Vendors selling as partners at official Pokémon tournaments are working under new rules. They may no longer offer graded cards in slabs, single items priced over $1,000, or most Pokémon Center Japan merchandise, Dexerto reports. Slabs are the sealed plastic cases in which grading companies such as PSA, CGC or Beckett return cards with their grade. The Pokémon Company International has made no public statement; vendors were told directly.
The rules first applied at the Indianapolis Regional from 29 to 31 May 2026, GamingHQ writes. The North America International Championships in New Orleans from 12 to 14 June were next.
The reports point to a clear aim: events should feel like community gatherings rather than a market for expensive collectibles, according to Game Rant. Vendors can still sell ungraded singles and regular products.