A tale of a Walmart restock

I know what I will say is a broken record, but it’s at least therapeutic, and today’s experience really sunk in for how bad it is:

I never grew up with Pokémon and didn’t become involved with the TCG until a couple months ago when my kids (elementary age) took an interest. At that time, I had no clue how hard the cards were to get.

In order to get Pokémon cards for their new interest, I’ve had to wait in line for hours, wait in online queues or stay up late to buy them online. All this so I could watch their enjoyment with the game. While they do like the pictures on the cards, they really like to play the game and I have to learned the so I can participate.

While we are into Pokemon for the game, it is fun to collect them and rip packs as part of the experience.

Today, I dropped by Walmart for some items and saw a line of people near the card game section. Knowing that this is typical behavior for a restock, I went over and asked if that’s what they were doing. There was about 10 adult people in line. I casually talked to the people in line, and discovered that none of them played the game. Most were actively scrolling Facebook looking at the groups for buying and selling. The people in line were discussing how they were going to sell their items. It even got so far that they count how many people were in line compared to what was on the shelf so they could wipe it clean.

I jokingly asked if one guy was headed to work afterwards, and he gave a chuckle and looked the other way.

It was funny because the Walmart employee controlling the line called out one person for having camped out earlier for a restock in which the guy hung out in the Walmart for nine hours waiting for the restock to show.

Not one person had kids or indicated they were buying for their kids, and they were all discussing how this was an investment and way to make money. It was sickening to hear how a child’s game has become so predatory and enabled for scalpers to prey on those who are looking to buy cards for the love of the TCG.

I appreciate the Walmart store for making it a limit of how many items could be purchased and could not loop the line or make any more purchases for the day. Thankfully, I was able to get a few items for my kids to take home and open tonight but it was quickly eaten up by the scalpers who were in front of me.