EB Games Cuts Pokémon ETB Preorders to A$120 as Anti-Scalping Ruse Still Draws Backlash
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 10
EB Games Cuts Pokémon ETB Preorders to A$120 as Anti-Scalping Ruse Still Draws Backlash
2 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 10
Summary
EB Games said customers who preordered the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box at inflated prices will instead be charged A$120 after it reviews orders and removes ineligible buyers.
The retailer described the higher initial prices as a deliberate anti-scalping tactic, saying the goal was to help genuine fans secure stock while making bulk reselling harder.
A$120 still leaves the ETB well above the usual A$100 equivalent of its US$60 MSRP, and EB's revised price for upcoming Ultra Premium Collections is about US$305 versus prior US$120 releases.
The strategy has drawn criticism because fans unwilling to risk the fake higher prices may have missed out entirely, even as Pokémon TCG demand has surged ahead of September's 30th-anniversary set.