Nintendo President Responds to Pokémon Card Scalping as Demand Continues to Outpace Supply
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has publicly addressed the ongoing issue of Pokémon Trading Card Game shortages and large-scale scalping, acknowledging that demand continues to exceed available supply despite The Pokémon Company's record-breaking production efforts.
The comments came during Nintendo's 86th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, where Furukawa was asked how Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are responding to bulk purchasing and high-priced resale activity that has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to purchase products at retail.
Nintendo Acknowledges Ongoing Scalping Concerns
In his response, Furukawa confirmed that Nintendo is aware of the current market conditions and the impact large-volume purchases are having on consumers.
He stated that The Pokémon Company is already implementing several measures designed to combat scalping, including:
Expanding made-to-order sales for select products
Working with marketplace operators
Verifying buyers for certain online releases, including Japan's My Number ID system for priority lotteries
Exploring additional anti-scalping initiatives as market conditions evolve
Record Production Hasn't Solved the Problem
The announcement comes despite The Pokémon Company's unprecedented expansion in manufacturing capacity.
The company recently confirmed it printed more than 10 billion Pokémon cards last year, while simultaneously investing in future production through a new 1.27 million-square-foot U.S. printing facility in North Carolina—one of the largest card manufacturing expansions in the hobby's history.
Even with supply continuing to increase, demand has accelerated at an even faster pace.
Supply Is Growing—But So Is Demand
Nintendo's comments suggest the company recognizes that increasing production alone may not fully resolve the issue.
While additional print capacity should improve long-term availability, collector demand has continued to grow alongside supply, creating an environment where many highly anticipated releases remain difficult to obtain at MSRP.
For now, The Pokémon Company appears focused on combining higher production with stronger anti-scalping policies, rather than relying on either solution independently.
Whether those efforts ultimately improve product availability remains one of the biggest questions facing the Pokémon TCG as the hobby continues its rapid global expansion.
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