Pokemon Card Retailer Launches Controversial But Effective New Method to Weed Out Scalpers

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Pokemon card collecting is incredibly popular, but a major problem for fans is ‘scalping’ – where people buy up large quantities of cards to resell them at much higher prices. This creates shortages, making it difficult for dedicated collectors to find the cards they want. While stores usually limit how many products each person can buy, and the Pokemon Center uses an online waiting system, it’s been hard to find effective solutions. Now, one retailer has taken a bold new approach, and people have very different opinions about it.

It’s getting harder to buy the latest Pokémon cards! A Tokyo store, Bic Camera, is now requiring customers to pass a Pokémon quiz before they can purchase products from the new Ninja Spinner expansion (known as Chaos Rising in English). This is an attempt to stop resellers and ensure the cards go to genuine fans. The expansion originally launched in Japan in March.

Anti-Scalper Pokemon Quiz Could Stop Resellers… Or Deter Newer Fans

It’s been difficult to keep up with demand for the new Pokémon expansion, Ninja Spinner. The English version, Chaos Rising, which comes out on May 22nd, will probably face the same issue. However, one store in Japan is working to ensure that Ninja Spinner restocks go to dedicated Pokémon fans instead of people who buy to resell.

So, I heard Bic Camera in Tokyo is doing something kinda cool – and challenging! If you want to buy packs from the new Ninja Spinner set, you gotta pass a Pokemon quiz first. Honestly, it sounds like a throwback to Pokemon trainer school, which is perfect if you actually know Pokemon. Apparently, it’s 15 questions, and they’re supposed to be easy for real fans, but if you just follow resale prices, you’re probably gonna struggle!

Unfortunately, the complete list of questions isn’t available, so it’s difficult to gauge how much Pokemon knowledge would be needed. Reactions to the latest effort to stop people from reselling Pokemon cards at inflated prices have been varied. Many collectors, frustrated by empty store shelves, would like to see more retailers take action. There’s a certain appeal to the idea of a reseller trying to profit from the hobby being unable to identify a Pokemon like Greninja, which appears on the Ninja Spinner booster packs.

However, this change might discourage new fans from starting to collect Pokémon cards. Simply not knowing a lot about Pokémon doesn’t automatically mean someone is a reseller. They might just be someone new to the trading card game or unfamiliar with the anime and video games, and simply curious about getting involved.

Currently, it looks like the idea of making customers take a quiz to buy products is still limited to this first test at Bic Camera. While many U.S. stores limit how much product customers can buy, and some card shows are stopping the sale of unopened items, I haven’t seen any stores here requiring a Pokémon quiz to purchase new releases like Chaos Rising… at least not yet.

We’re discussing whether customers should have to take a quiz before buying Pokémon cards. Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-05-01 22:12