The James Donald Forbes McCann Catamaran Plan - S2 Ep28: Pokémon Card Black Market

Episode Date: September 27, 2026

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Bing. Bang. A bing, bing, bing-die-bing. Oh, they're out? They're all bouncing. They're all here. They were all here talking shit. Come on, boys, get back in here. Get back in here. We have these silent boys who don't give a damn about Pokemon. These other people, they really care about Pokemon. They've been lining up since... You've been here since six something.

You. But these boys from Adelaide High School, they don't care about Pokemon at all. They're spending big money on Pokemon cards just to make money. I think someone's given them the capital. I think we got them saying someone's giving them the money to buy the cards to sell them online. And now they cover their backs as though they weren't wearing school uniforms. What do we think about that? People who really love Pokemon.

A boo! Oh, disgusting. Disgusting. They're just here to make money off Pokemon. Not like me. I don't give a fuck about Pokemon at all. Hey. But these guys love, you love Pokemon?

Yeah, what what? What? What? Hey, this is the James Donald Force McCann Catamaran Plan. We're here talking to people who love Pokemon. Like these boys who had their own flyer before. You were trying to give me a flyer, and now you're trying to hide. Why are you trying to hide, boys?

We're in public. Hey, you love Pokemon? I do, actually. I've got a Pokemon tattoo. What's your... What is it? It's of Applin and Dratini. See, what's an aplin?

Hmm? You boys need an aplin a day to keep that sickness out of your minds, trying to make money off these sweet autistic people loving Pokemon cards. Shame on you, boys! You ain't never going to make shit. Arbitrage bullshit. Hello, are you buying a Pokemon card today? These boys love Pokemon.

Sir, you mind Pokemon? No. You're just here for some other kids' stuff? Please don't film me. You don't want to get filmed? We'll move on. We'll blow him. You buying Pokemon?

Yeah, mate. What's your favorite Pokemon? Oh, Charazade. As a quality Pokemon. No disrespect to that. Love Charazan. Look at those sad boys over there. They were talking such game before the microphone came out. Hiding, running away, coward boys.

No disrespect. People are children. We'll blur the children. We'll blur all the children. We'll blur the children. Coward children. Now that they're blurred, I say what I feel. Coward. Westerall children. Don't know the value of hard work. Not like these boys who clearly love... Look at this. Look at all the Pokemon. Buying so many. I just...

Not my face, but my cards. Okay. All right. Look at the cards. He loves the cards. Wow. Big Pokey fan. What is it you love about Pock?

Are you trying to also make money off the Pokemon cards? I'm ripping orders. What does that mean? Ripping it? Literally ripping it. Is that you'll be opening the cards? Keep the cards. Hold on.

There's a conventional, nice looking woman. What are you doing here with Pokemon? I'm good, thank you. Doesn't want to be in it as well. Everyone's so out in public trying to get these. cards everyone's so ashamed ashamed to be here I don't know I haven't decided yet you decided I mean there were just people waiting out here and that's kind of unusual I thought people maybe were here for sneakers I just like Pokemon he

just loves Pokemon what's the card I don't know I just kind of worked up and found this and I was just like can I have the card can I see the card are people gonna give you money if you return it's the amount that you have to buy that's how much they'll pay you for buying each one. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, there's an amount of money on each one. This is one item per ticket. I just went up to a store and they gave me a car and they just said, yeah, come back. Sorry, I don't know. Which store? Who's giving you this? What is this black, what is this black market on Pokemon? Pokemon used to be about love. Pokemon used to be about catching them all.

Then they kept adding more to catch. That seemed unfair, didn't it? They're always moving the goalpost past year. Do you love Pokemon, sir? Yes. Is it that you love about the Pokemon? The art? He loves the art. Yeah. Same. Also the art, madam, would you like to talk about Pokemon?

No interest whatsoever here on the James Donald Forbes McCann Catamaran Plan. You want to talk about Pokemon? No. We got one person in the whole thing wants to talk about Pokemon and that's it. When Channel 7 was here, did you all want to talk to Channel 7 about Pokemon? Well, I'm waiting around and I'm getting it. I'm waiting around and I'm getting my Pokemon. What time is it?

When does the Pokemon get here? 23 minutes. Damn. Hey, Sam, get in here. We can't hide your face. Can you hide your face? Do you want to hide your face so you can come on the pod? We'll just blur.

