- A physical fight broke out at LA Costco after a scalper snatched Pokemon cards from another buyer.
- The incident is part of a larger trend, with both major retailers and small card shops facing increasing violence and theft related to Pokemon card sales.
- Critics point to Costco's lack of purchase limits and missing card security features as contributing factors.
Besides all the love gamers have for Pokemon lore, the ever-popular Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) remains a big point of interest. As gamers race to get the latest Pokemon cards, sometimes things get violent. Unfortunately, this is one of those times, as multiple brawls have taken place at a Los Angeles area Costco over the newly released Pokemon Blooming Waters set. What started as a beloved hobby has increasingly become a source of chaos for large and small retailers.
The Rising Tension in Pokemon Blooming Waters Shopping
The incident, which occurred at what appears to be the Atwater Costco location, has sparked widespread concern on social media. In one particularly troubling encounter, a man in a hat was captured on video snatching Pokemon cards from another customer who was reportedly purchasing them for his son’s birthday.
The incident has sparked intense discussion online, with many questioning Costco’s approach to managing these high-demand items.
One Reddit user noted this was the fifth such incident they had witnessed involving scalpers, pointing out an apparent contradiction in-store policy: “I can only buy two cases of protein shakes there at a time. Why cause this if you can easily choose not to?”
Others were more direct in their criticism, labeling the participants as “absolute idiots” for fighting over trading cards.
Small Shops Under Siege
The problem extends far beyond just major retailers like Costco. Local card shops and specialty stores are increasingly finding themselves targets of more serious crimes. In a recent incident, thieves used a Suburban vehicle to crash through a store’s entrance, making off with Pokemon TCG sets in a brazen robbery. This type of targeted theft has become more common, with warehouses and storage facilities falling victim to similar crimes.
Some observers see these incidents as symptomatic of broader economic issues, with one Reddit user describing it as “absolute side hustle desperation during a time of wild income inequality.” However, others argue that there’s no excuse for such behavior.
As retailers struggle to find effective solutions to this growing problem, many are calling for lifetime bans for individuals involved in these incidents. With the value of Pokemon cards showing no signs of declining, stores must develop better strategies, such as implementing purchasing limits, to ensure product availability and customer safety while protecting themselves against increasingly bold criminal activities.
That said, do you think Pokemon cards are worth enough to stand in such chaos? Share your opinion in the comments below.
