The American distribution giant Target announced on Friday the temporary suspension of sales of certain collectible cards, in particular Pokémon cards, in its stores for “precautionary reasons” in the face of the frenzy, sometimes violent, of customers.
“The safety of our customers and our teams is our first priority,” the brand told AFP in a statement.
“As a precautionary measure, we have decided to temporarily suspend sales of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon collectible cards in our stores, from May 14,” added the group, adding that these items could still be purchased online. .
A violent altercation over collectible cards in a parking lot at a Target in upstate Wisconsin, upstate, last week may have prompted the company’s decision, according to local media.
Four people were arrested on May 7 for assaulting a 35-year-old man who had drawn a gun in self-defense without any shots being fired, police told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Popular in playgrounds since its release in 1996, the Pokémon collectible card game has experienced renewed success in recent years which has only increased during the pandemic, according to the specialized site Marketplace.
Images circulating on the networks thus report dozens of packages of cereals disemboweled in the hope of finding cards and queues at dawn in front of Target supermarkets that market them.
A box of Pokémon cards from 1999 sold for $ 666,000 in February on the Goldin Auctions auction site, while some rare cards, such as the Charizard Pokémon, can be sold individually for more than $ 300,000.
The price spike is in part fueled by internet stars like YouTuber Logan Paul, 26, who bragged about spending nearly $ 2 million on Pokémon cards in one video.
Faced with the frenzy, Target began by limiting sales of collector cards last month, only allowing the purchase of one pack per person.
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