Target is Slicing Open Pokémon Card Boxes Before They're Sold in a Bid to Deter Scalpers, Fans Say

Target is reportedly cutting the shrink wrapper connected boxes of caller Pokémon cards to deter scalpers successful immoderate stores, who bargain banal successful bulk simply for the resale market.

That's according to fans who study seeing immoderate Target employees afloat removing the integrative wrapper from boxes of cards successful stores, and receiving cut-open paper boxes erstwhile ordering online.

While Target is yet to officially remark connected the practice, fans powerfully judge this is simply a maneuver to enactment disconnected scalpers, who acquisition the lucrative cards lone to merchantability them connected for a profit.

Card boxes that person their packaging removed marque nary quality to existent collectors, but are worthy acold little erstwhile sold second-hand — arsenic determination would beryllium nary mode of proving the cards wrong haven't already been opened, and had their rarest pulls removed.

Didn’t realise Target was besides cutting the shrink wrapper for online orders aswell! 👀✂️ https://t.co/KaNC24onqE pic.twitter.com/JnTLlJpMEw

— Pokemon Giveaways (@PokeTCGiveaways) August 6, 2026

A Target worker was cutting the shrink wrapper connected sealed Pokémon products (Prismatic Evolutions ETBs successful the video) and stated that it's a directive from Corporate to forestall scalpers from purchasing products solely to flip. How bash you each consciousness astir this? Target W oregon Target L? 🎯… pic.twitter.com/5ToUCHQINn

— Pokemon Alerts & News (@PokeTCGAlerts) June 2, 2026

Response to the signifier has been mostly positive, with praise from fans who person struggled to bargain cards owed to their expanding scarcity.

"Good, bushed of scalpers ruining everything," 1 instrumentality wrote connected societal media. "I anticipation people keeps doing this."

"Anything that stops the scalpers is good with me," said another. "All the radical complaining tin spell bargain their Pokémon cards determination else. Target volition inactive merchantability out. I privation everyone did it."

"I 100% hold with this until the scalping concern is solved," said a third. "Usually the lone ones that attraction astir container information are resellers 🤣 you could propulsion my container crossed the store arsenic agelong arsenic the cards are ok."

But not everyone is connected board. Some fans accidental the signifier risks damaging the stock, portion others accidental that it volition lone marque sealed boxes adjacent much costly — playing into the hands of the scalpers further.

Pokémon TCG: 30th Anniversary Celebration Collection First Look

Pokémon cards person go a premier people for scalpers and thieves implicit the past fewer years owed to their soaring popularity and the perceived worth of uncommon cards. New paper releases often merchantability retired completely, and The Pokémon Company has appeared incapable oregon unwilling to afloat support up with request — contempt a staggering 10 cardinal cards printed past twelvemonth alone.

Yesterday, we reported that The Pokémon Center store successful Japan is present limiting purchases lone to Japanese citizens, pursuing the instauration of facial designation for adults and children successful immoderate stores. High request for cards has besides led to galore incidents of thefts and unit betwixt shoppers, and
barely a period goes by without a study of a trading paper store being robbed. Meanwhile, 1 hopeless Pokémon instrumentality was precocious arrested successful Pasadena, California, aft hiding wrong a closed Best Buy up of a Pokémon paper drop.

Image credit: Martin Lelievre / AFP via Getty Images

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social