Pokemon TCG sales have decreased since the newest Pokemon tries were released on the Nintendo Switch in 2022, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s lukewarm reception appears to have had an effect.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet quickly became some of the lowest-rated mainline Pokemon tries despite their record-breaking launch, which left fans unimpressed with Game Freak’s most recent monster-gathering JRPG releases.
As a result of their many performance issues, players even started “review bombing” Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) started promoting Scarlet and Violet in 2023 with new cards based on creatures from the Paldea region.
The first sets were centered around the new starter trio of Fuecoco, Quaxly, and Sprigatí. Additional Pokemon TCG expansions were released throughout the year, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s new Terastallized Pokemon and Legendaries.
The bright new cards may not have had the sales impact that the people behind the very popular Pokemon Trading Card Game were hoping for, though.
Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) sales have been declining across the board since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s launch in late 2022, according to a recent survey of retailers in the UK, US, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
One Australian website, Trainer Hub, says that pre-orders for Pokemon cards have dropped by at least half.
In addition, sales of the Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates holiday set in 2023 were 60% higher than sales of the Crown Zenith from the previous year.
After selling 300 Sword and Shield-based booster boxes whenever they hit shelves, another store reportedly only sold 150 sets of Scarlet and Violet cards at launch.
Pokemon TCG Sales Are Down For Many Different Reasons
Many of the retailers pointed to ongoing economic problems, like higher inflation rates and consumers having less disposable income, when asked what might be causing this decline in Pokemon Trading Card Game sales.
Sure enough, The Pokemon Company said that most of its Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) products would have higher sticker prices in 2022, with basic booster packs going from $3.99 to $4.49.
A great factor may be The Pokemon Company printing too many cards to maintain a healthy supply/demand ratio. US retailer Mothership Games thinks that because there are so many cards available, Pokemon TCG scalpers don’t want to buy and sell rare cards like they did when COVID was out.
The value of rare cards has decreased as a result of the increased supply, which gives collectors less of a reason to buy something that might not give them much back.
Finally, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet cards themselves might not be as appealing to fans, as some retailers called the more recent sets “relatively bad” and “lazy,” with “recycled art work” and “terrible design choices,” respectively.
All of these things, as well as the fact that the Gen 9 games are generally unpopular, have resulted in a decline in Pokemon Trading Card Game sales over the last few years.
