When random stores have huge stock piles...

Has anyone become grossly paranoid? I trust no one in the world lately in relation to cards only obviously. I walk into a target Walmart dollar general and see a mid 30s dude with a thin mustache beanie cap and know instantly this dude is trying to buy walks in looks at the counter leaves before the clerk is even back because he knows what the boxes look like.

Leaving myself I see another car load bf/gf pulling up and know they're searching. See them 3 miles up the road at the next store.

Then after a week of finding nothing walk into a family dollar or a less likely store and the dude has 50 sleeves of surging sparks and I'm doing the it's for my kid thing which was partially true but a minor front obviously once every other month when I find a load and the clerk will let you yes I do buy a case of 24 sleeves or whatever is available of course duh obviously but not to scalp to open because I'm not paying $10 a pack for phantasmal flames when I can get them at $4.50.

So back to the weirdness this dude grabs very well handed all 50 in one snatch from the shelf and says "you want them all???" I'm still acting like eh I don't know in case I have to see him again one day and do the same thing. Obviously I do but all 55 actually for $5 each. Fair enough despite not wanting surging sparks.

That's strange right? I'm not crazy right? Every DG and retail store even f'ing hardware stores that sell the cards are out maybe 1 stacker tin or something but nothing else. Then on the same street this dude is strapped to the max.

Point?

Do you suspect most retailer employees of being in on it? Did I get hustled? Did this dude weigh every pack or whatever shadiness could attempt to unfold?

Are all the early 20s kids at the dollar generals buying all the cases of phantasmal flames?

I normally wouldn't even care that much. Only recently have I started actually putting forth some real effort to get a stock pile. Admittedly a guy let me buy a case of PF and I had some sick hits in it not long back. But lately I've been rolling up right after the truck unloads and they say no sorry man there wasn't any in the shipment. Maybe true? Maybe they just wised up and are buying the cases $118 after tax instant double up with ease they take 6 cases basically double their weekly wage? Why wouldn't they. If I was 19 at one of those stores I would for sure.

Ok ramble ramble you get the point of it all.

Do you feel strange when there's a ton of cards available at retail and the employee isn't just happy to sell them to you but literally inviting you to buy 55 packs literally jumping straight to "do you want them all?"

That's not 10 packs that's 55 sleeves come on. Or when they tell you they don't have any do you believe? Especially when they're nice and chatty like they're filling in the lie with too much detail rambling about supply and Temu and sorts of strange shit.

Most places you walk in and some 60 year old chick is like "I JUST OPENED ITS 804am AND YOURE ASKING ME FOR THOSE DAMN CARDS" that's a normal retail clerk even though you never even tried that store before or ever asked the woman once it's like hello duh I just dropped my nephew off at school and pulled in I got work it's now or never get over it hag.

Lol anyway I just expect them to be nasty because they are getting hounded. Hell that's all the more reason to buy them out yourself make some money if you work there and just say no none this week try back next week.

How do you score Pokémon in the wild? Hell even a 36 pack booster I bought from one of the biggest card stores in the country in store in person was fairly sketchy felt like it was tampered with the packs ripped open strange some were bent inside two full art meowths nothing else. Pretty strange.

How does one buy reasonable volume for personal use without paying massive premiums and without getting screwed?

You respond reasonably and you deserve all the upvotes I should edit this