Scalpers Are Buying And Re-Selling McDonalds Pokémon Cards

Not even the family-friendly world of Pokémon cannot avoid the evil masterminds that are Scalpers. In a move that will be remembered just as much as the great Szechuan Sauce shortage of 2017, McDonald’s is running low on collectible Pokémon cards. For those not in the know, Pokémon is turning 25 this year and teamed up with McDonald’s to sell special limited edition Pokémon Trading Cards as part of the franchise’s official card game series.

But, just like with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the event is taking a dark turn as Scalpers have been going to stores and buying cards in mass so that they can sell them on eBay for ridiculously insane prices. If you go on eBay right now, some sellers have obtained boxes filled with packs that will go as high as $1,500, with individual cards, like a special holographic Pikachu card, selling as high as $200. Additionally, each McDonalds’ restaurant handles the limit of card packs they sell differently, allowing Scalpers to take advantage of this policy.

The Pokémon Company is fully aware of the issue and released a statement on their website that reads as follows:

“We’re aware that some of you are experiencing difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game products due to very high demand and global shipping constraints impacting availability. We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are working to address it where it is within our control. In situations where there is limited availability, we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to support this increased demand. Reprinted products are expected to be available at retailers as soon as possible.”

For now, it’s recommended that customers and parents to wait patiently for Pokémon to re-print cards and not pay Scalpers.