The Pokemon Company is Keeping Product All For Themselves!!

Time for a Nick needs to rant video! The point I want to make in this video is that your local game stores aren't being offered cool older product like Sword & Shield era products anymore. This used to be the case but it seems like now the Pokemon Company only wants to sell these types of product on their official website. Do you think this might cause a conflict in market pricing down the road?
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[@TheSnackAttackingSnorlax]

Not rocket science…. Why pay for shipping and sell for $90 when they can keep it themselves and sell at 140-160?? Pokémon knows the market, they respect it for the most part, and now they know, people will buy them out at msrp when the sets get old enough!!! ;) as long as they don’t get TOO greedy here it’s a solid business decision for them.

[@Ernie_And_Monkey]

Silver tempest booster box is still affordable and now is the best time to buy. I also like how the full art Lance went from a $2.50 card and now it's $20, almost overnight.

[@mikespandinator2054]

We are deep into scarlet violet by this point 7 sets in. How long into a new era should you still expect bread crumbs of the older sets

[@CostcoFries]

Hey Nick, I see where you’re coming from. Sadly the Pokémon company isn’t helping LGS as much now due to a lot of LGS overcharging. That’s why they’re offering to more to franchise like targets, Walmarts etc. During the COVID years lots of LGS were getting products cheap from distributors then upselling it. Not saying anything bad against you but that’s how it is now.

[@paladincards4444]

I can tell you, Distribution is over charging on a lot of items.

[@moonbreon]

to your question "why didn't they make the booster available to distribution" ? because probably all the lgs or resellers that will get them from distribution will charge inflated tcgplayer prices... which probably be close to double MSRP or 40%-150%... I think as long as we have this behaviour, pokemon should pursue this path by making it available on their store or better having a partnership with big retail store to guaranty prices close to MSRP. You saw what hapenned with the 151 bundles, stores were selling them out of the gate with a 100% surcharge...now thanks god for consumers, it's in walmart , close or below msrp

[@Iamwillz]

LGs greedy behaviour so pokemon center said nope. Alpha Investments made a valueable video on his whale perspective (often times bigger than LGS) and how business models of these big companies have shifted and rather shift stock to big brand stores like amazon , target , walmart rather than 50% to big box stores and 50% to LGs were often LGS get greedy and often want outlandish requests, TPC probably wNt to mitigate that so they do a 70-30 split

[@Korkey604]

100%! Have you ever try to contact the Pokemon center? They have the worst communication. Zero. Zip. They brush you off like you are at fault. Ignore you. No one will take your complaint seriously

[@AECollectsLLC]

Some info here - when pokemon prints and allocates between distro/big box/pokemon center/etc those inventory allocations stay the same. For example, if distro runs out first TPCi will never pull from their warehouse that sells through Pokemon Center to give to the out-of-stock distro. Their decision to holdback inventory on their own site is their decision - this is the same as distribution who holds back inventory occasionally. Separately on your comment about boxes from UK, Pokemon has been making strides on setting up printers in their international regions so they don't need to ship internationally at all - soon the printings in each international region might be their own. Another issue pushing the set up of international printers is other corrupt governments - for example, their shipments to South America are getting "lost" and are needing to pay extra "fees" for their shipments to be found again. Many reasons on top of these few on why TPCi bought their own printers.

[@mariaray5727]

I mean it is their product! I can’t blame them for selling it and making their own money. You guys got your fair share of this stuff. Yes it sucks for lgs but it’s Pokemon!

[@sn2967]

And then when they do ship the product they slam it into a box and kick it out the door with no packaging.

[@JohnDoe_88]

I know right. Don't forget they cut open boxes carelessly with box cutters right through your product and take no responsibility 👍

[@JohnDoe_88]

I know right. Don't forget they cut open boxes carelessly with box cutters right through your product and take no responsibility 👍

[@PuPuLuLu-Poke]

Yup true. They got doodoo customer service too. I reported to my bank and got my money back lol

[@mariaray5727]

Lmao what do you think is as consumers have to do! Were the ones ripping most of the product open! The local game stores are just in it for the money! Not all but most!! I hope Pokemon keeps that trend and keeps looking out for the consumer and not the greedy LGs stores!!

[@kicksandcollectables]

The fact that my Pokemon vending machines are still actively getting packs of evolving skies means they have plenty laying around... granted I haven't gotten a single pack from these machines because sweaty resellers pay off the vendors to notify them when they are restocking and then they get followed around to each store as they restock to clear out each one by one every 2-3 days... This isn't just speculation, I've seen it happen and talked to a local card stocker from my Target who confirmed it.

[@2736492821]

are the vending machines still cranking ES packs? multiple people mentioned no more

[@sampelfrey4810]

id love to see more "can we make our money back" videos.

[@nicks.9741]

Get our point. Thanks for the video! We (Europe) would die to have a Pokemon center...we are depending on online stores and cardmarket. I never see a boosterbox under 100€. 😓

[@Pikachu-ez1rm]

Yeah I'm surprised Europe doesn't have any. I mean it technically does but it's exclusive to the UK. That sucks :/

[@lizius]

Greedy gamestores is why. 100% understand why they do it.

[@PolafTCG]

Your content is so refined and top-tier in the realm of Pokemon TCG product. Thank you for the insight and dialogue!

[@HoneyBeeTCG]

Its scary to new stores starting like us seeing pokemon favoring big box stores

[@Iamwillz]

OR Pokemon company has just had enough of these Influencers /youtubers /LGS that stole / sold their products early (silver tempest ) People can even follow a simple "do not open before ______" Big box stores don't do petty stuff like this. Can't really blame TPC. 😂

[@PokeSteve69]

holy shit longform hilltop content?! 😍

[@kantopapi93]

Hope things turn around for the better nick 🙏

[@mxtragedy]

In a nutshell we’re screwed

[@mikespandinator2054]

Vivid voltage is less then what’s selling on Pokémon center though..

[@greathitnick3034]

I wish Pokémon company would reach out to actual brick and mortar stores and make sure they have all the products they need but that doesn’t seem like they do that at all

[@cjkeno23]

Pokemon International has changed their business model no doubt but a head’s up to LGS’ would’ve been nice….

Most people dont own an LGS. Hell most people dont even have access to an LGS.

[@NewbAvenger]

Just my opinion but everyone is greedy when money is involved. But it is their product. They can do whatever they want. Just like all of us trying to sell evolving skies for $700 a box. Everyone wants that profit. Even those that are complaining about products being sold too expensive only because they want it cheap so they can be the one to sell it high for a profit. It is what it is now.

[@zachnoll9156]

I think your are way off on this one. Using vivid voltage as your example that’s like 19 sets ago. I don’t know how long you think you should be able to order sets. If they are moving sets from there UK store to US why would they send it to lgs to make less than selling it on Pokémon center. Lgs should be selling current sets that’s how it always been. If you want older sets that are rising in price then you will have to pay whatever market value is like everyone else.

[@scalpertcg6179]

Hey nick moving forward why don’t you hoard some cases of scarlet violet? With Pokémon expanding best believe this is the new business model for the future

[@warriorsdynastypart275]

LOL ur mad at the pokemon company for trying to make money. Oh wait ur mad because ur not getting pokemon products at a discount. Ur a funny guy

[@elvistcg]

No they don’t. There’s no benefit for them, instead it would tarnish their brand to scalp their own product. Makes no sense