Time and time again, many anime franchises have been subjected to scalping because of their massive merchandise economies. The issue is that many of their products, such as figurines, TCG cards, collectibles, and even movie or event tickets sold by the officials, are often limited. So, scalpers usually buy them before anyone else and then resell them at much higher prices.
This makes it hard for regular fans to experience the joy of collecting items from their favorite anime. But which fanbases have it the worst? Here are 10 anime that have reportedly been plagued by scalpers and resellers who have no passion for the products themselves, but instead use them to create a second-hand market to earn a profit or simply show off. Now, according to available online data, each anime here is ranked based on how bad the situation is for them, with #1 being beyond redeemable.
10. Love Live! Event Tickets Have Previously Been Scalped at Anime Expo
A still from Love Live | Credits: Sunrise
Love Live! is arguably the most popular idol anime of all time, and so you can guess that the merchandise business for its franchise would be huge, right? But surprisingly, the companies that make collectibles for Love Live! might not have made them exclusive. However, fans have claimed that sections of the Love Live! event at Anime Expo sold out and accused scalpers of being responsible for it. Still, since the franchise itself is pretty niche, the scalper culture for Love Live! ranks at the bottom of the list.
9. Attack on Titan Fans Often Hoard Merchandise From Japan to Resell
Levi from Attack on Titan | Credits: WIT
Attack on Titan is not only famous overseas, but even in Japan, the merchandise and collectible culture is huge for the franchise. And often, many stores in Japan sell exclusive Attack on Titan merchandise. This gives enough reason for overseas scalpers to set foot in Japan, grab those collectibles at really low prices, and then sell them for huge profits. But because one would still have to go to or stay in Japan to get their hands on these items, the resale market is still relatively small, resulting in 9th place on the list.
8. Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Exclusive Merchandise Makes It Easy for Scalpers
Yuji from Jujutsu Kaisen | Credits: MAPPA
Similar to Attack on Titan, Jump Shop and other Japanese retailers sell exclusive Jujutsu Kaisen merchandise, which becomes a lucrative source for scalpers to get their hands on. It is almost impossible to buy these items without paying an absurdly overpriced amount. And because Jujutsu Kaisen might just be the talk of the town across all anime spheres right now, its collectibles also have reasonable demand. Therefore, it deserves 8th place on the list.
7. Chainsaw Man Union Arena Trading Card Has Received Scalper Complaints
Pochita and Denji from Chainsaw Man | Credits: MAPPA
During the Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc movie screenings overseas, there has been a noticeable spike in demand for the Pochita popcorn buckets, which have repeatedly been resold at higher prices. But that may sound insignificant compared to the whole Chainsaw Man Union Arena trading card incident. This was a prime example of scalpers hoarding cards before ordinary fans could get their hands on them. Thus, it ranks 7th. However, it still isn’t as massive as some of the others on the list.
6. Dragon Ball S.H.Figuarts Figures Are Overpriced For Regional Exclusivity
Goku from Dragon Ball Super: Beerus. | Credits: Toei Animation
Dragon Ball figurines have long been a target for scalpers. And why wouldn’t they be? With fewer original releases being made each year, the value of older ones has skyrocketed, which is, of course, partly because of the resale market. Now, fans have been discussing how figurines like the Dragon Ball S.H.Figuarts are extremely overpriced since they are unavailable in most regions. In fact, Dragon Ball has other items that are scalped as well, which earns it 6th place on the list.
5. Naruto Collectibles Have Been Aggressively Targeted by Scalpers
Naruto from the Naruto anime | Credits: Pierrot
Naruto fans also have to deal with the annoyance caused by scalpers. There have been multiple instances where fans claimed that certain Naruto TCG cards & collectibles have been hoarded by resellers. For instance, Chinese Naruto Kayou Collectible Cards, Naruto x New York Yankees Stadium Giveaway Cards, etc. Some of these instances have even caused massive fan outbursts on Reddit. So, because of the sheer massiveness of the franchise, it ranks in the top 5.
4. Demon Slayer‘s Movie Tickers Are Reportedly Resold at Much Higher Prices
Zenitsu from Demon Slayer | Credits: ufotable
Demon Slayer‘s case is a bit unique. But given that it has repeatedly been one of the biggest hits at the Japanese box office, with both Mugen Train and recently Infinity Castle, we had to rank it in 4th place. But what exactly happened? Reports claim that ticket prices for Infinity Castle in certain regions have appeared on the black market at 2-3 times the original price. Because of the massive fan demand, scalpers were likely buying the tickets as soon as they were made available online, only to resell them at much higher prices. And honestly, the situation for Demon Slayer fans looks even worse because of cases like this.
3. My Hero Academia Exclusives Are a Prime Scooping Target For Scalpers
All Might from My Hero Academia | Credits: Bones
Although the My Hero Academia anime has come to an end now, the amount of popularity it has gained will likely keep the scalper culture fresh within the community. Reportedly, many items appeared on eBay for approximately 5–10 times their original purchase price. There have also been huge scandals involving figurines and other items. Additionally, many Japan-exclusive collectibles are resold at 2–3× their retail price. Therefore, it deserves a place in the top 3.
2. One Piece Has Been Hit Hard by Scalpers Across Multiple Products
Luffy from One Piece | Credits: Toei Animation
One Piece‘s track record with scalping is particularly worse. Many items and products from the franchise have been targeted by selfish profiteers. The TCG scalping is, of course, one huge issue, but the limited promotional merchandise also gives scalpers more room to get active. In fact, a few free giveaway cards from years ago are now priced at over $2,250. Even the historic first chapter of the manga has been graded, with some copies valued at around $500,000. So, this easily deserves the 2nd spot.
1. Pokémon Easily Takes First Place as the Anime Most Targeted by Scalpers
Finally, Pokémon cannot be dethroned yet because of its insane scalping culture prevalent throughout the TCG market. Although other Pokémon items, such as Pop-Tarts, promotional merchandise, and even store displays, have also been targeted by scalpers, the TCG is by far the biggest issue. Since Pokémon cards started being graded, the overall market value of the entire business has skyrocketed. So much so that the highest-priced card so far is valued at around $5.3 million. So, now you know why Pokémon takes the #1 spot.
So, what are YOUR thoughts on the whole scalping culture?
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
