Pretty depressiong to hear,last ETB i saw in store was surging Sparks back in november and since then the only new products i found were the prerelease kits for JTG and zacian ex box,thinking that the set i MOST looked forward to Is going to go like the others sucks,with destined rivals ending up probably like the past sets it's gonna be to
“Black Bolt” and “White Flare” to Experience Severe Shortages, But TPCi Now Catching Up!
- Thread starter Water Pokémon Master
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Since Destined Rivals, we are on the point distributors dont even accept pre orders anymore. They will allocate and distribute all amount that they'll receive and that ofcourse big players will receive the most. I have a lgs and only 1 distributor has fairly distributed. The other 6 won't even give me an single booster pack.
Well, when you say well within their right, that doesnt mean good, bad, right, or wrong, it just kind of allowed or legal. But I can understand what you are saying, and agree to a degree. But you say that store will sell at what the scalpers are at, and its the other way around. Scalpers dont have a reliable way of getting product except by scalping, stores do. Stores will get a greater allocation because they have a way of constantly getting them. Stores set the prices, not scalpers. If the option I would have as a consumer is buy from a store or buy from a scalpers online, my option will be the cheapest option. Since stores should have a larger supply, they can sell at the high price, and if scalpers see this product being sold at a high price, they will match it. It can go both ways, but I dont see how someone with a more limited supply would choose when others with more would seller it for higher and still can because they have a store front. Its not always supply and demand, a store I know has 30 cases of prismatic, no shortage but they are still selling for triple the price.
And I absolutely agree that people paying absurd prices also are to blame.
Why is it getting worse?
Prismatic Evolutions was supposed to come in waves to fulfill all needs, which didn't happen. The next wave would need to be 2x or better 3x as big as the first one in January-February, but it sounds like it will be much smaller.
Journey Together was the most expensive normal (not special) set of the last year and while it's available online in some places, only at totally unreasonable prices. Destined Rivals will be worse, and now we hear that Black Bolt and White Flare will be even worse?
I understand that it takes them time to figure out things and react to demand, but I think from last November to this July (or both probably 1-2+ months in advance, because they print and ship before release) was a lot of time to figure out how to print more. That's 8 months.
Imagine having a problem in your job and not being able to find a solution for 8 months while you have millions of $ to spend on the problem.
Prismatic Evolutions was supposed to come in waves to fulfill all needs, which didn't happen. The next wave would need to be 2x or better 3x as big as the first one in January-February, but it sounds like it will be much smaller.
Journey Together was the most expensive normal (not special) set of the last year and while it's available online in some places, only at totally unreasonable prices. Destined Rivals will be worse, and now we hear that Black Bolt and White Flare will be even worse?
I understand that it takes them time to figure out things and react to demand, but I think from last November to this July (or both probably 1-2+ months in advance, because they print and ship before release) was a lot of time to figure out how to print more. That's 8 months.
Imagine having a problem in your job and not being able to find a solution for 8 months while you have millions of $ to spend on the problem.
I'm focusing on my Blastoise, Nidoking & Ninetales collections, ill pick up some new products once this company sorts itself out
And the sky is blue.
And yet, miraculously, we will all see Whatnotters with hundreds of units of every BB/WF product, streaming Live, from their mother's basement, selling them for $20/pack, while your local game store ordered 4 cases and received 2 units.
And yet, miraculously, we will all see Whatnotters with hundreds of units of every BB/WF product, streaming Live, from their mother's basement, selling them for $20/pack, while your local game store ordered 4 cases and received 2 units.
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Maybe hearing "just wait. Product is coming in the next 6-8 months" doesn’t cut it anymore when this started 6-8 months ago and they don't have much to show for it. Pokemon gives a statement on social media and obliviously moves on to the next gigantic set that they've stuffed with new sparklies as if they're afraid they aren't going to sell out within 30 seconds.
This is the most profitable IP in the universe and they are struggling to let fans GIVE THEM MONEY. With that kind of incompetence it's understandable that peoples' sympathies are drying up or they're moving on from the hobby entirely because Pokemon can't pull themselves together. And considering they've announced product shortages for a set that isn't even releasing for another two months, it's arguably not "gotten better after 6-8 months."
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I'm starting to think TCPI are doing this intentionally. Seeing articles like this one make me want to just get out of the hobby. I don't pay above msrp for any sealed product. If I can't find it on store shelves then I just buy singles that I want. It seems to be almost guaranteed that won't happen with this set. It's just getting absolutely ridiculous battling scalpers that know the distribution routes and times and proceed to clear the shelf at every local store so they can rip on their whatnot channels. I can't even remember the last time I went to Walmart or Target and found product to open. LGS's are not any better at all. They're literally just brick and mortar scalpers. It just gets old seeing these new sets coming out knowing that you won't be able to rip any of it without paying 3-4 times retail value.
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The age old LGS's scalp to prevent scalpers argument.
Sounds to me that pci needs to start handling their own distribution, print everything from twilight masquerade (because no one asked for obsidian flames) and beyond to the ground and stop letting everyone doing with the price tag whatever they wish. Im burnt out yall. Why keep releasing sets if we still cant find product from 4 sets ago 
Look at Pokebeach's announcement of the set. Every card has a regular art, reverse holo, poke ball holo, master ball holo, and IR. That means over 800 cards according to them, although I did not do the math myself.
That's why Pocket is better
It really isn't with all the issues it has with trading, microtransactions, powercreeping and FOMO for how fast sets are pushed in only six months. Not to mention it's the main catalyst for this TCG situation, because people who couldn't name a non-starter/legendary Pokémon from the last three generations are suddenly lifelong fans again knowing they can get clout and money from it.
You’re right. God damn dude, that’s insane
Don’t forget that these kinds of shortages tend to happen every time a hyped special set comes out:
* It happened with Generations during the set’s first few releases.
* It happened with Shining Legends to some extent
* It happened with Hidden Fates
* It happened with Champion’s Path
* It happened with Shining Fates for a while.
* And it happened to Celebrations.
The only time this hasn’t was when the special sets were mid at best (Double Crisis, Detective Pikachu, and Pokémon GO), it seems that TPCi either has really faulty long-term memory or said memory is selective on what it want to recall.
But at least Pocket cards don't get scalped
I'm trying to wrap my head around this and I feel like even the most generous understanding of this news is that TPCI endorses scalping. I mean extreme hype followed by an albeit anticipated announcement that "stores will receive 0 product" sets off alarm bells for panic buyers. My LGS hasn't even received any allocation since Surging Sparks because of distributor issues. It's a sad time to be a tcg fan for sure, I miss seeing product on the shelves. Remember, the problem won't ease up until people stop panic buying, buy singles instead. Don't pay over MSRP at the very least. Your money will be louder than your voice here.
Prismatic is coming out in waves. We literally just got a new product this week, there are ETBs coming back and some of the smaller products come back every now and than. That’s what a wave is. The demand is just way to high - for a set that is mid at best with the ugliest Eeveelution cards we ever got. I don’t get why people keep on complaining. They complain when they don’t get anything, the complain when they pay too much (which they decide) and they complain when they get it but have no hit in their five boosters. Maybe just don’t collect the set if it frustrates you so much.
As for journey tigether: the set is readily available with scalpers famously giving it back at Walmart because it doesn’t move.