The Pokémon TCG has had a lot of issues with scalping in the Prismatic Evolutions set, and that problem seems to be sticking around based on the anticipation for Journey Together. These sets have some striking parallels, with popular Pokémon and some great chaser cards that you may find hard to get your hands on. These similarities unfortunately can also result in stock shortages, and that is something not many people want.

Prismatic Evolutions faced a bad scalper problem when it launched, mainly due to the sought-after Eevee cards that were going for thousands of dollars at launch. Umbreon ex is still being sold for quite a lot of money, and the stocking issues are still present. It doesn't bode well for Journey Together's release, as the problems haven't been fixed and the full list of cards for Journey Together looks highly desirable.

Journey Together's Full Card List Has Been Revealed

Another Set With High Value, Collectible Cards

The full list of Journey Together's cards has been revealed on how good Journey Together is and how much money we will likely be spending this year. The card list looks like a dream, particularly with the new alternate art Trainer cards. They look great, and for those who collect the Trainer or their signature Pokémon, it is the best set to look for. However, this high profitability is likely to hurt players over time, as it will only drive the resale prices a lot higher.

Beyond the Trainer cards, Articuno and Wailord have also garnered some attention. While there may not be an Umbreon ex card in this set, it is clear that the Trainer cards are meant draw a lot of attention. I don't believe this set will be quite as popular as Prismatic Evolutions, but the pre-orders have already sold out in many cases, and the prices on places like TCGPlayer for a regular booster box are already well above sale price. This is likely in part a result of what happened with the previous set, but there is another reason as well.

The New Pokémon TCG Cards Will Probably Encourage Scalpers

The Scalping Problem Is Only Getting Worse

The new Trainer cards and the previous set's stock shortage have both encouraged scalpers to get as much of the stock as possible. The problem has continued, as a new booster bundle was released for Prismatic Evolutions, and it is already missing from store shelves. It doesn't seem like the Pokémon company has done anything to prevent scalping, and now if you want the product, it can be hard to find.

Considering the pre-orders are already sold out, finding product is hard even before the set has released. You can go to a pre-release event, but that will not get you as much product as a booster box would. Additionally, some stores, like GameStop, has attempted to prevent scalping by canceling pre-orders altogether, but that is going to mean long lines right at open the day of release. It will prevent online scalpers, but depending on how they will distribute the product, there's nothing stopping someone from attempting to buy a large amount of it in-store.

Having a high demand and low stock will just encourage scalpers further. Even if there isn't much incentive for the cards themselves, the difficulty to just get hands on the set at all will make it more desirable for scalpers to resell sealed product at high prices. It makes it harder for those of us who just want to play or have a special collection to get the cards we want without spending a lot of money.

I'm Worried I Won't Be Able To Find Journey Together Cards

Will Players Be Able To Get Their Hands On Product?

One of the biggest concerns I have is that I might not be able to find the Journey Together cards at all. While there was a lot of supply being opened for Prismatic Evolutions, this product may stay sealed a little longer without a huge chase card like Umbreon. Hopefully, enough of it will get opened that the singles to use for regular play won't be that hard to find and might even be quite cheap. However, finding the better chase cards might be a lot harder, and if I wanted to open sealed product, I'm not sure I could.

The unfortunate problem is that this doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. The rest of the Pokémon TCG sets in 2025 are already looking just as desirable. Destined Rivals, which will include the Japanese set, The Glory of Team Rocket, is the big one on everyone's mind, and we've already seen some of those cards. If I were to bet, that set will draw scalpers' attention even more. I think that the alternate art for that set will be just as good, and if there's nothing to prevent it, the scalping will be just as bad.

It remains to be seen if GameStop's efforts to prevent scalping will have any fruition. If you want any of the product from this set, it will likely take standing in a long line for most of release day. This could be a big problem for people who have to work normal shifts, and it adds another barrier to entry for people who may not have as much money or as the ability to be at a store for a long period of time.

The sets from late last year and this year have lowered the game's accessibility, which is unfortunate since a lot of younger players are interested in it. Luckily, the common cards should still end up being available for cheap, but not being able to get hands-on any product has been ruining a lot of people's love for the game.

It makes it a lot less fun, after all, the "gambling" aspect of opening packs is part of the excitement of playing these types of games. Hopefully, I'm wrong, but I am worried that it will be increasingly difficult to get any of the Journey Together products for the Pokémon TCG.

Source: PokeBeach, TCGPlayer