Walmart Wednesday is not for the weak of heart
It's Walmart Wednesday, which means that Pokémon trading card game collectors all over are gearing up for the retailer's weekly 9 p.m. ET drop. Whether you're a seasoned Pokémon shopper or a total newbie, here's what you need to know to survive the online release.
The product list on any given week isn't known until right before or during the weekly drop window. As of early August, you can reasonably expect products from Pitch Black, Chaos Rising, and Perfect Order alongside a mishmash of things like Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs), booster boxes, and Poké Ball tins. First Partner 3 is scheduled to drop this week as well.
Unlike Target, Walmart makes everything available at once — which means you'll likely need to open multiple pages to join a product queue. Load whatever item you most desire first, and keep your eye on the clock. Even joining the millisecond when something goes live doesn't guarantee a purchase.
Walmart's online drops are widely considered to be the toughest way to obtain Pokémon cards. Paradoxically, it's also one of the chillest. Whenever it's your turn, you're given a window to complete your purchase. You could theoretically leave the computer and periodically check back. This runs the risk of missing the exact moment you're released from the queue, but the alternative is waiting anxiously for hours. Don't ruin your night!
Before a drop goes live, most products are listed well above MSRP. Reload the page to see the correct pricing.
Walmart greets users with one of two messages once a product goes live. If it says "This deal is almost gone," your chances of purchasing that item are low. If it says "This deal is selling fast," the likelihood of succeeding is higher.
Yes, provided the item isn't something like Ascended Heroes, Destined Rivals, or Prismatic Evolutions. Even in those cases, you don't lose anything by keeping the page open. Sometimes people are able to purchase something hours after a queue goes live.
You can navigate Walmart's website without losing your place in line. As long as your screen shows a section that says you're in line, you're good. Just do not refresh.
The page should update on its own with a 10-minute timer that immediately begins counting down.
Adding items to your cart and checking out can be a nightmare. To lessen the likelihood of hiccups, create an SMS-verified account and save a payment profile before the release. You won't waste as much time entering information, and you'll have fewer pages to load.
Don't be discouraged if the site tells you it failed to add the item to your cart, or if it says it cannot complete the action because it is under a heavy load. Just keep mashing the "Add to Cart" until you succeed. Walmart may occasionally prompt you to click and hold to verify you're not a bot, but there's no way around it.
Sometimes Walmart will say something is out of stock when it actually isn't. The best way to track if something is still available is to join a Pokémon trading card game stock Discord server.
Often, what's available isn't coming from Walmart directly. If the seller is GT Emporium, breathe easy: That's Walmart's official stockist. Other sellers have bigger markups or could be offering resealed products, so make sure to double-check.
Walmart Wednesdays can be frustrating. Some people try for months without anything to show for it. As long as you're realistic about your chances, though, you lose nothing by just letting the page sit there.