Pokémon scalpers are ensuring that fans can’t even enjoy the little things in life, as they are snatching up new limited edition Pop-Tarts.
Pokémon is more than just a trading card game at this point; it’s a cultural touchstone. With Pokémon’s 30th anniversary now upon us, we are starting to see all of the ways it influences pop culture. Of course, there’s no shortage of stories about scalpers eating up stock for trading cards, but now, things are getting increasingly out of hand.
The Pokémon Company and Target recently teamed up to release limited-edition Pokémon Pop-Tarts. There’s not really anything terribly special about these Pop-Tarts beyond the packaging. They’re the standard Pop-Tart flavors, but the box features Pokémon like Pikachu, Squirtle, and Jigglypuff on the box. Still, because it has that branding, it is, in theory, a collector’s item. As a result, scalpers have been snatching them up from their local Target stores and reselling them online. Dexerto found sold listings on eBay for as high as $25, while some unsold listings are listed at $50.
Normally, these boxes retail for about $3, meaning you can make a fair bit of money off of these if you get enough of them. Some are listing bundles with different flavors or multiple boxes, allowing them to sell them at much higher costs.
There is also a hint of nostalgia in play with this release. In the early 2000s, a similar collaboration happened between Pokémon and Pop-Tarts. However, this collaboration featured more unique flavors and Pokémon-style sprinkles/frosting to make them feel more special. To top it off, each box came with a toy as well. However, there is no toy, nor is there any unique frosting in the current collaboration.
The Pop-Tart scalpers are far from the most desperate thing we’ve seen from Pokémon fans lately. Last week, a man in California was arrested for hiding in a Best Buy after the store had closed. Other customers were lined up overnight to purchase cards that were dropping the next day, and speculated that the man hid inside so he could have the upper hand on securing new Pokémon cards.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.