There’s a particular fervor around upcoming Pokémon TCG set Prismatic Evolutions, and while many are excited to collect all the pretty Eeveelutions, Anne Smith, who runs a store based on 80s-90s pop culture in Kent, Washington, has seen an uglier side of the fandom.
On January 7, Smith announced her decision not to stock the newest Pokémon set Prismatic Evolutions at The Retro Emporium, citing fears for the store’s security and the safety of those who work there. “It was purely based on the fact that I would not have enough product to meet the demand, and I didn’t want to deal with the potential blowback, or risk of getting broken into,” she tells Wargamer.
In response, the store founder received a spate of angry messages and “asinine” accusations, harassment which she says only vindicates her decision.
Smith explains that while TCGs only make up a small portion of her merchandise, she’s had problems with Pokémon in the past. She says interest peaked around the pandemic, when she stopped stocking singles of more valuable rare Pokémon cards – as nearby stores began to see burglaries – and started limiting purchase quantities to combat scalpers: collectors who buy up large quantities of a product in the hopes of selling it on at a higher price.
Despite only focusing on new releases, The Retro Emporium suffered two break-ins itself, in April and September 2023, which saw thieves make off with close to $2,000 in Pokémon products.
“Thankfully, in 2024 the market cooled off quite a bit,” Smith says. “Pokémon sales, for us, were down about 20% and we thought that maybe we were through the thick of things. I was no longer having to limit packs, and customers were pleasant… until November.”
Smith explains that in late 2024, with Surging Sparks, demand came surging back, and along with it came “a different kind of crowd”.
“I was having multiple groups of guys coming in wanting to buy everything in my case. I implemented limits again, and when they saw they couldn’t ‘buy everything’ they started questioning why, asking when I was going to get more, why I wouldn’t sell them sealed booster boxes.”
“They would also indirectly accuse me of weighing packs or pulling some other shenanigans to purposefully cheat them. Phone calls were the same way.”
Smith says that no one, perhaps not even The Pokémon Company itself, was expecting the sudden TCG boom, and The Retro Emporium was not prepared to handle it. She adds that she isn’t allocated “pallets of product” like a large store. “I’m not set up for pre-orders, I don’t have the staff to deal with a line at the door, or the ability to lock up product behind the counter.”
After making the post, Smith soon began receiving angry comments and DMs, some of which she has shown Wargamer privately. One disgruntled fan even left a one-star Google review saying only “They refuse to carry the new set of Pokémon.”
Smith says she did not expect to receive such a backlash and was only letting her customers know so they wouldn’t be disappointed. Her theory is that a certain kind of collector or reseller is lashing out because they are desperate to keep up the hype, fearing that the bubble will burst, the market will bottom out, and their investment will be lost.
“The desperation is obvious given the bullying and harassment. Why do they care if I’m selling this set or not? What business is it of theirs?”
The store owner says The Retro Emporium will take a hit from not stocking Prismatic Evolutions, but that safety is more important. “Thankfully I have a strong enough community and following outside of Pokémon that I will be ok.”
Prismatic Evolutions releases on January 17, 2025, and is already looking to be one of the most hotly anticipated Pokémon sets in years, rivalling the likes of Scarlet & Violet: 151. We’ve received word from multiple game stores that allocations have been lower than expected (partly because more stores are ordering the set) and demand is likely to far outstrip supply.
If you’re looking to sidestep the stampede for Prismatic Evolutions, we’ve got a bunch of other recommendations in our guide to the best Pokemon packs to buy right now. And to stay updated with daily Pokemon TCG news, you should follow Wargamer on Google News.
Source: Wargamer
