2020 was just a big year for Pokémon TCG. Collectors have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars auctioning off their childhood jewelery and selling current products such as Elite Trainer Boxes and boosters packs.
To no surprise, when McDonald’s announced that it would include a special 25-year-old package of Pokémon cards with every Happy Meal purchase, fans had already begun preparing how they would secure their fate. Unfortunately, like many “scarce” resources that make a profit, there was a frenzy of grabbing as many cards as possible on the issue date.
Although there are a fair number of collectors who just want to catch all 50 cards, the majority of scalpers who want to repeat the success of the 2002 series of Happy Meal Pokémon cards released in Japan. The whole idea of sharing the joy of Pokémon with children is distorted with adults abusing and playing the promotion to the fullest, and buying things at the same time. The current market price is now $ 1100 dollars for a case of 150 packs, or you can buy them separately at a price of $ 10 dollars per pack. Some people even order ten happy meals at a time just to get the tickets while wasting the food in the process.
This situation does not go down well with parents and sincere fans of Pokémon, and many people take it on Twitter to express McDonald’s frustration. Check out the tweets below. What do you think? Should McDonald’s limit this promotion to one package per customer?
@McDonalds @Pokemon I sure hope you do some sort of inventory control for your promo Pokémon cards, as some of your inventory is sold in sealed boxes, which means you do not even pick it up in your stores? Although the same thing happened with Tim Hortons Hockey. Retail $ 1.99? pic.twitter.com/kX8qZyRX2V
– redphoenixsportscards (@redphoenixcards) February 9, 2021
@McDonalds @Pokemon @eBay it is not nice, your employees delete it while my kids do not get it with a paid meal pic.twitter.com/P2KXYV0otR
– jimmy bond (@ jimmybond613) February 9, 2021
I’m so disappointed. I asked McDonald’s if they had the Pokémon kids meals, they said yes, I paid for my food and was thrilled to open TWO packs of these toys, get home and BAM is hasbro toys. Like you’re lying to me, it’s not going to make me a happy customer
-? Maggie? (@Magskcrp) 8 February 2021
@McDonalds stop making people buy the Pokémon happy meal in bulk. No one has more than five children. Let the general public have a chance.
– Jay Rech (@ JoeZ10ARG) February 9, 2021
Two days ago, members were told to go to McDonalds to buy full cabinets of Pokémon 25th Anniversary Toys
$ 250 retail ➡️ $ 1100 resale
How many cases did you get? ? pic.twitter.com/uZWakbOa8J
– BANDAR (@BandarsBounties) February 9, 2021
In other TCG news, the 2021 Pokémon World Championship has been canceled.