Scalpers: Why They Are Bad News and Why You Shouldn’t Buy From Them

I was minding my own business, scrolling through YouTube reels, when I stumbled on a video that immediately made my heart sink—mind you, it was breakfast, so I was quite sensitive. It was a Pokémon TCG video, and it was quite sour. Why? Well, there were like five grown men practically bodying each other to grab every single pack they could. Amidst it all, there was one kid, perhaps around 13 years old, who managed to get only one.

Just one. 

Now, will these men open it themselves, possibly? However, the tendency here is that they will sell them at a higher price. It sucks, it’s pricey, it’s scalping. 

From Pokémon TCG Official Website

Scalpers, if you’re unfamiliar, are people who buy up all the stock of a highly anticipated product—graphics cards, consoles, trading cards—you name it. They don’t do it because they want to enjoy the product. No, they’re doing it to flip it for profit, often at double, triple, or even quadruple the price. They thrive on demand and capitalize on hype; in this case, it is currently Pokémon. 

The issue isn’t just about inflated prices. Scalping poisons the community, in my opinion. That Pokémon video? That wasn’t just a few packs disappearing from shelves—that was a young fan losing access to something they were genuinely excited about. That was a ruined experience. It fosters resentment, frustration, and worst of all, it normalizes a market where only the highest bidder gets to participate.

From Spongebob Squarepants Official GIPHY

It also affects the health of industries. When consoles like the PS5 were impossible to find unless you paid a markup, developers hesitated to push new-gen exclusives. Why develop for a system that only a fraction of people could afford? When real fans are unable to access a game or product during its launch, the initial wave of excitement often subsides. 

Now let’s talk about you–the buyer. It’s tempting, I get it. You’ve saved up, you want the thing, and the only option left is that guy on Facebook Marketplace selling it for double the price. But every time someone buys from a scalper, it reinforces their behavior. It tells them it’s working. And it ensures that the next big release will be their next target. 

From The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Official GIPHY

So what can you do? Be patient. Support official restocks. Encourage companies to offer pre-orders that actually honor queues instead of implementing a first-come, first-served system. And most importantly, don’t feed the beast. Scalping only thrives because people continue to buy from them.

Let’s not let greed define our hobbies. Let’s keep them fun and fair.

Remember that viral video of this lady skipping the line to buy a ton of iPhones? It ended with the store only allowing one device, wasting her time and money. Quite the classic, if I do say so myself. Now, if you want to grab yourself an iPhone, you can check out the Next Upgrade Shop!