Even printing 1 billion cards a year can't meet the demand — What's happening in the Pokémon card market?

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has expanded beyond the scale that can be described merely as a "children's card game." According to related data from The Pokémon Company, as of the end of March 2026, the cumulative production of Pokémon cards exceeded 85 billion. Considering the previous year's figure was over 75 billion, this means approximately 10 billion new cards were introduced to the market in just one year.

10 billion cards. Just looking at the number, it's an enormous amount. It's more than the world's population, and theoretically, you could give more than one card to every person on Earth. However, the actual sales scene is experiencing the opposite phenomenon. Popular sets sell out during pre-orders, store shelves are empty, and lines form early in the morning on restock days. In online sales, stock disappears before you can add it to your cart, and unopened products are listed at prices far above retail in secondary markets.

In other words, Pokémon cards have become a product that is "printed in large quantities but can't be bought by those who want them."

This contradiction is emblematic of the current Pokémon TCG market. The number of printed cards has increased to an all-time high. Yet, from the perspective of players and collectors, the supply shortage feels more severe. Why is it that 10 billion cards are still not enough?

One reason lies in the changing nature of demand. Previously, the main motivations for buying cards were to play, collect, or obtain favorite Pokémon. However, now investment, reselling, unboxing videos, streaming, the graded card market, and social media buzz have been added to the mix. Cards have become tools for play and simultaneously products expected to appreciate in value, assets stored unopened, and content that looks good in videos.

Sets that include particularly popular Pokémon or special illustration cards generate a different level of demand than regular card products. When Pokémon with a strong fan base, like Eevee evolutions, Charizard, Gengar, or Umbreon, are involved, the market heats up even before release. Among those buying at card shops or retail stores are people who buy a few packs for play, those who secure boxes, those who store them unopened, and those who immediately sell them on flea market sites or auctions.

As a result, even if the number of printed cards increases, not all of them reach "ordinary people who open and play with them." Instead, a large number of printed products are absorbed as storage, warehouse stock, personal collections, or resale inventory. The number of cards existing in the market and the number available for purchase at stores are two different things.

The dissatisfaction is also clearly reflected in reactions on social media and forums. In the Pokémon TCG-related community on Reddit, there are voices of surprise at the 10 billion figure, while others express anger, saying, "Even with that many printed, I can't buy them for my child's birthday." Another user expressed concern that the recent printing volume is so large that products at card shows are mostly recent sets, suggesting the market might be in a bubble.

Additionally, there are prominent opinions that "the inclusion rate of rare cards should be increased." Even if printed in large quantities, if the desired cards are extremely hard to obtain, consumers need to buy even more packs. On social media, there are voices suggesting that instead of just increasing the number of printed cards, the pack composition and rarity design should be reconsidered. There were also proposals to supply commons and uncommons in a different form and separate product designs for those targeting rare cards.

On the other hand, there is a slightly different perspective in investor-focused communities. Pokémon cards are not only developed in English-speaking countries and Japan but also in multiple languages and numerous countries and regions. Recently, expansion into markets like China is also being considered, and some argue that it's premature to simply read the 10 billion figure as "an excess of English and Japanese versions." Furthermore, it is pointed out that the total production number of cards may include energy cards, code cards, and common cards, which is a separate issue from the supply of highly popular rare cards.

This point is important. Consumers are not just looking for "any Pokémon card." They want unopened products from popular sets, specific rare cards, cards in mint condition for grading, and cards that look good in streams or collections. If a large portion of the 10 billion cards is distributed among low rarity, multilingual releases, pre-constructed products, and promotional items, the structure of popular products being in short supply remains.

The shortage is not just an inconvenience. There have been reports of incidents overseas involving theft or robbery related to Pokémon cards. In Florida, USA, an incident was reported where a man was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a store and stealing high-value Pokémon cards. According to reports, the damage was estimated at around $12,000, indicating that cards are being targeted like cash.

As cards become more expensive, easier to resell, and easier to carry, they also become easier targets for crime. For trading card shops, popular products are both a pillar of sales and a risk. Store responses are becoming more complex, including strengthening showcases, surveillance cameras, purchase limits, lottery sales, and prioritizing regular customers.

In Japan, measures are also being strengthened. There have been reports of plans to introduce personal identification using My Number cards for some purchases and participation in official events on Pokémon Center Online. While it seems reasonable as a measure against reselling, there is also a strong sense of discomfort about needing official identification to buy cards. Pokémon cards, mere paper cards yet high-value products, have reached a stage where personal identification and purchase limits are necessary.

So, would increasing the print volume further solve the problem? The answer is not simple.

