Why did Target stop selling Pokemon cards?

Pokemon cards have become extremely popular amongst collectors both new and old, which is why the news that Target will no longer be selling the franchise's cards has come as a surprise to the Pokemon community.

The retail company recently announced that it will be temporarily ending all sales of MLB, NBA, NFL, and Pokemon trading cards in their physical locations. Thankfully, Pokemon cards will still be available for collectors and fans to purchase via Target's online store.

Target had a very valid reason to discontinue their sales of Pokemon cards. Here's the full story.

A reminder that you deserve someone who cares about you as much as Chespin cares about eating snacks, stealing snacks and eating more snacks. 😍Tag a friend who needs to hear this today. 💚 pic.twitter.com/FKNOMQjs92

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 17, 2021

Related: How to get Pokemon cards graded

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Why Target has stopped selling Pokemon cards

Effective May 14th, Target will no longer be carrying Pokemon cards in their stores located in the United States.

The news was more shocking than one of Pikachu's electric attacks, as Pokemon card collecting has become significantly more prevalent than ever before. Of course, the reason behind Target's decision was perfectly valid.

The decision came after an altercation broke out over trading cards in the parking area of a Target store in Wisconsin, USA. The conflict ended with a man revealing he had a gun when four other people reportedly assaulted him.

After such a drastic and traumatic incident, it is entirely understandable why Target will no longer be selling Pokemon trading cards in their physical stores. After all, the company must put the safety of their customers and staff at the top of their priority list.

It's insane to me that the pokemon resellers went so hard that Target and Walmart are BOTH removing Pokemon Cards from their retail storesLikewhat in the wow ya'll thirsty

— Ahren Gray (Pronounced Aaron) (@AhrenGray) May 12, 2021

Card enthusiasts who reside in the United States will need to find a new place to look for Pokemon cards or do so on Target's website. Unfortunately, an incident like this wasn't totally unexpected, as people have been seen to take rash actions over collectibles for decades.

It's crucial for all trading card game connoisseurs to remember that the point of these games is for everyone to have a good time and be brought together through similar interests and friendly competition.