Trading card vending machines
 

Saw this at fry's grocery store.

It was mostly Pokemon boxes and packs.

Pretty much everything was sold out.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/n249NYul.jpeg[[/IMG]

Junk Wax 2.0

actually , those are sold out everywhere as the moment they get restocked, some scalper goes and buys them all up

Last time I encountered one of those, it was being restocked, and there was a line of 5 adults waiting to use it as soon as the restock was done.

That slot machine is missing the lever.

I first noticed one at a local supermarket (Winco) a few months ago. It's supposedly set up to release product throughout the day, to at least prevent the first person in line from buying all of it up. I've never actually seen any one making a purchase, but I'm pretty sure that's because it's always sold out. Must be a pretty good money maker for all involved.

Kroger has these. My daughter always goes and checks but it's been sold out of everything since it was installed months ago.

Well based on these posts, the hobby can’t be doing too badly. The Pokémon side of it at least

[QUOTE=DynaEtch;19981319]Well based on these posts, the hobby can’t be doing too badly. The Pokémon side of it at least[/QUOTE]

My kids got into Pokemon almost a year ago, so I have learned the hard way...

Pokemon craze is unlike anything I have seen in sports cards. It's bonkers. One time I went to Walmart and there was probably $2k worth of Pokemon cards on the shelves, must have just been re-stocked. We told the kids we would grab a pack on our way out. About 5 minutes later we walk by any it's all gone, every single pack and box.

It's a good lesson for my kids though. It's showing them the dark side of hobbies.

If I was a kid, that would tell me I need to work in the field of Pokemon exclusively, so no need for school.

Trading card vending machines
 

[QUOTE=jjas311;19982478]My kids got into Pokemon almost a year ago, so I have learned the hard way...

Pokemon craze is unlike anything I have seen in sports cards. It's bonkers. One time I went to Walmart and there was probably $2k worth of Pokemon cards on the shelves, must have just been re-stocked. We told the kids we would grab a pack on our way out. About 5 minutes later we walk by any it's all gone, every single pack and box.

It's a good lesson for my kids though. It's showing them the dark side of hobbies.[/QUOTE]

Oh I believe it..the craze is real. I see it even at sports cards shows…all these Pokémon tables.

My knowledge of Pokémon basically extends to the ones in super smash brothers :) that’s about as far as it goes.

As for cards, I don’t think I would be into them…not sure if there’s even numbered cards in Pokémon? (There didn’t used to be unless that’s changed)…I like the numbered card aspect of marvel cards for the chase. And things like sketches which I don’t remember much from Pokémon, but I have no idea. Basically the Pokémon craze starting in the late 90s was right after I collected (early to mid 90s marvel cards)…so my nostalgia is going back to the marvel, not pokemon. But the younger generation couldn’t care less about silly old marvel cards, seems to be all about Pokémon for sure.

There are no numbered Pokemon cards, instead they use rarity levels. Basic rares, 1 per pack, then other rarity levels are 1 per box, 1 per case, etc.

I'm sure they'll add numbered cards at some point when sales drop off again as a new gimmick. It definitely worked to add hype to some of the Magic the Gathering releases.

Spotted this one in Australia last month
[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/Nd9cJvGN/IMG-6994-Copy.jpg[/IMG]

And another in Malaysia last year
[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/5gpn96tL/IMG-3755-Copy.jpg[/IMG]

Card vending machines have been around since the late ‘30s with exhibits.


[IMG]https://caimages.collectors.com/psaimages/518201/46109893/IMG_1090.jpg[/IMG]

Every couple years you’ll hear a story about someone finding a dusty one in a dilapidated building that’s still stocked. The one holding a fresh stack of 71 topps high numbers that was busted open solely for the quarters still takes the cake.

Those candy bar style machines would be smashed within 5 minutes in most U.S. cities. You can put candy bars in a machine like that cause they're worth a buck each and hard to resell. You put $10K worth of Pokemon cards in a machine like that and someone will do a smash and grab. Our Pokemon machines are more secure and alarmed for a reason. Lots of card shops robbed this year too.

wouldn't all those packs end up with dinged corners?

[QUOTE=Rictor;19987153]Those candy bar style machines would be smashed within 5 minutes in most U.S. cities.[/QUOTE]

So true. Just go on YouTube and see all the videos of smash-and-grab thefts in major US cities. Gotta lock those puppies up very securely.

[QUOTE=JWBlue;19980189]Saw this at fry's grocery store.

It was mostly Pokemon boxes and packs.

