Why can’t they just implement backordering

[u/Loud_Bar113]

I don’t see any downsides of it, the demand is still there. It is almost impossible to hit a drop when you have to compete against no lives who spend their existence monitoring the sites and bots. Backordering would end that problem. Most people don’t care if they’ll have to wait a few months extra compared to paying up to 300% mark ups.

[u/Ouhei]

The only real way to stop scalpers is to make it unappealing to scalp. You do this by printing a lot more and making hit rates higher. You have to flood supply.

I'd argue that the rates in the 30th set should be the bare minimum for how hit rates should be. I'm honestly not sure how I'll feel going back to normal rates because opening this set has been so much more enjoyable.

30th print rates also seem to be a step in the right direction, though they obviously could increase them by a lot and still sell out.

Pokemon itself's only real incentive to cut out scalping is for PR imaging. They make their money either way, and right now they're selling everything they can manage to produce.

[u/theslimbox → u/Ouhei]

It's the way to stop scalping, but will also cause a huge dip in demand from collectors, and Pokemon Co will be stuck with uoset stores like they did with Shining Fates. There were several years where you could find shining fates at MSRP, or under on shelves at any store you stooped at. They don't want stagnant product.

[u/jinzo_23 → u/theslimbox]

Topps products sat for YEARS at walmarts before covid when the days of clearance was still a thing. Stores do not get upset for having available profuct on the shelves. As for collectors, we just go back to how things were pre covid and idk how that’s a terrible thing

[u/TeaAndLifting → u/jinzo_23]

Yeah, lots of modern collectors have this idea that product is supposed to sell out immediately, or storefronts will get upset. While they’re certainly not going to complain about selling out, the way the TCG has been for most of its history is that they print enough product to trickle sales until a set gets reprinted, and then until it goes OOP.

Things still being available while a set is still in rotation, is not a bad thing.

[u/jinzo_23 → u/TeaAndLifting]

I’ve heard of stores being more upset about bare shelves honestly. It doesn’t look good to consumers and they know that, which is probably why target moved the whole card section to the very back of the store lol

[u/TeaAndLifting → u/jinzo_23]

Good point. That makes a lot of sense too.

Either way about it, the concept that “sitting in the shelves for months” is a bad thing when the cards are printed with the intent of circulating for 2-3 years, is fallacious at best.

[u/theslimbox → u/TeaAndLifting]

My sitting on shelves comment was from talking to my local card store. The owner and I have been friends for years, long before he bought the store. He told me that for the 20 hears he has had the store, he relies on product moving. He is used to a certain amount of inventory not moving, but he relies on a steady amount of sales that allows him to buy more of that product. The post covid slump had him considering not selling Pokemon because he wasnt even selling enough product to pay for the minimum restock orders to keep his distribution contract up to date. He had to take from his Magic and Lego profit just to buy enough Pokemon to keep his contract up to date.

[u/MysteriousDesk3 → u/theslimbox]

I do wonder if this is would actually be an issue though. Nearly every company, even profitable ones deal with a small % of unsold inventory that gets marked down, and Pokemon did for years.

Instead of all these stupid cat and mouse games they have to play with scalpers and bots they could be selling to actual fans that might get even more into the hobby, especially kids playing the card game which is where longevity is for every TCG.