We're blurring a lot of people today. Welcome, Samantha. And let's get to our spot in line. What are we doing? Well, all these people were here this morning on the way into the office, and I don't know about you, but I thought, what's going on there? And then it turned out that you could buy Pokemon here. Oh, we're going to buy some Pokemon? You could buy Pokemon.

And then all these lads came over, and they wanted to talk to me before. Were you getting that? They all wanted to talk about it. But then the recording started, and the lads got real shy. Didn't want to talk anymore. Because someone started spilling the beans that it's some sort of black market operation where someone's coughing up money. And then they get paid to come here on their behalf and buy the Pokemon. Some of them are more vocal than others, but most of them are very shy now.

They were big man, they're big man making big money and big moves. Now they're all, they were showing all their money around. Now they've got these special cuts. Someone's printing out these flies. I don't know. They're being very discreet. There's a black market in Pokemon. But some people are just here because they love Pokemon.

They just love it. Are you a big Pokemon fan, sir? Nah, it's all right. He's sad about it. He used to be able to Pokemon. He can't do it. I didn't mind Pokemon. You didn't buy any Pokemon?

No, I loved Pokemon when I was a young person. Do you have a Pokemon? Yeah, my brother found a Charazard. A shiny Charazard. The original Charisard. But then we didn't know how to treat it with respect. I don't know what that means, but it's like that's really nice. It's like it was all got scratched and lost its value.

It's a card, you know, that's okay. No, I shouldn't say that. Not here. There's like younger kids for whom this is a joy and a treat and a privilege, you know. And then there's clearly people making money because they're able to get up early and they don't have a job. Making money off other people's perverse interest in the cards. But I can't believe how shy those boys are. They don't want to come over and talk Pokemon with me.

I mean, I wonder if even if I buy them, what would I do with them? You talk about them. Do I talk about them? Oh, of course. Of course. Of course. Thank you so much. That's all right.

A similar thing sometimes does happen at the gold shop, though. I saw it in Sydney. I think we've got two types of Pokemon happening here. You know what I mean? I'd say three. I'd say three. What's the third one? Well, I'd say there's a lady right down the front who I'd like to go back and talk to again.

Okay. Who's actually here for the love of Pokemon. She has a Pokemon tattoo. A big Pokemon thing on the front. She is a real Poki fan. I do often wonder like the split between like how much money can I make off of this thing versus like, I love this thing so much. But she was here first.

She's here for the real. She's got the passion. She's got the drive. She's the real deal. How often does this happen? How often are people here buying the Pokemon? Every week? Every week?

What do you mean? Like on Wednesdays is Pokemon Day? Maybe Wednesday. And we all just come down here and do this every Wednesday from now on? Maybe every day. Maybe. Hold on. They do a new Pokemon drop here every day.

Not every day. Whoa. Every day can be Pokemon Day. Sam, Sam, what was your name, sir? Oh, Michael. Michael? Can we get Michael a microphone? Oh, please, Michael. Yeah.

So how long have you been going to Pokemon Day for? Right in the mic? Like, maybe since when I was eight. Oh, so you're a day one. I mean, how old are you now? 20. Okay, well, not that. I mean, I'm much, I've been, listen.

I was, I got red. Pardon? I was red on the Game Boy, no color. I was right I was there, you know. But then I thought there's too many Pokemon. I had to walk away. But what was your first Pokemon game? It will be the Switch one.

The one on the Switch. Yeah, the one on the Switch. Incredible. And Pokemon Go. Yeah, my very first. Up high. All right. But every day can be Pokemon Day.

If you love Pokemon. Do you recognize all these people? Are these people... You're here often. You've seen these people before. You make friends in the line. You make lasting relationships. You fall in love. No enemies. Oh, you're enemies with the boys. With the shy boys. Hold on. I didn't know there was a feud.

I'm still waiting for one of these boys to come and be on the pod now that the mics are working. I love these boys. These are good boys trying to hustle, make some money, better their circumstances. And they should be proud of that, not hide in the shadows. Like some sort of Team Rocket. Team Rocket can't be good guys. Team Rocket can be good guys? Yeah, somehow. How?

