Pokemon TCG Player Outsmarts Scalpers with Clever “Evil” Strategy

One player from the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) community has taken a creative and somewhat mischievous approach to deal with scalpers, using an inventive strategy to turn the tables on them.

While collecting and experiencing the joy of playing Pokémon cards can be immensely rewarding, the TCG community has faced several challenges. Notably, issues such as theft and scalpers who swiftly clear store shelves—often before legitimate fans have the opportunity to purchase them—have become increasingly prevalent.

An illustration of this problem emerged during a Black Friday sale at Target, where collectors lamented the lack of access to cards due to aggressive purchasing by scalpers. Such behavior has drawn negative attention within the Pokémon community, as it hampers genuine collectors’ ability to enjoy the hobby.

A Pokémon TCG Player’s Ingenious Trap for Scalpers

The inventive player detailed their experience in a Reddit thread titled “I know morale is low. But I want to put a smile on your face.” They revealed how they successfully contacted scalpers to arrange a meeting but with a twist: they suggested locations that were 20-30 miles away from the scalpers’ homes.

A screenshot featuring a sad Pikachu. — The Pokémon Company / Twitter: @switchstock

It’s no secret that scalpers pose a significant challenge for the Pokémon TCG community. Here’s how the scenario unfolded:

The user managed to coordinate the scalpers to the same location, creating a comedy of errors. While two of them were stuck in traffic, another was forced to abandon his lunch plans due to the urgency of making a substantial purchase.

In a twist of fate, two scalpers converged at the same spot, leading to amusing misunderstandings. One scalper mistakenly believed the other was a buyer, leading to an unexpectedly playful exchange where they complimented each other.

The post quickly gained traction, drawing a range of comments from community members. Many expressed their amusement and support:

“Love this. Absolutely hilarious. F*** those scalpers. Can’t find anything my kid wants because of them,” wrote one user.
“Hahaha. Evil, but in a good way,” remarked another.

Additionally, one commenter suggested capturing photos of the scalpers during their meetup from a distance, to which the user replied that their location was quite far away, making the entire scheme all the more inventive.

This creative retaliation sheds light on the frustrations faced by genuine Pokémon enthusiasts and highlights the ongoing issues within the TCG community, but also illustrates how humor and ingenuity can be powerful tools in confronting unfair practices.

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