These days, Pokémon cards are practically impossible to find. I spend a lot of time online and know plenty of friends who run or work at card shops, and I frequent supermarkets myself; if even I struggle to buy them, you can imagine how difficult it is for average collectors to get their hands on any.
Crypto traders and scalpers alike have turned trading cards into prime investment targets, going so far as to use bots and other automated tools to sweep up inventory. This is why lines start forming 12 hours before stores open—players have almost no choice if they don’t want to go home empty-handed. Unless…
As it turns out, many die-hard Pokémon TCG fans, scalpers, and well-heeled players are now paying people to stand in line for them, just to snag the hottest card products, with fees reaching hundreds of dollars.
The 30th Anniversary expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game is one of the most acclaimed sets in recent years. I previously called it “the most refreshing set in years,” and in my view, aside from Shining Fates, it’s the highest-quality booster box since Celestial Storm. Such a premium release naturally draws massive attention: lapsed players are returning for the 30th anniversary, core fans aren’t missing out, and scalpers see it as a golden opportunity for quick profits—even with ample stock, competition is fiercer than ever.
The scramble has become so intense that people would rather part with their hard-earned cash than wait in line themselves.
Gig-work platforms like Airtasker have been flooded with requests from Pokémon TCG players, scalpers, and affluent buyers looking to hire line-sitters.
One such request has already been accepted, which comes as no surprise: the client offered $300 for someone to line up at a Best Buy in California for Pokémon cards. The job description read: “Best Buy is releasing Pokémon cards on November 6. I’ve heard the release time will be very early, likely requiring queuing from 3 AM onward. I can’t accompany my son and don’t want to disappoint him. I’m willing to pay a couple or two friends to stand in line…”
Yes, some people are willing to pay an extra $300 on top of the retail price just to secure the latest releases. At this point, buying directly from scalpers might actually be cheaper.
This isn’t the only such request. Another listing in California offered $200 for someone to queue at Best Buy for the Ultimate Collector’s Box (UCB); similar offers exceeding $100 have popped up in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The situation has become utterly absurd.