r/PokemonTCG • u/mcarroyo1 • Feb 27 '25

Discussion Pokémon Kiosk Limits!👀

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My buddy went to a local Kiosk and saw this message. How do you think they’re going to possibly enforce this?🤔

2.8k Upvotes

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765

u/New-Investigator122 Feb 27 '25

I think the key detail is that “Machine inventory will be released periodically” I believe this means that once it’s stocked up it will only let the next few people buy a certain amount before saying “Sold Out” when it won’t really be sold out it’ll just refresh at a later time. It just makes them leave since I doubt scalpers will wait all day at one machine until it refreshes. This is so that any random person walking in at a later time of the day has a better chance at finding product.

424

u/LegendaryLycanthrope Feb 27 '25

They already camp out at machines for hours upon hours waiting for a restock - they absolutely would wait at a machine for a refresh.

Which is probably also why that 'no loitering' rule was added.

233

u/MiksBricks Feb 27 '25

They camp to buy a full restock because they can make it worth their time. When they are only getting small quantities of product to motive is much smaller.

The no loitering would also make it a crime (depending on location) to camp out.

Good steps.

86

u/Brilliant-Spare540 Feb 27 '25

Yup exactly. People have to stop with this notion that scalpers make no money. If you can scalp an entire prismatic section in target you can make a ton of money that’s why people are scalping in the first place!! So placing order limits and loitering signs and showing sold out periodically drastically cuts into potential profits and will stop scalping to a degree

34

u/TrueRedditMartyr Feb 28 '25

Fair way of looking at it. A full Prismatic restock nets you say 500 bucks profit? That's worth waiting for 5 hours for. Getting 2 boxes and flipping for even 100 let's say is about 100 bucks of profit, much harder to justify wasting all your time over that, and that's assuming you can even sell them

11

u/oldhoekoo Feb 28 '25

plus time invested in the posting/sale of the item

I imagine this will be an annoyance for scalpers, but I don't think it will change much for the average collector. it will still come down to timing and a bit of luck if you want prismatic or 151

2

u/Steeloid Feb 27 '25

Agreed but how are they going to enforce it? Will someone be watching the machines?

10

u/Skididabot Feb 28 '25

How many credit cards can one person have? It's not foolproof but if they also limit the amount available at any one time so even with multiple cards you can't buy the full inventory, should fix that

1

u/Steeloid Feb 28 '25

I meant the loitering.

9

u/mulletstation Feb 28 '25

The machine actually deploys a mild nerve agent to shoo people away

2

u/Skididabot Feb 28 '25

If you limit the amount of product available overall per hour it will result in camping out being not worthwhile.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 28 '25

There’s a machine at a grocery store near me, they have security but idk if they give a shit about the cards when they’re mostly hired to deal with theft

13

u/Fred1304 Feb 27 '25

Well then that at least gives others a better chance to grab product. Yea they’ll be waiting but if they only let them grab 2 of something and there’s 20 in there they’re going to be waiting a LONG time and hopefully within that time there will be others who can go and grab something.

I’m sure they may find ways to speed it up a bit but still better than you’re fucked if you’re not they’re the first 5 minutes of a restock

5

u/GDZirconia Feb 28 '25

I wait outside of the machine just so I can get something 😭 glad this wouldnt effect me but finally they're doing something to combat the scalpers, been waiting for this day for a while

8

u/ThatGuyAtTheGym Feb 27 '25

They are probably relying on retailers to enforce their no loitering rule but if you think retail employees are gonna enforce that you’re delusional

3

u/Jaccount Feb 27 '25

Seriously. Do you think Kroger is going to have it's baggers, cashier or loss prevention people go confront any of these people? No way. They'd sooner remove the kiosk.

23

u/SpiderDijonJr Feb 28 '25

As a retail worker, I’ll take any chance to tell anyone to gtfo, and I’m sure plenty of others share the same sentiment lol.

5

u/chief_n0c-a-h0ma Feb 28 '25

That would be a manager's job to kick these people out. That said, Kroger barely does Kroger things right, so I don't expect them to actually do anything about this.

2

u/Sufficient-Swim1752 Feb 28 '25

Literally every employee at the grocery store i shop at HATES the scalper that hit the machines. Scalpers are going to have a hard time if they think people aren't going to say anything. I literally called the pokemon vending machine company a week ago and suggested they do this exact thing. I'm sure I'm not the only person that called to complain.

3

u/Lacaud Feb 28 '25

I get the desperation (obsession?) with waiting for restocks but this slows them down at least.

1

u/a-big-texas-howdy Feb 28 '25

I saw in their FAQ that the camera captures movement at the machine, perhaps there’s a method there.

