After a month of chaos, Target is pulling a dangerous product and potential liability from its shelves—Pokémon cards. Customers can rest easy knowing that Pokémon, NFL, MLB, and NBA trading cards, which have sparked fistfights and elaborate heists across the world, are now an online-only fare.
Trading cards are having their biggest moment in decades, driven largely by record-setting auctions, pandemic-induced boredom, and slowed manufacturing. Celebrities like Logic and Logan Paul have made headlines buying vintage Pokémon cards for over $150,000, leading adults to dig up their childhood collections in search for gold and storm retail locations for new gems.
The craze has been good for business, in a way. Grading companies that rate card condition are swamped in collectible hunks of cardboard, which are more valuable after going through the professional grading process. But retailers like Target are experiencing a different issue. Grown adults are fighting over cards in stores, stealing cards out of cereal boxes, and in some cases, putting Target customers and employees in physical danger.
In one incident, a man was jumped by four trading card fanatics in a Wisconsin Target parking lot. He pulled a gun on the group, which dispersed before shots were fired. And in Japan, an incredibly brave man climbed down a six-story building Batman and Robin-style to break through a card shop’s window and steal over $9,000 in merchandise.
So Target’s decision doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The retailer may reverse its decision in the future, but for now, you’re stuck buying your Pokémon, NFL, MLB, and NBA trading cards on Target’s website (or at a different store).
Source: Target via Yahoo!