Of course, increasing supply is necessary. To restore a state where products are on store shelves and children and regular players can buy at retail prices, expanding production capacity is essential. However, if demand is speculative, increasing supply does not necessarily lead to immediate price drops. Instead, resellers who see "continued popularity" might buy up even more.

Moreover, overprinting could lead to future value declines or market collapse risks. This is why it's pointed out on social media as a potential bubble. In recent trading card markets, popularity and rarity have driven prices up. However, if mass production continues, there is a possibility that unopened stock will flood the market in a few years, causing prices to collapse. Conversely, if production is restrained, resale prices may remain high, and general fans may drift away.

Pokémon cards are now standing on a very delicate balance. If supply is not increased, they can't be bought. If increased too much, their value may be destroyed. Making rare cards easier to obtain would increase satisfaction, but rarity would diminish. If they remain hard to get, the demand for opening packs continues, but dissatisfaction also grows.

And above all, the Pokémon brand is supported by a wide range of people from children to adults. If the market becomes solely for investors, resellers, and collectors, the long-term fan base weakens. The most heartfelt voices on social media are those saying, "I can't buy them for my child." If the welcoming nature that Pokémon cards originally had is lost, it becomes difficult for new generations of players and fans to grow.

The figure of 10 billion cards is overwhelming evidence that the popularity of Pokémon cards has not waned. But at the same time, the fact that the market remains unsettled despite printing that many shows that the issue is not merely a lack of production volume. Overheated demand, resale structures, rarity design, sales methods, global expansion, and dissemination through social media. These factors intertwine, making Pokémon cards a "mass-produced rarity."

In the future, The Pokémon Company will be questioned not only on how many cards to print but also on how to deliver them, to whom, and at what price. And how to protect those who want to enjoy cards as a plaything or collection rather than as an investment product.

An era where shelves are empty even with 10 billion cards printed. The frenzy over Pokémon cards doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. But whether this fervor warms fans or burns the market depends on future sales strategies and the community's approach.

Source URL

Kotaku "10 Billion Pokémon Cards Were Printed Last Year And It Still Wasn’t Enough." Overview of the annual production increase of about 10 billion and the shortage and resale issues.
https://kotaku.com/10-billion-pokemon-cards-were-printed-last-year-and-it-still-wasnt-enough-2000699977

The Pokémon Company Official "Pokémon in Figures." Official statistics page as of the end of March 2026.
https://corporate.pokemon.co.jp/en/aboutus/figures/

PokeBeach "Pokemon TCG Printed 10 Billion Cards in 2025 as Overwhelming Demand Outpaced Production Capacity." Summary of cumulative production numbers by year, number of languages, and regions of deployment.
https://www.pokebeach.com/2026/05/pokemon-tcg-printed-10-billion-cards-in-2025-as-overwhelming-demand-outpaced-production-capacity

GamesRadar+ "Roughly 10 billion Pokemon cards were printed in the last year..." Supplementary report on the scale of 10 billion prints and reseller issues.
https://www.gamesradar.com/tabletop-gaming/roughly-10-billion-pokemon-cards-were-printed-in-the-last-year-which-goes-to-show-how-bad-the-reseller-situation-is-right-now/

Bulbagarden "What’s happening with Prismatic Evolutions?" Summary of shortages, reselling, safety concerns, and official statements regarding Prismatic Evolutions.
https://bulbagarden.net/threads/whats-happening-with-prismatic-evolutions-shortages-scalpers-and-questions-about-pull-rates-plague-newest-pokemon-tcg-expansion.304940/

Reddit r/PokemonTCG "Pokemon TCG Printed 10 Billion Cards in 2025..." Reactions on social media and forums, concerns about inclusion rates and bubbles, and dissatisfaction about not being able to buy.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonTCG/comments/1tpad0j/pokemon_tcg_printed_10_billion_cards_in_2025_as/

Reddit r/PokeInvesting "Over 10billion cards printed in the last year..." Reactions from investors and collectors, perspectives on language expansion, the Chinese market, and views on the total number of cards.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PokeInvesting/comments/1kur9or/over_10billion_cards_printed_in_the_last_year_are/

PokeBeach "Pokemon Japan to Require Government ID for Select TCG Purchases..." Report on the proposal to use government ID for verification in Japan.
https://www.pokebeach.com/2026/05/pokemon-japan-to-implement-government-id-verification-for-pokemon-tcg-purchases-on-pokemon-center-online

WRAL/CNN Newsource "Florida man breaks into store with chainsaw, steals $12K worth of Pokémon cards." Example of a theft incident related to Pokémon cards.
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/florida-man-breaks-into-store-with-chain-saw-steals-pokemon-cards-may-2026/