Exploiting Tragedy
The family of late Pokémon influencer Avery the Poké Kid is speaking out after scalpers have reportedly started using his death to artificially inflate the prices of a 30th Anniversary Jirachi SIR card.
Avery the Poké Kid died at 12 years old after a seven-year-battle with pancreatic cancer in late September. He was a huge fan of the Pokémon franchise and its accompanying trading card game; his parents had recorded the last time he opened a pair of card packs and shared the video to Instagram a couple days later, showing him excitedly pulling a 30th Anniversary Jirachi SIR card.
The footage went viral within the Pokémon community and even caught the attention of the card’s artist, who tearfully reacted to the situation on social media — but now, scalpers are reportedly using the situation to their advantage.
Pokémon TCG collectors have discovered that the 30th Anniversary Jirachi SIR card has started climbing in price, with collectors noting that it rose significantly, most likely due to Avery’s viral posthumous video.
Community Backlash and Family Response
The situation has sparked a wave of backlash within the TCG community, with fans expressing utter disgust over attempts to profit from a child's passing.
Supporters remarked that it was unfortunate nothing mattered more than money to opportunistic resellers attempting to jack up the price.
The fervor around this particular card has grown so loud that Avery’s family is speaking out about the situation. They published a statement on Avery’s official Instagram account, where they distanced themselves from any cards supposedly being sold in his name and urged scalpers to take down any listings they may have that reference him.
“We are not involved in or benefiting from any cards being sold in Avery’s name or likeness. We have not approved these sales. We have asked sellers to take their listings down. Please do so immediately. This does not honor Avery’s generous heart. We are mourning our son and caring for our children. Please let us do that in peace,” they wrote.
Commenters are sharing words of support on the post and condemning the scalpers, offering condolences as the family tries to live and heal.
Well-wishers emphasized that decent humans are keeping the family in their thoughts and are completely detached from the exploitative listings.
The Pokémon Company made enough supply for its 30th Anniversary collection that resellers felt the impact on their businesses and went viral after complaining about everyone else getting the chance to buy stock at regular retail prices.
