Target removes trading cards from stores following violent incident

BROOKFIELD, Wis. / CNN — Target will temporarily stop selling sports and Pokémon trading cards in their stores after a recent violent incident at one of its locations, officials announced.

A Target in Wisconsin was locked down after a man was physically assaulted by four others over sports trading cards.

“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority,” Target said in a statement to CNN. “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,” a statement from Target read.

Cards are still available for purchase online.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the price of trading cards to skyrocket.

In December 2020, a rare Charizard Pokémon card — with minimum bid set at $50,000 — sold for $360,000 through Goldin Auctions. Another sold for almost $400,000 earlier this year, and the auction house said they’ve seen an increase in value over the course of the pandemic.

Sports cards have seen a similar rise.

In early February, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card in pristine condition sold for a record $738,000 at an auction run by Goldin Auctions. The exact same item went for nearly $215,000 just weeks before.

Target officials did not mention when locations would begin selling the cards in stores again.

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