The Pokémon card scene is getting out of control again. Things appeared to die down for a bit following a pandemic-fueled collecting frenzy, but new sets in 2025 are selling out and prices on the secondhand market are skyrocketing. And it’s coming to a head at GameStop, the unlikely new epicenter for Pokémon TCG madness as the struggling video game retailer continues trying to reinvent itself. Suggested ReadingWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now Share SubtitlesOffEnglishSuggested ReadingWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now Share SubtitlesOffEnglishWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now2025 kicked off for the TCG with the Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions expansion in January, which was followed by the Journey Together expansion in March, and now Destined Rivals is coming at the end of the month. But new sets are only part of the equation. Special promotional collections that feature specific cards and extra quantities of boosters are another big part of it. As Polygon reports, the Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection became a lightning rod for passionate fans and scalpers alike when it went up for sale on May 16. One viral photo on the GameStop Reddit claimed customers at one location had been camped out for multiple days in a row. Collectors at another store were allegedly huddled outside during a storm. Even in fair weather, the line etiquette has had some people fuming about people saving spots and cutting. “I gave my spot to the kid behind me because its just fucking cardboard guys, I hope they felt some ounce of shame or guilt but I know that’s not how these people operate,” wrote one angry guy about a family that apparently budged in front. “I hope they get traumatic delusions full effect,” he continued, referencing a nickname for Prismatic Evolutions that plays up how fans often seem to find their hopes of pulling good cards from the set amount to nothing. “Hope the kid I gave my spot to gets a god pack. Do better people holy fuck.” The growing discontent has led GameStop to institute a new rule for the upcoming Destined Rivals launch. Announced on Tuesday, new Pokémon TCG releases will now be limited to one unit per customer. So whether they’re aiming to snag single boosters or entire boxes, more people should have more shots at getting what they came for. It should also disincentive scalpers from swamping stores on days that new packs come out.“Finally!” responded one person on Instagram. “I just saw a scalper fall to his knees at GameStop,” wrote another. Many were disappointed the change didn’t come sooner. “If only this rule was applied when the Prismatic Super Premium Collection dropped, I would have been able to get one,” another person wrote. Many locations had been giving out two per customer for Prismatic, even though stores were getting as few as 10 boxes in total. Adding to some of the confusion has been a burgeoning ecosystem of communities and apps like Popfindr that help people track which stores are getting new stock for which sets when. Like whiskey nerds waiting outside liquor stores on small batch delivery days, some GameStop employees have noticed customers coming in asking them about store shipments they weren’t even aware of. “This app that people are using to get our inventory is actually starting to piss me off,” one GameStop employee wrote on Reddit. “Is anyone experiencing that at all? People have updates of when we get our shipment and it’s weird. I’ve had numerous phone calls and people coming in store telling me I received a shipment with quantity amounts. It’s frustrating.”Despite the lowkey chaos, GameStop has only doubled down on the Pokémon TCG market since it announced it would start grading and reselling cards last year. Some stores have become “takeover stores” where walls that used to be lined with games, Funko Pops, or other collectibles have been completely given over to displaying Pokémon TCG packs, only for them to get completely wiped out just days later. Once a bystander in that boom-bust cycle, GameStop now stands to profit off the hype of people reselling valuable cards. “As a card collector myself, I hate what the hobby has turned into and frankly, I wouldn’t even feel upset if GS stops selling TCG because there are just so many bad apples that ruin it for everyone,,” one fan commented on Reddit. “Like it is totally NOT OK for vendors and restockers to have to worry about being stalked because a scalper air tagged their car. It sucks that to even have a chance in getting cards for the hobby, you pretty much need to camp ahead of release day.”. #fresh #pokémon #card #madness #has