Scalpers remain a major problem in the Pokémon scene. Snatching all the booster packs and products in stores and then selling them online for more, due to the scarcity they created, is diabolical, but it’s been difficult to know how to deal with it.
One retail chain in Japan thinks it has a possible solution. A branch of Bic Camera in Tokyo forces customers to answer a written Pokémon-themed quiz if they want to buy the new Ninja Spinner expansion booster packs. Not only that, but customers have to pass.
Ninja Spinner is a Japan-exclusive set featuring Mega Evolution Pokémon. It came out in March, and collectors have been going crazy ever since. There are some Special Art cards featuring popular Pokémon like Greninja that are highly desirable. However, it has made the booster packs desirable to scalpers as well.
How to Get Pokémon Cards at Bic Camera: Level, Difficult
According to signs spotted at the Ikebukuro West store, those who want to purchase Ninja Spinner booster packs have to answer 15 questions about Pokémon. One test taker reported that you did the quiz while waiting in line. The questions aren’t super tricky, unless you don’t know anything about the franchise.
However, it’s super strict. You aren’t allowed to use your phone to look up any answers or phone a friend. If you do pass, you are only allowed “one box per customer.” You can proceed with the purchase only if you have a loyalty account with the Bic Camera chain.
The box you’re given, if you make it that far, has the shrink wrap removed. It’s then opened up. This way, scalpers can’t sell a “sealed” box anymore. This could further deter them.
It may sound over-the-top at first, but Pokémon players have applauded Bic Camera for attempting to stop scalpers. They even want more stores to do something similar.
Many Japanese Pokémon players have been very critical of scalpers from outside the country, particularly those from Vietnam and China. Some Bic Camera locations require a Japanese driver’s license to purchase a limited amount of booster packs.
While two Vietnamese scalpers were recently arrested, the criminals aren’t always foreign. There have been plenty of Japanese card stores robbed by employees of rival stores. Scalping is a major issue worldwide. In the United States, where guns exist, one store in New York was even held at gunpoint with 50 hostages inside.
Honestly, it’s all a bit pathetic. I remember pre-2020 when the Pokémon community was just try-hard competitors and dedicated collectors. Regionals were largely adults. It was a lot different back then. Now, families with young kids have flooded events, and the line to get into the Pokémon Store is total chaos. It’s a totally different vibe. A lame one.