Pretty much everything was sold out.

[/QUOTE]

That machine is exclusively Pokemon.
On the plus side, they can't be cleared out like they used to due to staggering the release of stock through out the day. You'll never see the stock completely available. Packs become available every 30-60 minutes and the larger items usually ever couple hours. Limit 1 or 2 at a time. I've only ever gotten a single pack here and there. They've always been very popular because they're priced at retail, and not scalper prices like the other machine posted here.

Next thing you know drones will be delivering cards to your house.

[QUOTE=arek;19986250]Spotted this one in Australia last month
[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/Nd9cJvGN/IMG-6994-Copy.jpg[/IMG]

And another in Malaysia last year
[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/5gpn96tL/IMG-3755-Copy.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I have seen these at lots of local malls. I was visiting back home in the Sacramento area last month and there was one right outside on of the stores dedicated to overseas imports. When I was visiting my son at school out in Knoxville, they had one in their local mall. When I go to work in Toronto, the mall near where I stay has one also. These are getting popular at all malls.

[QUOTE=JWBlue;19980189]Saw this at fry's grocery store.

It was mostly Pokemon boxes and packs.

Pretty much everything was sold out.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/n249NYul.jpeg[[/IMG][/QUOTE]


I noticed a couple guys hanging out at one of these machines at the grocery store. Do the machines release cards at certain times?

[QUOTE=quackhead;20245324]I noticed a couple guys hanging out at one of these machines at the grocery store. Do the machines release cards at certain times?[/QUOTE]

Apparently. I've seen some Facebook threads about cards being released on certain days/times, but I didn't really pay attention.

But I think these machines were released with bad timing, right when Pokemon hit another peak where everything has been sold out forever. For whatever reason, Nintendo hasn't been able to keep the presses running fast enough to keep up with demand. They could probably sell about 20 times the amount of cards they are printing right now. People just can't find them to buy them.

My daughter has played Pokemon for years, and when she was younger, cards were overprinted and I could always get them for around $2-3/pack when looking for deals even though retail was $4.00-4.50. Then there were a couple years were there weren't a lot of deals, but you could find the cards at retail at any card shop, even though Target and Wal-Mart were often sold out. These days, you can find Pokemon packs at Gamestop and maybe the card shops, but the prices are usually a couple bucks above retail, so like $7/pack.

I'm not sure if this is Nintendo creating artificial scarcity or what, because these sets aren't limited. Pokemon used to have first edition packs and then unlimited backs, but they're now all unlimited, so Nintendo can print as many of these cards as they want. It's bad for the vending machine companies though, as they don't have any retail stock to sell to casual collectors at the grocery store, which is what I think was the point of these machines. In the last 2 years of shopping at a Kroger with one of these machines, I've never seen cards in stock. My daughter always checks.

Nintendo even put out messages like this one promising to print more product:

[url]https://support.pokemon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056644571-Update-on-Pok%C3%A9mon-Trading-Card-Game-Product-Availability[/url]

Personally, I think Nintendo should put out Collector Packs that have foils and chances to get really rare cards, and then maybe put out cheaper player packs, that have no foils, but have powerful cards you can play with that aren't as collectible. That way the kids that just want to play the game can still get cards to play with. Wizards of the Coast sort of does that with their various Magic pack types (Play boosters, Collector boosters, and Jumpstart boosters).

Regardless, if Nintendo keeps the pressing rolling full time, eventually supply will outpace demand, and we'll end up with overprinted sets again and pack prices will drop, especially if they put out a set or two that just doesn't have any big hits in it.

The Pokemon market in general is due for a correction. Heck, the entire trading card industry is due for a correction. It will probably come during the next recession.

[QUOTE=quackhead;20245324]I noticed a couple guys hanging out at one of these machines at the grocery store. Do the machines release cards at certain times?[/QUOTE]

Yes, they're programmed to release a small quantity on a (randomly?) timed basis. This is the basis for the scalpers hanging around and sometimes doing things to the machine in order to 'glitch' it. It resets the timer and then another small quantity is made available

Yeah random release times.

The scalpers, fighting and staff disturbances have gotten bad enough now that a lot of locations have unplugged the machines and told the company to come remove them. Sad.

[QUOTE=quackhead;20245324]I noticed a couple guys hanging out at one of these machines at the grocery store. Do the machines release cards at certain times?[/QUOTE]


I had to run to my grocery store at 8 this morning and there were 2 guys waiting in front one of these machines. Everything on the screen looked like it was sold out.