@laneward One of my favorites from SM!
These were my exact thoughts and most of the examples if you went back to 1 year, they were already slowly climbing.
Also most of this cards are 3-5 years+ old this is not comparable to alt arts that are currently in rotation or were printed 8 months ago.
Not saying this are super rare but you just can go , spend a $130 ish on a bb and find them.
Are there other examples of him pumping other things or are we just dog piling on the guy for having an opinion?
Its bad enough to have an opinion. But to state that opinion? And even worse, on the internet of all places.
Unforgivable
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I donāt understand the vitriol that most Pokemon consumers have toward Local Game Stores (LGS). Of course your LGS cannot match dirt-cheap prices on eBay/Walmart/Target/etc. They have a business to run with massive overhead. eBay seller Timmy is not paying employeesā salaries, insurance, a mortgage on the property, etc. in his grandmotherās basement.
Supporting your LGS means paying above-value prices. I have and will always support LGS in my area - not because they are the cheapest option (hah, far from it), but because I want to support my local community.
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Most pokemon collectors dont play the tcg so they dont really need a physical store. Not really sure if they realize that they have overhead etc to deal with but if theyre just going to buy stuff and leave without hanging out, they likely dont see that as justifying a price hike. Its not really fair but i imagine thats all it is
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Thatās a good point. I hope more Pokemon collectors check out their LGS. Thereās likely a solid community there with plenty of opportunity for collecting.
A hard to pull alt art secret rare vs a promo is going to have a big price difference. Regardless I agree many alt arts were very cheap compared to sword and shield. The mewtube still being like 60 bucks nm seems like a travesty.
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100%! I was going to make a video about the DK gaming guy getting cancelled on tiktok. People were saying it was a āscamā because their prices were higher than target. Most complainers donāt understand no business gets the same rates as target. Mainly because a lgs does maybe the same sales in a year as one department from one target store. Not to mention a lgs is an entirely different and riskier business.
The best example were/are PokĆ©mon tins. I remember at the time a āgood priceā from distributors was $12ish per tin. Target got them for a few dollarsā¦
There is a huge hypocrisy of people who want the cheapest possible price, which can only be delivered by the largest businesses, but simultaneously sing the tired internet song about corporate greed. Their wallets disagree with their mouths.
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DK oldies is the homie!
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I can get down with this tbh. Theres something special about actually going in to a physical store dedicated to all the nerdy stuff. Exploring around, meeting like-minded people; LGS provide an intimate experience thats part of what makes collecting enjoyable for me. Even though it can be annoying when youre trying to check out and the cashier is looking up ebay last solds on the item youre trying to buy, I still have to appreciate the community and space they provide. The internet is more convenient, but I dont really want clicking some buttons on a digital screen to completely replace the wonders of the game store.
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There is a hard line between supporting an LGS store and paying $100 for a Champions Path ETB at release
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That one has a gazillion copies graded (around 5-6k if iirc), The other alt arts barely hit 1k, thats one big reason why that one is still ācheapā.
Sure. Donāt buy those specific items then?
You can both support a store and be a critical consumer when necessary - they are not mutually exclusive.
How do you support a store that behaves no different than an online scalper, and why would I want to?
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Buy the items that you believe are competitively priced. Iāve found good deals in every LGS that Iāve visited.
Supporting the store is about supporting the community. Have you been to an LGS? If you havenāt, I would highly recommend stopping in. The communities formed at most LGS are incredible. They offer safe, necessary spaces for people who may feel out-of-place or an outcast in the āreal worldā due to their unique interests.
I canāt believe that I have to defend the importance of local game stores. 
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at least lgs get their stuff through distribution. its not like they go into target and buy stock to flip. If they did, thatād be more concerning to me. Chumpionās Path was peak 2020 though so 
Well said. I hang out at a couple LGS around town because I like the atmosphere and itās fun to hang out with fellow collectors in person. Iāve actually made a few good friends at LGS.
Could I buy stuff online cheaper? Well of course, but I donāt mind paying a little bit more to have a cool place to kill time and support a local business. Calling LGS scalpers is like calling a local brewery a scalper because their beer is more expensive than going to walmart and buying a six pack. Youāre paying for an experience.
Also, Iāve met Mason in person and heās a great dude.
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Haha! Funny enough the LGS iām specifically referencing was selling marked up Hidden Fates Walmart exclusive boxes.
$55 for a $20 walmart tin.