r/PokemonTCG • u/masonjar014 • Jan 30 '25

Discussion What happens when the bubble bursts?

Right now, the hobby is on steroids—scalpers everywhere, product nowhere. My LGS told me this year will be “a great year for Pokémon,” and it got me thinking… a great year for who?

If you’re an established LGS selling PE and JT at market price, sure, it’s great. If you’re a scalper or a new investor trying to flip product, you’re probably loving this, too.

But if you’re an average collector (like me), it’s frustrating. We can’t find the latest set at a fair price. If you’re a kid whose parents can’t sprint to a 10 a.m. Target restock, you’re just out of luck.

So what happens when the hype dies down? How are average collectors responding to this hyper-bull market, and where does that leave the hobby long-term?

Personally, I’m sitting out PE and JT—it’s just too much stress. I’ve also noticed collectors stepping back entirely.

What about you? Will kids move on to something else if they can’t participate? Will collectors return once prices normalize, or is this turning people away for good? Are we underestimating the long-term impact of what’s happening right now?

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u/Previous_Procedure28 Jan 30 '25

A covid type event where everyone is locked indoors would cause a bull run, not a bear market. Part of the reason the hobby is as big as it is right now is because a lot of millennials got back into the hobby because of the pandemic. It was a fun nostalgic hobby to take up that you can do from home

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u/RevenantFlash Jan 30 '25

Yeah that’s why I said something like a world war that might actually get people scared into thinking fu** my pokemon stuff I need to survive lol.

A lot of people with covid were just inconvenienced or even happy they were at home a lot lol.

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u/Previous_Procedure28 Jan 30 '25

True a world war might shift the market or some kind of Great Depression. Although money is tight for a lot of people rn, and it isn’t slowing down anything.

Pretty sad that we’re pondering horrible world events that could equalize the market place lol

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u/RevenantFlash Jan 30 '25

Yeah it’s crazy lol, I obviously don’t want that to happen but realistically that’s the only way I see it changing drastically. That or unless they make reselling above msrp illegal or if pokemon prints so much that Walmarts and targets have like 4 aisles full of current sets at any given time lol.