Pokémon 30th Anniversary TCG Set Anti-Scalper Plans Officially Confirmed

Published Sep 16, 2026, 5:59 AM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

It is hard to believe that this year celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which launched for the first time in 1996. The tabletop and collectible card game has become a worldwide phenomenon, and to celebrate the major anniversary, the Pokémon Company has launched its 30th anniversary collection of cards that you will want to add to your collection now.

Whilst there are multiple ways to get your hands on Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, U.S. residents are having trouble finding stock at Target stores. As you can probably already guess, this is due to scalpers who take it upon themselves to purchase the latest cards in bulk, only to sell on at a much higher price.

However, ahead of the launch of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set, it seems as though Target will be taking much more serious measures to combat the rise in scalpers, allowing complete fairness when it comes to getting your hands on the latest designs. As such, thanks to leaks by Target employees themselves, it seems as though the 16 September launch will run a lot smoother than previous years.

According to leaks that have recently been shared on Reddit, Target stores will create elaborate Pokémon displays near the electronic section found at the back of the shop. However, these will not just be home to the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set, but other fairly new Pokémon products.

Not only that, but according to Pokémon influencer BritBrattv, it will be a lot harder to simply head to Target and pick up the new collection in bulk. "I’m hearing that some Target locations may be taking extra steps to control lines for the 30th Celebration release," she shared. "There could be organized queue systems, with stores requiring you to physically stay in line…no “ghost chairs”. I have also heard there may be a virtual ticket system implemented."

Not every Target store will have the same rules applied, but it is clear that changes will be made going forward. On top of directing parking lot traffic, there will also be added security to manage overwhelming queues and, of course, scalpers.

Last but not least, a poster spotted at one Target store showed that stock could be limited to one item type per customer. Again, it is worth mentioning that this is not the rule for every shop, so it is worth checking if your local Target has implemented these new changes.

With today being the day that the Pokémon 30th Anniversary set is launched, it remains to be seen if these new rules will actually combat the ongoing scalping problem. For now, only time will tell.