Thousands of Australian adults formed long queues outside toy retailers on Friday morning, eager to purchase the latest Pokémon trading card sets. The new Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection Series 2, released on June 26, 2026, sold out quickly in many locations, with some stores reporting sell-outs in less than an hour.
Fans lined up before stores opened, with some arriving hours before. One 32-year-old collector from Sydney reported waiting 40 minutes outside Toymate in Auburn, securing a $60 box that contained three rare cards valued at over $150. "The cards sold out not long after me. The crowd was quite tame and everyone was patient," the collector told the Daily Mail.
However, many enthusiasts were left disappointed. Reports emerged of stores selling out within minutes, and online shoppers experienced frustration with website glitches and sold-out carts. "All sold out and I was at the store 15 minutes beforehand," one disappointed customer shared. Another online shopper described the experience as "so disheartening" after a desired item was unavailable at checkout.
Some shoppers, in an effort to secure any available product, resorted to buying the first box they encountered on websites or in stores. "I was too scared to linger so I grabbed a Prismatic Evolutions Poster Collection and ran," one person stated. Another reported, "The moment I saw the Prismatic tin and Charizard box, I got them and checked out immediately."