Target will reportedly stop selling Pokemon cards in its stores out of “an abundance of caution” for the safety of guests and employees, according to The Verge.
Target confirmed to Bleeding Cool that it will stop selling all trading cards in stores beginning Friday.
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com.”
- However, the retail company said it will still sell the cards on the Target website.
Why did Target stop selling sports cards?
It’s simple really — trading cards are majorly hyped right now. The popularity has skyrocketed throughout the pandemic as people sought out new investment opportunities. But the search for trading cards has become troublesome, too. For example, a man pulled a gun on someone in a Target parking lot over trading cards in the last few days.
- “People have reportedly been opening cereal boxes in stores to steal the included Pokémon cards out of them. And someone in Japan even climbed down a rope to steal almost $9,000 worth of the cardboard cards designed for kids,” The Verge reports.
In addition to the Pokemon card crisis, Target has seen major lines as people waited for cards to hit the shelves, according to Vice.
- “Target stores around the country have lines around the block every Friday morning and the company has begun to consider whether it might have to call the cops to prevent people from camping out overnight”