Walmart and Target no longer selling sports cards and Pokémon cards?

It appears that sports cards, Pokémon cards, and other trading cards are no longer being stocked on the shelves at big-box retailers Walmart and Target. Why? Apparently due to “safety reasons.” Yes, retail trading cards have become a safety hazard – both for customers and employees – in 2021.

“To ensure the safety of our guests and team members, effective May 14th, MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon Trading Cards will no longer be sold in stores until further notice.

The collecting craze – scratch that – the flipping and “investment” craze – has hit highs that have not been seen since perhaps the very early 1990s. Rare Pokémon cards are selling in triple figures. Modern sports cards – particularly basketball – have started hitting the million dollar mark.

Even while prices for sports cards and Pokémon cards have started to come back down to earth somewhat, they are still far above pre-pandemic values, and a lot of people think a new baseline is being established.

In early May, a fight broke out in a Wisconsin Walmart parking lot over Pokémon cards, where apparently one of the parties involved pulled a gun after being attacked by four other individuals. In March, a man in Tokyo was arrested after he broke into a store Mission Impossible style in order to steal some cards.

I mean, this is just nuts. Probably a good thing the cards are no longer on the shelves.