But as the release of Journey Together has shown us, we’ve officially hit a boiling point—and it’s time for some real talk.
This post isn’t about sealed vs. singles. It’s not about flippers vs. collectors. It’s not even about profit vs. passion.
It’s about something deeper: the collective echo chamber we’ve built as a community—and our role in shaping the current state of the hobby.
⚡ The Paladin and the Dragon: A Hobby at War
Imagine a lone paladin, armor dented and scorched, standing firm in the middle of a chaotic battlefield. His shield is cracked. His hammer trembles in his grip. His cloak is torn and caked with ash.
And in front of him—towering in shadow and smoke—stands a massive dragon born of our own making.
Its eyes glow like molten coins. Its wings spread wide, casting shade over the joy that once lit this hobby. Every fiery breath it takes represents a product drop soaked in FOMO, a marketplace burned by greed, and a collector base stuck between love and exhaustion.
This is the reality we face. And this is the fight we’re in.
⚡ We Built This—One FOMO Buy at a Time
Let’s be brutally honest: the chaos we’re seeing right now didn’t come from nowhere.
Scalpers, flippers, and aggressive buyers didn’t materialize out of thin air—they’re here because the rest of us keep buying.
We say we hate $9 booster packs, but someone’s paying it.
We roll our eyes at $175 ETBs on eBay, yet the listings keep closing.
We blame businesses for adjusting to market demand, then slam them for not selling at MSRP when they try.
If there’s one underlying theme from this entire series of posts, it’s this:
Every part of this hobby is driven by emotion—and that emotion fuels demand.
- When you chase a set on release day, you add to the demand.
- When you pay double out of fear it’ll sell out, you validate the markup.
- When you panic-buy to “secure a box,” you feed the frenzy.
And it’s not just the average collector doing this. Influencers, rippers, and resellers play their part. But so do we.
We created this ecosystem—together.
⚡ Scalping or Selling? Depends on Who’s Talking
One of the most revealing contrasts comes from two voices in the community:
- Kenny Boulder, a YouTuber and collector, released a passionate video decrying scalping behavior during the Journey Together release, frustrated at the greed, flex culture, and erosion of hobby joy.
- Brian from PokéNE.com, a business owner who sold at MSRP, shared how his decision to “do the right thing” resulted in massive backlash, negativity, and financial loss for his store.
This clash reveals a core disconnect:
Enthusiasts want fairness, but they’re not prepared for scarcity.
Sellers want sustainability, but they’re punished for integrity.
Brian's video showed a harsh truth—offering product at MSRP to tens of thousands of buyers with limited inventory doesn’t earn praise; it earns anger.
And the sad irony? Stores charging $250 for the same box get less hate because fewer people can access it.
It’s not just about price—it’s about expectation.
⚡ Entitlement Is Killing the Joy
What’s happening to the hobby isn’t just burnout—it’s emotional exhaustion from a loop we’re actively participating in.
We demand access, affordability, fairness, and community...
But then we:
- Ignore when LGSs get priced out by distributors.
- Buy from scalpers “just this once.”
- Rage when we miss a drop but refuse to wait for restocks.
We want the thrill of the hunt and the guarantee of success.
We want prices to stay low while competition stays high.
We want rarity without patience. Accessibility without planning. Fairness without empathy.
You can’t have it both ways.
The dragon only grows stronger when we deny our own reflection in its scales.
⚡ It’s Time for Critical Thinking in the TCG Space
If we’re going to move forward, we have to start thinking more like stakeholders in this industry—not just hobbyists chasing the next big pull.
We need to ask ourselves:
- What role does my buying behavior play in market trends?
- Am I supporting creators and sellers who align with my values—or just chasing the best deal?
- When I miss out on a drop, am I reacting emotionally or strategically?
This isn’t about shaming anyone.
It’s about recognizing that our choices shape this ecosystem more than we admit.
If no one buys at inflated prices, the hype dies.
But that takes discipline. That takes letting go of FOMO. That takes treating the hobby not as a personal reward machine—but as a community we’re all responsible for.
⚡ Closing Thoughts: The Future We Choose
The Pokémon TCG hobby has always thrived on passion. That’s what brought many of us here.
But passion without perspective creates chaos.
If we keep pushing this industry to its limits without reflecting on our part in it, we’ll lose the magic that made it special in the first place.
So what kind of community do we want?
One where every drop becomes a warzone of bots and flex posts?
Or one where access, fun, and sustainability can actually coexist?
That brings us back to the paladin.
He doesn’t win the fight alone. He can’t.
The shadowy dragon isn’t one single enemy.
It’s a reflection of all the unchecked emotions, unrealistic expectations, and short-term thinking we’ve let fester in the shadows.
But if we stand together—creators, collectors, investors, sellers, and players—we have a chance to reclaim the light.
Every buy. Every post. Every decision.
We shape the hobby with our behavior.
Let’s make sure we’re not just feeding the dragon—we’re becoming the kind of community worth fighting for. ⚔️⚡