Apparent Pokemon TCG ‘Scalper Stash’ Discovered at Target

Summary

A Pokemon TCG fan discovered an apparent “scalper stash” of Journey Together card packs at Target.
After alerting the Target manager of the stash, an employee was set to restock the Pokemon TCG shelves with the card packs.
Parents and other Pokemon TCG fans at the Target store were able to buy the card packs after the stash was discovered.

An avid Pokemon TCG fan recently discovered an apparent “scalper stash” of Journey Together card packs at Target. The Journey Together set is among one of the most sought-after Pokemon TCG sets in 2025, thanks to the inclusion of fan-favorite cards from the Scarlet & Violet series.

Even after the resounding success of the Pokemon TCG Pocket mobile game, many Pokemon fans still turn to the real-life Pokemon TCG tabletop game to collect cards, prepare a very competitive deck, and battle their friends. The hobby of collecting and trading Pokemon TCG cards continues to be popular in 2025, with many new expansions and sets on the way. GameStop discontinued pre-orders for Pokemon TCG products this year, but the company is one of various retailers that continues to offer Pokemon TCG expansions, sets, and card packs on release day, making it a popular location for collectors and newcomers alike. However, Pokemon TCG fans are still weary and vigilant of efforts by scalpers, since heavy demand is still a factor that could affect fans’ chances of getting card packs on launch day.

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Reddit user TheRisingPhoenix2112 shared an image of a supposed scalper stash of Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together card packs at Target, along with an account of what occurred after bringing it to the attention of the store’s manager. According to TheRisingPhoenix2112, many Pokemon TCG fans swarmed the stash while an employee was placing card packs back on shelves, and some parents were able to buy packs for their kids. Many fans in the Pokemon TCG community on Reddit appear to be happy that the card packs were sold to fans and parents instead of being resold by scalpers, while others are skeptical that the stash was being kept away for malicious purposes.

A Pokemon TCG Fan Discovers an “Scalper Stash” of Journey Together Card Packs at Target

Some Reddit users, including bellowingdragoncrest, note that they were able to find Journey Together packs for MSRP somewhat easily, and other fans believe the stash was just left in the aisle for a Target employee to restock the Pokemon TCG shelves. Many others in the Reddit thread speculate that a Target employee could have been hiding the packs for a scalper, causing some debates about paranoia regarding retailers potentially scalping Pokemon TCG cards.

At the very least, The Pokemon Company is aware that fans are having problems purchasing Pokemon TCG products online and at retail due to high demand and scalpers. The company plans to increase overall production of brand-new Pokemon TCG sets and expansions over time, along with more reprints of existing packs and boxes.