11-Year-Old Says He 'Just Flips Cards' as Pokémon Restricts Resales

Scalper culture around Pokémon cards has left many collectors wary and less enthusiastic after three decades of fandom. PokéBeach shared an anecdote from a recent card show in which a young buyer said he did not know much about Pokémon beyond the resale market.

The fansite met an 11-year-old named Rob who said he had not played the games or watched the anime. "I just flip cards," he told PokéBeach. "I don't know much about Pokémon." He added that TikTok and Instagram influencers had taught him Pokémon cards were "the best investment right now." The Pokémon Company will ban partnered vendors from selling graded slabs at official events, bar sales of items priced over $1,000, and prohibit sales of plushies and Pokémon Center cards that are not yet available overseas.

The rule will take effect at the Indianapolis Regionals this weekend and will also be enforced at the Pokémon World Championship in San Francisco in August. The company will not make an official announcement.

United States, Indianapolis; San Francisco

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