my name is Joe.

     I haven't gotten Pokemon cards in a long time. You see at any small 
shop they see a prouduct that is popular and raise the price really 
high. By small shop I mean Comic Book stores or those lame little carts 
at rhe mall. I went to my favorite comic book store the first day 
pokemon cards came out. I got them for $2.75, resonable price. and I got 
my zap deck for $10, not bad. next time I went the packs were $3 I still 
got them. next time I went back...$10? SEVEN DOLLARS MORE!!! and the 
theme decks...$30? TWENTY DOLLARS MORE!!! NO WAY AM I PAYING THAT FOR 
THIN PIECES OF CARDBOARD!!!!! but the owner said it helped them keep 
them in stock. who cares if they're hard to find as long as when you 
find them you can buy at least 3 packs.(a tip of mine is to get at least 
3, then you'll probabally get 1 shiney card!) So where do you get your 
cards? at places like electronics boutique. Large chains like that won't 
raise the price just because it's popular. I don't think the owners have 
the authority to do so. The only reason they would is because Wizards of 
the Coast did, or because the large-cooperate-type-ownery-guy said too. 
So buy them there when they have them in stock. nuff said.