Like somehow. No, no, no, no. No, no, no. Am I still on the microphone? You're still on the microphone? Yeah. Michael, you're great quality. Thank you.

How often are you, how often, how many times a month are you coming to buy Pokemon? It really depends on what they've got, but normally if they have new stuff, I will kill. Hold on a minute, someone's jumping in the... Oh, I'm not. Not a Dame fan jump in the line. Hold on, Michael. Michael, give the mic to this Notre Dame fan. What's up, bro?

What's up? You love Notre Dame football? Hello? You love Notre Dame football? I have no idea. You're wearing Notre Dame. Maybe it's a Notre Dame top. You're here to get Pokemon?

This is the Pokemon line. I know. To the mouth. To the mouth. You're here to get Pokemon? Yeah. But you're buying Pokemon today? He doesn't love Pokemon?

You already bought some? Yeah. So this is like the last place people go to get Pokemon cars during the day. Not really. There's more. Hold on now. Yeah, yeah. So after this, we go to Shin Tokyo and we keep this Pokey Party moving?

Yep. Shintoke. No, I didn't. I'll be following you around, Michael. No, no, I'm done. We're all going together. The Pokemon Bus? Not Michael's out, but you're going to keep going? Are you like, you're in love? Yeah.

Do you want to talk about it? No. I don't really put it. Alright. If you want? If you want? Oh yeah. Yes.

Where did you go? I went to Kmart. Okay. In the city? No, no, no. Oh, you went suburban Kmart? Yes, yes, yes. Are you also here to buy Pokemon?

It's Pokemon time. Got catch them all, fam. Pokemon time. How much money are you going to sell them or are you there for you? You love them. I'm going to open it. You're going to open it. What do you do with the ones that are no good?

Worthless Pokemon. Just keep it. You just keep it? How many Pokemon cards have you got right now? Two binder, maybe Two binders Yeah Two binders, you got to get that microphone

What was your name? Ivan Ivan Malat Malak No, he was a serial killer He's a well-known serial killer What else do you do?

What do you know Free time hanging out? Just go to the gym Go to the gym Yeah What do you do? What do you do at the airport? Really?

Yeah What do you do at the airport? Just usual stuff Checking in people I go to the airport all the time man Yeah, well, maybe see you at the airport. You work at the airport? No, that's cool.

Well, and this is this the line now curving out and around? This is us. You guys are doing that? You guys are in the line. You guys are in the line? Are you not buying Pokemon today? We're not getting swept up in the joy? What's the Pokemon cost?

Sorry? What does Pokemon cost? Pokemon cost? What am I going to pay for my Pokemon today? Oh, how much is cost? Yeah, money. Depends, what you want? I want the best.

I want my best number one big Pokemon. It's just random choice. Okay. It's just a fit. Is there going to be a limit on how much? How much, man, this seems like more business than kid stuff has had for anything else that I've ever seen. This is, I know. Hold on, we'll give it back.

Ivan, God bless you. I see at the airport. Yeah, yeah, Sam. This is kid stuff. Yeah, it's for kids stuff, which is where they sell like wooden toys. Hold on, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't want to move that place in the Pokemon line. We're here together.

Hey, how you doing? All right. No, we're here to come and talk to us. Come and be part of the chat. You can go back to the line. Do you want to come and talk? Oh, we'll come there. Come on. We're going over there. We're going over there. We'll come back. We're not losing. We're not losing our place in line. We're not losing our place in line. All right. You were in front of us. We got it on film. We will check it. We will check it. You can't take our spot. Is it true? It's true. Hey, I love and respect you. I love and respect you. $160. How much you spend it on Pokemon today? You want to come on Pud? He's on the phone. He's a busy man. Are you on the news right now?

You're on the news right now? Oh, I've got to check it out. Hold on. There's polls. Oh, yeah, in Victoria. One Nation looks like they're going to get up over Labor Party. What's up? Pokemon.

Questions? You got questions? Yes. How much you spend it on Pokemon today? Oh, it's about 280 if you want to get everything. Okay. Now, you're a different crew. You're all the same school, but you're in different possees.

You're in the same gang. Different friend groups. Yeah. They got here earlier. Yeah. We still know each other. Okay. Same school.

Who's more successful with the Pokemon? Who's having better rips? They might have a slightly better collection than us. They got a better collection? Yeah. I believe in you. How many groups? This is a three-person strong group.

