The official website was a nightmare, so here’s where to make your Pokémon Pitch Black pre-orders
As the Pokémon Center imploded yesterday, many lost our - but here’s where to make your Pitch Black pre-orders instead.
I spent two hours trying to make my Pokémon Pitch Black pre-orders on the Pokémon Center yesterday. Like thousands of other collectors, I got nowhere. Between Error 17-d messages, broken queues, and stock disappearing in minutes, the launch felt eerily similar to Destined Rivals last year.
But the Pokémon TCG Pitch Black stock on the official website is only the first battle in the stock war. An important one, sure, but it’s not over yet. If you’re looking to still get some cards, don’t lose hope - I’m here to help you secure the upcoming Pokémon set before it’s too late.
However, let’s discuss what Rotom-level chaos happened with the Pokémon Center yesterday. It was a true mess, one that I haven’t seen since this time last year. The queue was in place, but at one point, it broke down, allowing everyone and seemingly everything in. A lot of collectors were Error 17-d, treating real people like bots, while community Discord servers and social media quickly filled with speculation that bots had taken a large portion of the stock.
Is that what happened? Well, I’ll be honest, I don’t know. The Pokémon Company hasn’t shared any information, and it’s all up in the air. What I do know is that it was truly frustrating, and I hope that the Pokémon Center this side of the world follows Japan and puts in government ID and a lottery system in place.
Of course, that would take time and resources, and there’s a good chance it might not be in place for the 30th Celebration set. However, it’s better late than never, and if the hype continues into next year, we need better systems in place so that real collectors can get their hands on the latest cards.
Let’s stop being negative for a moment. If you’re looking for some Pitch Black stock, here’s where I’d look next:
- Pokémon Center (global) - if the issue was bots, there’s a chance the company may do a small re-stock closer to release. So, keep it bookmarked and keep checking regularly
- Chaos Cards (UK) - Chaos Cards has recently introduced a new lottery-style system, so may be your best shot for products
- Magic Madhouse (UK) - the UK’s leading hobbyist retailer, Magic Madhouse is a bit random with drops, so I’d suggest keeping it bookmarked and following the company on social media
- Walmart (US) - over the years I’ve covered the TCG, Walmart has had plenty of retail-priced drops, so worth checking frequently and paying for the Walmart+ for more chance
- Best Buy (US) - similar to Walmart, but with even more preparation for stock alerts with dates for new stock on listings
Pitch Black is going to be one of the biggest Pokémon TCG releases of the year, but there will be more stock drops between now and launch. Missing yesterday’s Pokémon Center queue doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance.
I’d recommend joining our newsletter above - not because I like more subscribers (although, that is true), but because I will be sharing as and when stock pops up, so make sure to keep checking your emails.
