Pokémon Skateboards Officially Launch, and Scalpers Are Already Buying Them Up
Pokémon-themed Santa Cruz skateboards, featuring rare card art, launched October 17 and sold out rapidly due to high demand and scalping.
Santa Cruz Skateboards released blind-bag skateboards on October 17, each featuring artwork from Pokémon Trading Card Game cards like Charizard and Moonbreon. The 30 decks include three ultra-rare golden foil variants, with only 500 produced worldwide. Unlike simple card reproductions, the designs expand to reflect each Pokémon's elemental theme, such as water waves on the Blastoise board. The skateboards are sold in blind bags, making specific designs unpredictable for buyers.
The boards retail for $139.99, but resale prices have surged due to scarcity and scalping. Less desirable designs are listed around $250, while popular Eeveelution or starter cards fetch about $1,500. The rare chase boards, combining multiple card images, are priced between $5,000 and $9,000, far exceeding the cost of the cards themselves.
Fans can attempt to purchase the skateboards through restock notifications on the official Santa Cruz website or by locating local skate shops via the provided tool. Most retail locations are expected to be sold out immediately, with restock Discord servers suggesting a possible new wave from The Pokémon Center on Monday. However, no confirmation has been provided regarding the timing or availability of restocks.
Scalpers are anticipated to exploit any restock using automated bot programs, creating long queues for TPC drops and immediate sellouts or connection errors on the Santa Cruz website. The combination of high demand, limited supply, and scalping mirrors trends seen in other Pokémon-related releases, leaving fans with few reliable options to secure a board.