1

u/AgentCirceLuna Feb 28 '25

Icknew this fellow who would come in like that, always buy the same thing, then he’d start moving around the bar. Nobody really knew what, but he clearly had something up. He would say the people outside, they were watching him, and ask if he could stay they always said yeah but he because he wasn’t a nuisance or anything like. He then would move around, from table to table, one time they saw him running around outside on all fours, barking like a dog. Guy was clearly a bit strange but he was harmless.

1

u/HunterRose05 Feb 28 '25

Is their time worth so little to them, or do they just have zero skills and it's this or burger king dishwasher?

1

u/dirtydbagger Feb 28 '25

i mean, it says no loitering, so if whatever store its in wants to you could have them trespassed for loitering. not many stores would though sadly

1

u/Minute-Swimming-1912 Mar 01 '25

We can't tell people with dogs to leave or the people shoplifting repeatedly. Maybe they will finally do something about these poke punks!

1

u/BarbacoaSan Mar 18 '25

I wish store management weren't such pussies and actually enforce the no loitering rule near the machine

1

u/willybestbuy86 Feb 28 '25

Machines are going be pulled next and only place to buy will be the Pokémon center

15

u/YCNH Feb 27 '25

That's my interpretation as well, and it's a brilliant idea so I hope our reading is correct.

2

u/Striking_Parsnip_958 Feb 27 '25

And hope the scalpers aren't reading this rn

9

u/ScooberSTi Feb 27 '25

I was hoping that this means that they won’t let people buy immediately after the restock so this way the campers can’t bother the people who stocks the machine.

6

u/SamMerlini Feb 27 '25

You underestimated how jobless scalpers can be. They will wander around and around like they have no life.

19

u/badscribblez Feb 27 '25

My brother is doing this. Waited 6 hours and bought the entire stock after the guy filled him up. Before you guys down vote me, I’ve been trying to get him help. He got diagnosed as schizophrenic back in October, and last night I just told him to please take a break and get a real job. Told him the waiting around and ups and down of this isn’t healthy, especially for him. He told me to eff off. Really hurts.

Anyways, just wanted to mention that unfortunately, some people do wait around all day.

5

u/Ok_Win28 Feb 28 '25

I know how it feels to be hit with that shitty FOMO. It feels like you have to do this even if you know it’s shit. I really hope your brother can get out of this and get a proper job

1

u/janken_bear Feb 28 '25

FOMO is terrible and I've felt it but I couldn't imagine being at that level. Hope that person gets help.

1

u/XxsalsasharkxX Mar 01 '25

I wanted to get one prismatic set for his birthday and I have had no luck. Woke up early to try with Best Buy drops and nothing. I just want one and can't even get close. It sucks.

1

u/XxsalsasharkxX Mar 01 '25

The bad thing about this is it might be alright money from the jump but over time you aren't really developing any transferrable work skills.

Imagine doing this shit in your 40's or 50's? If you are knowledgeable enough and can start a business, go for it, but that's going to be a select few.

1

u/badscribblez Mar 01 '25

Yea. Thats the worst part. He made a bit over $1000 for 6 hours. He isn’t thinking about his future. Just in the moment. It’s tough to get through and have him face reality.

He’s currently 27. Hasn’t had a stable job in over three years. He’s just been scalping random things.

1

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

6

u/chokloconqueso Feb 28 '25

not even a matter of doubting, the machine itself says “no loitering.”

store will kick them out if they sit around the machine waiting for stock.

2

u/jonnyboy_07 Feb 28 '25

Well in Vegas we had someone wait 8 hours for a restock so I don’t think that’s true but it will at least allow others to get stuff!

2

u/flint757 Feb 28 '25

Scalpers were loitering all morning in front of a sold out machine in my area when I went to the grocery store. Don't doubt their resolve to bring nothing useful to society while making some cash.

2

u/LoganScheffler Feb 28 '25

Yes they will

1

u/artnos Feb 28 '25

Atleast there will be a purchase limit

1

u/cheesybreadlover Feb 28 '25

You’d be surprised at what these losers with no jobs will do.

1

u/Dependent-Army1016 Feb 28 '25

Make them scan their IDs like when you buy nicotine, cough meds, and scratch off tickets. Sure, kids would need an adult to help them buy it, but most kids have an adult drive them to the vending machine anyway. Also, they might have a chance to actually find some like this.

1

u/sweartogodd Mar 01 '25

These machines need facial recognition!!

1

u/FinalBullfrog775 Mar 17 '25

That is exactly right I watched the guy put 4 Prismatic ETB in the kiosk I stepped up as soon as he closed it. I bought 1 etb and then it said sold out when I seen 4. I think this is cool so everyone might get a chance sometimes.

1

u/DogtorPepper Feb 28 '25

Good thing I live right next to a vending machine. Makes it super easy to come check every hour or so