The Pokemon Company’s Big Move to Fix the Pokemon TCG Market Might Come Too Late

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As a long-time Pokémon card collector, the last few years have been really tough. It’s been so frustrating seeing empty shelves where new cards used to be, all because of shortages and people buying them up just to resell at crazy prices. I’ve seen everything from arguments breaking out in stores like Costco to local shops and even GameStop charging way more than the cards are actually worth. There was a rumor going around in mid-December that The Pokémon Company was going to try and fix things by making more cards, and it’s now confirmed that Millennium Print Group is expanding its facilities. That’s good news, but honestly, it’s going to be a while before we actually see more cards available.

The Pokémon Company has been working hard to print enough cards to meet the huge demand, even saying they were producing at their absolute maximum. However, cards still sell out incredibly quickly. This is partly because there just aren’t enough cards available, but also because of resellers. These resellers buy up cards as soon as they hit stores, hoping to make a profit by selling them at higher prices. This creates a frustrating cycle where limited stock fuels even more reselling. While The Pokémon Company’s new printing facility is a clear effort to increase production, it’s uncertain if it will be enough to solve the problem.

New Expanded Pokemon Card Printing Facilities Won’t Be Complete Until 2028

PokeBeach reports that Millennium Print Group, a company owned by TCPI, has confirmed it recently leased a large facility in North Carolina. According to an official statement, this new space will allow the company to increase production of the Pokemon Trading Card Game and other trading cards. However, the facility needs renovations and expansion before it can operate at full capacity, which will take some time.

Starting this year, existing buildings will be improved to meet Millennium’s requirements. These upgrades, along with the building of a new manufacturing plant, are projected to be completed by 2027. However, the new plant won’t be fully operational until late 2028. This means it could take at least two more years before we see an increase in the production of Pokemon TCG cards.

Some parts of the new facilities might be usable before 2028, especially if renovating the current space takes less time than building new areas. If that happens, Millennium could potentially start increasing production of Pokemon TCG cards even before the end of 2028. However, even in the best-case scenario, we probably won’t see more Pokemon cards available until at least 2027, and it could take even longer for the market to feel the impact of that increase. Given how long fans have already been waiting, many might lose interest in Pokemon TCG by then.

Many Pokemon Fans Are Already Giving Up On Pokemon TCG Thanks to Shortages

Whenever new Pokémon cards are released, fans quickly voice their disappointment when they sell out immediately. Many Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) enthusiasts are frustrated by empty store shelves and the rapid pace at which cards disappear, often blaming resellers—or “scalpers”—who buy up everything as soon as it becomes available. While stores have tried to combat this by limiting purchases to one or two items per customer, cards still sell out incredibly fast—sometimes within minutes of being stocked. This is causing many fans to become discouraged and step away from collecting, at least temporarily.

Quitting collecting
byu/Satanic_Prussia inPokemonTCG

For many Pokémon fans, it’s become a routine to check stores for the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game products, even though they’re usually empty. But how long can people keep doing that before giving up? I still look when I’m nearby, but I don’t really expect to find anything anymore, and lots of other collectors feel the same way. Many passionate collectors are taking a break from the hobby because it’s so difficult to find products at the suggested retail price. Plus, buying from resellers, who often charge inflated prices, feels like it rewards unfair practices.

If Pokemon starts making more cards and putting them back in stores, some people who stopped collecting might rediscover their love for the hobby. However, if the current problems with limited availability and resellers last until 2028, many fans will likely lose interest completely. As Pokemon approaches its 30th anniversary, there’s talk of special anniversary card sets, but these are also likely to be snatched up by resellers, meaning most fans won’t be able to actually get their hands on them.

As a Pokémon TCG fan, it’s frustrating to see how hard it is to find cards! Basically, as long as more people want cards than there are available, resellers will keep buying them up as investments. That, combined with all of us collectors, means empty store shelves will probably be a common sight for a while. I really hope The Pokémon Company can increase production before 2028, otherwise I’m worried a lot of fans are just going to give up on even looking for cards.

Still collecting Pokémon cards, or taking a break until things calm down? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-04 00:41