The Pokémon Company has taken steps to combat scalping in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) by removing plastic packaging from new boxes at a select store in Singapore. This move will be implemented “until further notice” and aims to curb the practice of buying products at retail price and reselling them for high profits.
Scalpers have been a persistent issue in the TCG, with recent months seeing an increase in incidents. To combat this, Pokémon Center stores in Japan would previously remove plastic film from sealed booster boxes when sold in-store. This measure is designed to prevent tampering and ensure customers can trust the products on the secondary market.
The removal of packaging at the Singapore store will not affect normal consumers buying cards from official stores, as packs remain sealed. However, it may impact collectors who purchase sealed products. Despite initial concerns, this move has been welcomed by the majority of consumers due to the scalping issues plaguing the game.
Notably, this change affects the upcoming Pokémon Journey Together trading card game set, which is highly anticipated by fans. The Pokémon Center Singapore will continue this practice until further notice.
Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/pokemon-centers-wage-war-on-tcg-scalpers-by-removing-plastic-packaging-from-new-boxes