has seen prices for new releases soar due to huge demand and not enough supply in 2025, has also been subject to heavy scalping, driving prices up even further.
Released on January 17, sealed products for special set Prismatic Evolutions remain incredibly hard to source at retail price. The Pokemon Company previously confirmed it would be printing more of the set “at maximum capacity” as well as releasing new products to meet demand.
Prismatic’s Super Premium Collection, released on May 16, is one example of the latter, and consumers not wanting to risk leaving empty-handed queued up outside GameStop stores days before they went on sale.
GameStop “salutes” Pokemon fans’ dedication
On May 16, accompanied by images of customers camping outside stores, GameStop released an open letter to Pokemon fans on X, praising the “brave, shivering, Red Bull-fueled heroes camping outside Chicago store #402.”
“We at GameStop understand that Pokemon isn’t just a card game,” the letter continued, adding, “It’s a lifestyle, a calling, an, at times, financially irresponsible obsession that brings us all together.”
Since 2024, GameStop has expanded its involvement in Pokemon by stocking graded cards alongside sealed products and allows customers to submit high-value cards of their own in-store to PSA.
In February, the retail chain discontinued pre-orders for TCG products and implemented purchase limits in order to “ensure more fans have the opportunity to experience these exciting releases, rather than limiting access to early buyers and resellers.”
Other major Pokemon TCG vendors, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores, have instituted similar restrictions with the same aims, including the official Pokemon Center website.
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