Gotta buy ’em all: how Pokémon card collecting became race against scalpers

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Fans trying to access latest releases are being priced out in a cut-throat market driven by crypto-like hypeThe runaway demand for Pokemon cards is because they are being hyped…

Fans trying to access latest releases are being priced out in a cut-throat market driven by crypto-like hype

The runaway demand for Pokemon cards is because they are being hyped “like crypto”, according to one young fan who had spent the night queueing outside a London store to make sure he did not miss out on the latest card release.

Before its 10am opening on Friday, the line outside the pop culture store Forbidden Planet in central London snaked past five others and, despite its strict sales policy, was probably “50/50” fans and resellers, said Kai, who had been there since 3am.

The 25-year-old has loved Pokémon since he was a child but the immense rise in reselling and scalping in recent years means fans like him are being priced out. “The cards used to be cheap but they have ballooned in price,” he says.

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