Have you been having trouble finding Pokémon cards at your local Target?
The truth is, Pokémon cards go fast, and you have to know when they’re put on shelves to get a good chance at finding them.
However, Target’s restocking schedule can be a little unpredictable. In this article, we’ll talk about when Target restocks Pokémon cards, as well as some tips to find them.
Let’s get to it!
What Days Does Target Restock Pokémon Cards?
Target receives shipments and restocks its stores every day.
That being said, there are a lot of factors that go into how frequently Pokémon cards will restock at your specific store.
While Target restocks some items on a daily basis, this is usually reserved to items that sell quickly, such as common households items.
Other items that are purchased less frequently however may only be stocked 2-3 times a week, and even less if your Target does not receive a lot of foot traffic. So, if you’re based in a rural area, restocks may occur even less frequently.
That being said, anecdotal reports from others say they’ve had the best luck finding Pokémon cards in stock when visiting Target locations on Thursdays and Fridays.
Of course, since it’s hard to know the exact day Target will restock Pokémon cards in advance, it is best to visit the store each day to give yourself the best chances of finding some.
Tip: Use Hotstock.io To Get Automatically Notified
Did you know that there is free online software that constantly checks when things come in stock – and then sends you a notification?
Some of these tools can track not only availability across several stores online, but even local retailers as well.
This is because when products come in stock within a store, they can often be ordered online for pickup too. Thankfully, Target is one of the stores that offers this feature!
There are many product availability trackers available online, but one of my favorites is Hotstock.io.
I’ve personally used it to get alerts for computer hardware while building my new PC, and I have nothing but goods things to say about it.
While not all Pokémon cards sold in Target are being tracked, there are still some products Hotstock.io is tracking through Target. So, it’s worth trying out!
Note: Target also allows you to sign up via email for restock alerts. We recommend doing this as well. Though, Hotstock can send push notifications to both computers and mobile phones, which may be noticed faster.
When Should You Visit Target To Ensure Availability?
The best time to visit a Target store in hopes of finding Pokémon cards is definitely in the morning!
This is because when Target restocks, they typically do so overnight. So, most products will be fully available in the mornings, and then will be sold throughout the day.
While some other retailers restock periodically throughout the day, this isn’t typical of Target.
Because Pokémon cards are in such high demand, there’s a good chance that they’ll be out of stock if you wait too long to get to the store – even if you happen to visit on a day where they’ve restocked.
So, you give yourself the best chances by arriving right when the store opens, and going directly to the section of the store where Pokémon cards are sold.
You can find out both the address and the hours of your local Target store, using their store locator here. Simply plug in your zip code or city, and Target’s store locator will update to show you all of the nearby Target locations in your area.
Why Have Pokémon Cards Gotten So Expensive?
If you’ve been following the Pokémon card market for a while, it’s clear to see that they’ve gotten crazy expensive!
In fact, the demand for rare Pokémon cards is so high, that many people stopping by Target to swipe them up have no interest in the cards at all, but are simply reselling them on other marketplaces such as eBay.
Unfortunately, this has led to the price being inflated even further.
Now we have two things driving up the price – the actual demand from collectors, and people buying them up en masse in attempt to make a profit, thus lowering the supply.
As long as there’s a discrepancy between supply and demand (even if supply is artificially lowered due to scalpers and resellers), Pokémon cards will continue to be hard to find at normal retail prices – and instead will be sold on secondary markets at a much higher cost.
Tip: Join A Pokémon Card Trading Group
Whether you’re looking for a rare card for your collection or you simply want to stay up-to-date with current prices, joining a Facebook group dedicated to Pokémon cards is an excellent idea.
There are hundreds available, and some of them are even tied to specific areas.
As you can see, some of them have tens of thousands of members as well!
Pokémon TCG Sell And Trade: 27,000+ members
Pokemon Buy and Sell Cards: 83,000+ members
Pokemon Marketplace: 53,000+ members
Whether you’re a collect or a trader, these resources can be extremely valuable for staying up with the latest news and prices!
Conclusion
Target restocks every day of the week, after the store has closed. However, it’s possible that Pokémon cards may only be restocked 2-3 times a week.
While there isn’t anyway to know the exact day specific items will be restocked, you can sign up for alerts through Target’s website, and by using a service like HotStock.io.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about Target or Pokémon cards, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister