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The official Pokemon Center is taking steps to tackle resellers and high demand with a brand-new 'Early Access' system that offers fans a chance to grab popular merch, cards, and accessories before anyone else.
Unveiled over the weekend, the Pokemon Center Early Access system "allows selected customers an opportunity to purchase popular items before they are more widely released." These can be anything from plushies to Pokemon cards, and considering how quickly must-have releases sell out (finding one of the best card games in stock is… well, "tough" may be an understatement), that's encouraging. Crucially, all you need to do is sign up to the Pokemon Center Newsletter for a chance of getting access.
As with all recent expansions, it's been tricky finding where to buy Pokemon TCG Chaos Rising - but from what I've seen, you can get the best selection at Walmart.
The Early Access FAQ makes it clear that you aren't guaranteed the item in question, of course ("Early Access does not guarantee availability. Item quantities are limited and available while supplies last"), but it's a step in the right direction. It's actually very similar to how Amazon UK has been handling Pokemon card releases over the past few months; it allows you to request an invitation to purchase, and such limited access circumnavigates cheeky resellers. It also means you're able to buy an item at retail price, which is very rare these days.
In terms of making things harder for resellers, Pokemon's Early Access has other deterrents in place. Namely, you can't use multiple browsers or devices to up your chances of getting the items (a classic reseller tactic). To be precise, that may invalidate any chance you have of getting the product at all, because "using multiple devices or browsers to open your Early Access invitation link may impact your ability to complete your Early Access order." Plus, you can only use your Early Access invite link once. After that, it's gone. Similarly, you can't create multiple accounts and have multiple bites of the apple – this could actually "result in the invitation being voided."
Personally, I'm very in favor of any tactic to deter resellers and allow actual fans to buy product at a not-stupid price. I've been tracking Pokemon cards in particular for a while now, and it's a garbage fire out there. It's exactly the same for merch, so this kind of decision can only help.
For more collectibles, why not check out the best toys? As for other Poke-related goodies, don't miss the best Pokemon merch.
