The Pokémon card market has become a fierce battleground for resellers.

Earlier this month, a Pokémon card content creator stirred up controversy within the collecting community when she shared a video showcasing two premium boxes of cards that hadn’t been officially released yet. In the now-deleted clip, she urged viewers not to be upset, but the backlash was swift. Other creators accused her of selling cards that were allegedly stolen from the manufacturer and ridiculed her for attempting to sell them at inflated prices. This incident highlighted the impact of the influencer economy on Pokémon card collecting, as many fans expressed their frustration over the situation. While she has remained relatively quiet since the uproar, collectors are now grappling with another significant issue.

When the highly anticipated 30th Celebration set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game launched last week, collectors flocked to stores nationwide, eager to snag some coveted cards. This anniversary set boasts impressive pull rates, meaning fans have a better chance of finding rare “chase” cards, which could disrupt the aftermarket value of these collectibles. Some dedicated fans even camped out overnight, as the recent surge in popularity has made it increasingly challenging to find cards in stores. However, a different group of Pokémon card hunters managed to secure the sought-after set without stepping foot in a physical store or navigating the online Pokémon Center.

These individuals are resellers who often deploy automated bots to snatch up multiple boxes of cards the moment they become available for preorder online. They may not have any intention of collecting the 30th Celebration set for themselves, but they are actively trying to sell their finds at marked-up prices to fans who missed out. Retailers struggle to keep cards in stock, yet numerous videos showcase resellers flaunting their massive hauls, obtained either through bot orders or inventory tracking programs that alert them when stores receive new stock. There are also plenty of clips showing resellers clashing over cards, including a recent incident where a 72-year-old man was arrested for tracking a Pokémon delivery worker using a device hidden in her car.

While flipping trading cards isn’t a new phenomenon, the Pokémon reselling market has exploded in recent years as more people recognize the franchise’s enduring popularity. Many resellers, like one who goes by BotterBoyNova, initially dealt in other valuable merchandise before realizing that Pokémon products could fetch prices far exceeding the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). In a recent conversation, Nova shared that he has been a Pokémon fan since the mid-’90s and transitioned from creating content about sneaker reselling to capitalizing on the lucrative Pokémon market.

“Resellers in what’s described as the ‘Sneaker Twitter’ space are connected to nearly every collectible category that can be flipped for profit,” Nova explained. “I’m not singling out the Pokémon card market; it just happens to be highly profitable and tough to buy at MSRP, which is where our community excels.”

Rather than working solo, Nova collaborates with Polar Chefs, a “cook group” that offers monthly subscriptions for various reseller tools and services. These subscriptions, ranging from $660 per year to $75 per month, provide access to a private Discord server, restock alerts, and a suite of bots designed to facilitate card purchases. These bots allow users to create multiple accounts on retailer websites linked to virtual credit cards, while masking their IP addresses with proxies. While this practice isn’t technically illegal yet—Congress banned ticket bots in 2016 and has proposed similar legislation for retail bots—it does violate most retailers’ terms of service, leading to canceled orders for some resellers.

Using Polar Chefs’ resources, Nova has successfully acquired large quantities of Pokémon cards at MSRP without triggering anti-bot security measures on retail websites. He described his bot purchasing process as “almost completely hands-free,” noting that the real work begins when he sorts and sells his inventory to bulk buyers.

“Most weeks, I spend less than 3-5 hours on reselling tasks like setting up bots, buying inventory, and fulfilling orders,” Nova said, adding that he often sleeps while his bots make purchases for him. “I wait for notifications from Polar Chefs about releases and any adjustments I need to make.”

While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment Pokémon reselling took off, the emergence of groups like Polar Chefs reflects the evolution of the creator economy during the pandemic. Resellers like Nova act as influencers, creating content that encourages others to join in on the profitable card-flipping trend. Monetized cook groups exemplify how online hustle culture has shifted towards selling guides and courses for practices that some may view as ethically questionable.

The scarcity created by resellers has arguably fueled the popularity of platforms like Whatnot, where users can buy sealed Pokémon products that sellers open during livestreams before shipping them to buyers. Many Whatnot streamers market themselves as entrepreneurs providing a valuable service while entertaining their audiences. However, the platform has faced criticism for resembling an illegal gambling operation, and there’s a growing community of creators documenting instances of Whatnot streamers scamming their customers.

With the 30th Celebration packs now flooding the market with rare cards, scammers may find themselves out of luck. Over the past week, social media platforms have been inundated with screenshots from Discord servers where resellers express frustration over their inability to sell overpriced cards. One widely shared image features a reseller lamenting that they are “the people that actually ensure [The Pokémon Company] makes money,” while complaining that “there’s literally no value in these sets because everyone can pull the rare stuff.” Another reseller claimed they are pursuing a class action lawsuit against The Pokémon Company “for independent vendors who suffered severe financial asset devaluation due to artificial market saturation.”

The absurdity of these posts suggests they may have been crafted by individuals mocking actual resellers, especially since some Discord posts share identical wording. While these may be attempts to gain attention, the overall state of the reselling economy appears to be negatively affecting the availability of Pokémon cards.

Despite The Pokémon Company printing more cards than ever, the modern aftermarket landscape has made it increasingly difficult for everyday fans—especially kids—to engage with the hobby. Nova believes that casual collectors who simply want to pull cool cards are justified in feeling that resellers are making Pokémon less accessible. He also argues that collectors motivated by monetary gain are hypocritical for criticizing resellers. Ultimately, the joy of Pokémon cards lies in the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of discovering a surprising pack, an experience that should be available to everyone but is being compromised by opportunistic resellers.