A sad TikTok video went viral over the weekend for exposing the real impacts of Pokémon scalpers who snatch up all the trading cards in store kiosks. The footage follows a small child who runs to each “Pokémon center” vending machine only to find that everything is sold out.
Scalping has always been a problem with trading cards, but the issue has escalated to the point that fans called it “dystopian.”
“Hurry up, you gotta beat the scalpers!”
Last week, TikTok video showing his young son running around a store to all the Pokémon Trading Card Game kiosks in the hope that he could buy even one pack. He was unsuccessful to a depressing degree.
“Hurry up, you gotta beat the scalpers!” The owner encouraged his son, Leo. “Oh no, Leo. There was a person in front of it. Were they scalping?”
♬ Soft Sunlight (Lofi) – Prodbyecho
Leo ran up to the machine to find all the cards sold out. He then runs to a lesser-known kiosk at the back of the store.
“He’s on his way to beat the scalpers,” dad said.
Unfortunately, the scalpers remained undefeated. The second machine was also empty. Dad then took Leo to the counter, where some packs were available, but they weren’t the ones the kid wanted.
Leo has been searching for a special edition Pikachu card for more days than there were Pokémon in the original game. That’s 151 if you don’t the 1990s.
His adventures searching for cards earned him 1.2 millions views with this one video and helped to turn opinions against scalpers.
Leo vs. the Pokémon scalper economy
Over on r/TikTokCringe, one mixed this video with another that showed people lined up at Pokémon card kiosk. The TikToker loudly asks the many individuals in line if any of them are scalpers, and a few actually confess.
“Pokemon TCG scalpers are happily ruining a children’s game,” wrote u/ambachk.
Other s widely agree that this is a problem, with some suggesting it’s an indictment of the world we live in today.
“This is so dystopian,” said u/Floating_Animals. “The simple joy we had in the 90’s and early 2000’s of getting stuff like Pokemon cards was so simple and accessible. Gross society we live in these days.”
Others blamed The Pokémon Company for failing to take effective action against scalpers.
“They do the bare minimum to solve the issue because they don’t really care as long as they’re making cash, and the scalping has only pushed up demand of something that would otherwise be relatively niche,” argued u/RugbyEdd.
Whoever is to blame, something needs to be done. For Leo.
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