Target Suspends Sales of Collectible Cards When Demand Leads to Physical Altercation

Target will no longer sell collectible cards due to a recent fight that took place outside of a Wisconsin location.

“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority,” Target said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com.”

According to TMZ, the demand for trading cards skyrocketed during the pandemic and led to the brawl outside a Target in Brookfield, Wisconsin on May 7, where one man even brandished a gun. Several people were involved in the physical altercation, with cops having to arrest four people. Similar incidents have reportedly taken place at other Targets across the nation.

Target had enforced a policy on the various trading cards prior to pulling them from shelves, but that didn’t appear to work. The price of cards has soared to the millions, and unopened collectible boxes from Target can go for thousands of dollars.

While it was previously reported that Walmart would also stop selling collectible cards in physical stores, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The chain store has confirmed that it won’t discontinue the sales of any cards, including the Pokémon cards that Target removed from stores. Walmart said it was “determining what, if any, changes are needed to meet customer demand while ensuring a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”