On Jan. 21, McDonald’s unveiled their 2025 collaboration with the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) company. The set consists of 15 cards selected from previous releases, of which fan-favorite Pokémon like Charizard, Pikachu, Umbreon and many others make appearances. The promotion is set to last until Feb. 24 and will be available as a toy option for all Happy Meal purchases while supplies last.
TCG players and fans alike look forward to the release of the set every year to try their luck at receiving cards of their favorite pocket monster. Because of the threat of scalping, the chances of receiving these packs are dwindling.
Some consumers have taken to buying out large amounts of TCG merchandise in stores and online in order to sell them second hand at inflated prices. Sales for the “Dragon Discovery” booster packs can be found on eBay for roughly $10 a pack and higher despite the cards coming free with a Happy Meal priced at less than $6.
“The only way I could get the new card packs now, would be through buying them online for a much higher price. Which is something I can’t always afford, and I’m not eager to do.” – Ashley Patierno, UNG Undergraduate
As Ashley Patierno put it, the “greed” from the scalpers has robbed the product from not only collectors like herself, but also from the target audience: children.
TCG player and UNG student Denmark Thepvongsa likens the trend as their simple hobby having become a “volatile gambling stock market.” They are forced to purchase at the inflated card prices in order to keep up with others at competitions.
“It’s annoying when a limited-time set is short printed on purpose or from scalpers hoarding products and reselling, that forces the cards to be in low supply.” – Denmark Thepvongsa, UNG Theatre Design Undergraduate
Video Game Trader LLC (VGT), an officially licensed TCG and video game store located in Buford, GA, has also had its fair share of scalpers come through. VGT owner Thomas Sansone shared his experience in the past with scalpers, of which most tried to haggle down prices so they could “flip” them online to other consumers. Sansone mentioned that the prices he charges at his establishment are market price and that scalpers will not be able to make a business out of such practices any time soon.
He prides himself on being able to provide the cards to long time members of the store and is able to tell when someone is trying to buy packs for selfish personal gain. A staff member of the store recalled that on one occasion, an unfamiliar customer had appeared and “demanded” a large amount of the “Prismatic Evolutions” set, which remains in short supply. VGT retains a “1 item per day” clause which the customer soon tried to loophole by bringing in a friend to buy for them. The sale was denied as their intentions, which were hazy at first, became clear.
While neither Pokémon nor McDonald’s have released press statements on the scalpers themselves, on Jan. 15 the Pokémon company posted a press release on their X account (formerly Twitter) addressing the low supply of the product and have expressed their desire to print more cards “as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity.”
