TPCi Dramatically Increases TCG Vending Machines Across the United States!

By: Water Pokémon Master · Posted Posted onMay 21, 2025 at 11:59 AM · 19 Comments

As of this morning, TPCi has listed 1,473 Pokemon TCG vending machines operating in 25 states.

When I last reported on the total in March 2024, there were less than 200 machines operating in six U.S. states. In October 2023, there were 120 machines. From 2017 to 2023, the max was 65.

As noted last year, TPCi is clearly making a greater effort to sell directly to customers. In the last few months they've implemented purchase limits on their machines -- an issue pointed out last year -- and the Pokemon Center now has a virtual queue to help combat bots.

Since the fall, there's been a dramatic increase in demand for the Pokemon TCG due to Pocket and other factors. Hobby stores have been receiving less allocations due to the number of regular stores that want to carry Pokemon. TPCi is making the pie as large as they can by printing sets at max capacity, but distributors have to cut thinner slices.

As posted last week, Black Bolt and White Flare will not be allocated to most U.S. stores and wholesale accounts who request it. Some stores will receive their normal allocation, but other stores won't receive anything.

Since TPCi allows distributors to control their own prices, we will likely continue to see higher prices when demand is this high. The only guaranteed MSRP will be from TPCi itself.

Over the past three fiscal years, TPCi has printed 47.4% of all Pokemon cards ever produced -- that's 30.7 billion out of a total 64.8 billion cards. Their report for 2024 is expected within the next few days, so we'll soon find out how much their printing output grew last year. Stay tuned!

View thread (19 replies)
As others here have already pointed earlier an increase in locations won't shift the tides much.
Scalpers, as @bbb888 pointed out, have found a way to bypass the limits and you also have issues with store employees cleaning out these vending machines before they open to the public.

Part of me wants to say that moving to the Pokémon Center's online stores would be the better option but even that's rife with problems. You have bot users potentially bypassing the queue and cleaning out any new/returning products (although that's becoming less and less common these days) and FedEx drivers tampering with packages.

If we're being honest here the entire system has rotted from the inside out: TPCi's incompetence is at the top, greed from the distributors and some retailers are in the middle, and FOMO from some consumers at the bottom.

And the worst part? There's no simple way to fix it without some form of pain setting in for the community.
 
New York(!!!) is one of the 25 states that don't have any vending machines, so once again I got nothing.
 
bbb888 said:
This doesn't solve anything as scalpers be emptying the vending machines tho:
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About the only way they could do this is by limiting the amount of times you can use the same form of payment at one of these. Though most people have more than one cc/dc.
 
CollectorReddo said:
Have they imposed customer limits yet or is this just gonna cause more UFC events/scalpers draining every single selected product?
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They have customer limits but they’re easily reset if the machine lacks a secondary power source and is unplugged.

And as far as the scalping goes it varies depending on location: some stores will formally trespass you if you buy over the limit whilst others will turn a blind eye.
 
Why don't we use these machines to order items that would be exclusive to the pokemon center. I know its not the perfect system, but I cant imagine bots being abled to be used in this situation. Basically if these machines are the order port, and they set up a no duplicate address order platform, then wouldnt it help with scalpers. I know they may be able to put multiple addresses they can use, but I think it would help. I know it sucks for many of you that dont have these near you, but it migt mean less in the que online if they are getting them from other means.
 
I have one in my Krogers thats five minutes away. Problem is is that its either always empty or a scalpers get to it first. I always rat them out but it never helps. I just wanna buy something from it once.
 
The way people are acting in stores and now with these machines It’s pretty much a no win situation as a young woman. My son doesn’t get to collect his cards anymore because full grown men take them all. Its nuts.
 
Water Pokémon Master said:
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This is so much more important than most people realize. Most LGS's only get a case or 2 of product at release, which is close to what these machines hold. There are roughly 3000 LGS's. So Pokemon has basically in one year created a 50% as much retail sales. Funny 1500 and 25 states and I said there were 3000 LGS's in 50 states?... They are cutting retailers and many distributors out. Why sell a box that cost them $36 to a distributor for $72 and make a dollar a pack when they can sell directly to the public for $4.49 and make $3.49 a pack in profit! Same amount of product produced and 250% boost in profits.

I contacted Kroger to see about putting vending machines in their Michigan locations and was basically laughed at as corporate told me that I could "bid" on placing machines but they already have a contract directly with Pokémon. This is so bad for local game stores, and smaller distributors and it is happening quietly.

My .02
 
I'm from the UK but I don't understand why for such a big company such as pokemon, instead of using distributors who are useless, they just distribute themselves? let people open a trade account and then start buying. in the UK asmodee haven't had stock in months.
 
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