Source: Bloomberg / Getty
Trading cards have once again become a hot item for fans of both the cartoon Pokémon and different sporting events, especially baseball, football and basketball. They are so popular that a lot of retail businesses are having a hard time to keep up with demand, especially the big-box chains.
One popular chain, Target, has decided to put an end to the frenzy and temporarily discontinue selling those cards following a “recent near-tragedy” at one particular location in Wisconsin. The products have already been removed from the shelves.
From WJW Fox 8 News Cleveland:
Replying to an inquiry from Nexstar’s KTVX, Target gave the following comment:
“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com.”
Last Friday, outside of a Target in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a group of four men assaulted a 35-year-old man as he left the store with several boxes of sports trading cards. During the assault, the victim, a valid concealed carry permit holder, raised his weapon and scared off his attackers, according to WISN. As a result, the store and a couple of other surrounding businesses went into lockdown. The attackers were later found and taken into custody.
No word yet from Walmart on what each of its stores have experience with its customers regarding trading cards.
As for Target, a lot of its locations have gone through seeing lines out in front whenever “cards are put on shelves, have become more and more commonplace across the country.”
Trading cards from both sports and Pokémon has become even more popular since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving those interested something to do and collect.
Increased demand has also sent “their value rocketing higher” and now with Target no longer in the card-selling business for right now, smaller stores are now hoping to get a good chunk of sales for their offerings.
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Article Courtesy of KTVX-TV Salt Lake City and WJW Fox 8 News Cleveland
First Picture Courtesy of Smith Collection/Gado and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of Bloomberg and Getty Images
Video Courtesy of YouTube, KTVX-TV Salt Lake City and WJW Fox 8 News Cleveland
Target Putting an End to Selling Sports and Pokémon Cards For The Time Being was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
