05/17/2021
Target suspends selling sports and Pokemon trading cards in its stores
Target has stopped selling sports trading cards and Pokemon cards inside its stores after a man was reportedly assaulted by four men in a Wisconsin store parking lot during a dispute over the cards. Target said: "Out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards." Customers can still go online to buy the cards which have soared in popularity and price during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card sold for $738,000. "It's crazy," said card retailer Eric Purnell.
■Class discussion: Do you collect sports or Pokemon trading cards? What could make a piece of cardboard worth hundreds of thousands of dollars? What would you pay for a collector card? How about a rare coin, stamp or painting? Why do people value gold and diamonds? Are they actually very useful? Do companies which sell collector cards or even diamonds limit how much they produce just to keep the prices high? Does something being rare always make it worth more? Why or why not? What is most valuable to you?