Pokémon fanatics have taken over Big W’s annual toy sale, with crowds gathering before stores even opened on Tuesday morning. Shoppers who turned up, ready to lay-by their kids’ Christmas wishlists, were met by a throng of adults at the roller doors, all desperate to get their hands on a cult item – Pokémon collectable cards.
The in-demand cards were included in the famous Big W sale at a discounted price. The cards are available for a range of prices, with a standard pack listed on the website for $8.50. However, the department store chain had a big drop Tuesday on a range of rare cards, otherwise known as ‘chase cards’, which can be resold for big money, fetching from $450 to over $1,000.
Reports quickly emerged from shoppers at several Aussie stores that not all queues were formed peacefully before shutters even began opening at 8am, with “punch-ups” even allegedly witnessed.
Shoppers left shaken
Sarah Davis was among those who attended her local store, at Queensland’s North Lakes, keen to start her Christmas shopping for her children. She’s been attending the sale for the last five years. “In previous years it’s been a lovely experience, mums helping each other out, holding a baby for someone while they load their trolley. This year was utterly ridiculous, and it wasn’t due to anything Big W staff did or did not do,” Ms Davis told news.com.au. “The Pokémon resellers were out in force and they were pushy. I witnessed several big men (middle aged) yelling at others who they deemed to have ‘cut the line’. We were literally trying to enter the store, most of us mums and grandparents were there for the normal toys, not Pokémon cards.”
She said the “vibe was very hostile” claiming a friend was “verbally accosted.” “I really felt for the staff, a lot of whom are young and possibly haven’t had to deal with this level of animosity before. They handled it as best as they could, but they’re retail workers, not security guards. They don’t go to work expecting to have a riot over some cardboard toys,” she pointed out.
The wild scenes prompted her to take to Big W Mums Australia to question the chaos. “Anyone else feeling shook after the Pokémon rush this morning?” she wrote. “The store I was at, there were almost punch-ups over the line-up (men). Never seen anything like it, felt bad for the staff having to deal with the aggro.”
Similar reports across the country
Commenters were quick to report similar scenes at their own local stores. “Yup... [It] was absolutely disgraceful,” one shopper reported. Another shared from Western Sydney: “What store was this? Because the same thing happened at Macarthur Square Big W. Couldn’t believe it. So many kids in store, and they were calling the females ‘mutts’ and just acting horribly. It was actually embarrassing.” “Big W Joondalup line was crazy. All Pokémon pushers... Couldn’t imagine being that worked up over cardboard,” a third from Western Australia added.
Even employees of the retail giant chimed in. “I work for Big W and got abused because we had none left,” a worker anonymously wrote. Another shared that although they didn’t work this morning, they heard of one couple who “didn’t wait for the doors to be open” and instead were “laying on the ground and rolling under” the door.
Big W responds
A Big W spokesperson told news.com.au they thank customers who did the right thing. “Our annual Toy Sale launch is one of our most highly anticipated moments of the year. With over a thousand deals across toys, tech, gaming and more as well as new releases landing on shelves, popular items can sell out quickly,” the spokesperson said. “The majority of customers who entered our stores for the launch of the Toy Sale were respectful. Thank you to our store teams for their ongoing support in making this sale happen for our customers.”
Aussie Pokémon lovers are also voicing their frustration at missing out. “We got there at 7am for 8am opening and already there was over 50 people waiting. They sold what everyone wanted in two minutes,” one fan told news.com.au.
Another man took to TikTok to condemn the behaviour, calling it “crazy work.” “People fighting, yelling, swearing. I had some random coming up to me and being like ‘see those guys over there? They’re runners,” creator foezzelking said in the clip. “What is this? Fricken Maze Runner bro?”
Another shared a video of their empty hands, proving they purchased nothing and writing: “15 people were already lining up at 4:30am at my local Big W. I rather be in my nice warm bed.”
Currently, Big W has strict limits in place for Pokémon products with blister trading card products limited to five items per customer group. Trading card products are limited to one of each producer per customer group. Despite the limits, some customers that did get their hands on products took just hours to post on eBay and Facebook Marketplace, with some listings hitting over $450.