They've got one, two, three, four. They've got four boys. Yeah. You need an extra lad. Yeah, we do. Are you part of this group? We'll recruit someone. We'll recruit someone.

I believe in you. Thank you. And you're all in the same school. Yeah. Black clothes. Scary. Can't wear any. I know, I noticed around these streets, people dressing up like gangs.

at night, Friday nights. Have you seen the gangs? You've seen the teen gangs? There are gangs wearing black around Adelaide. I don't know what was going on. No, the ladies dance over there like K-pop dancers. But are you about Pokemon or you're about the Pokemon money? I've got a few books, like collection.

So you care, but hold on, but do you love Pokemon? You don't love Pokemon? No mind it. I got my first one when I was eight years old, maybe, and I was just been obsessed ever since. But obsessed with the money and the grind and the hustle, or you love it? A bit of the hustle, I like lining up, you know, getting up early to come to do it, but I also love collecting them. It's like stock trading. A little bit, I trade them with my mates, you know.

How much are you up or down on Pokemon overall? Probably down. I don't sell, so I'm down. You just hold on, you hold, you collect. I'm collecting, yeah, I'm building in my collection. But that gold chain, you didn't buy that through Pokemon? No, no, I did not. No. All right, well... He bought that selling other things.

All right, no disrespect. Now you boys, you guys are you guys going to come and talk to you? about Pokemon? You don't give consent? Well, that's fine, man. We'll blow that kid out. I want to talk to the one person here who really cares about Pokemon. What was your name? Rowan. Rowan? You want to hold the microphone, Rowan? I'll hold it. How early did you get here today? Six. I was waiting six, yeah. What time did you come on public transport? You drive? Public transport, first bus. First bus in the morning. Yep.

What time? What time are you on the bus? On the bus, about 5.30. You're at 5.30 a.m. You're on that bus. Yeah. So that's a long way because there's no traffic 5.30 a.m. You're hurtling down to Adelaide. The thing is, I got off a little bit late. Okay. So I had to walk.

But you still got here first. How long were you here before the next person came in? About an hour. You here for a full hour, nobody else here. That's heart of the cards. Passion. I love it, Rowan. And you're going to buy how much Pokemon today?

Probably, this will probably be the only store I go to. You've got to one store. Yeah. Are you going to max out what you're allowed to buy from Pokemon? Not entirely. Okay. You're going to leave some meat on the bun? Yeah.

Because, I mean, I want other people to be able to get some. Yes. Because it is a kid's game. But you care about it, but other people, they're scalp. Yeah. And that's the reason why I came here. Yes. Because I knew that this was probably one of the only chances that I'd be able to get it for a reasonable price.

Interesting. The price starts to come up later. Yes. But in the store or on the internet? On the internet. On the internet. You've got to come in it. But they're going off to the other stores.

Like these lads have here. up Kmart earlier on today. Scalpin. Trying to rip off sweet people who love Pokemon. Shameful, shameful behavior. If I don't say it now, comment section, just going to say it later.

Let's be fair. There's no positive spin about what these lads are doing with Pokemon. All of Pokemon is about not acting that way. It's about Ash Ketcham. Is he still part of it? No, he's not.

Isn't he? No. There's a new... Oh, sorry. Are you, hold on, hold on one second. You operate the Pokemon shop? Um, whatever, I just work here, yeah? What percentage of income is coming from Pokemon now?

That's, I couldn't tell you that. A fair amount. Wow. Wow. Because I'm not seeing any Pokemon shop frontage, but huge Pokemon demand. We've just got, behind the counter, we keep it. This is like illegal cigarettes, but for Pokemon. It's crazy.

Are you love Pokemon? Are you in the line for Pokemon? You're here to buy Pokemon right now. You just love it in the abstract. Pokemon, man. Thank you so much. Good luck. That's it? All right, now we wait.

Now we wait. Now we move back down the line to our spot. God bless you, Ron. You have a good one. Boys. Secret, coward boys trying to make money. The nasty gang. Not like the cool, nice gang that I get along with over here. You all give consent.

This is a public place. You cannot have your faces retracted. Your school's going to be very, very upset with you. They're going to say, Those boys are meant to be studying. Unaccompanied minors in town? Someone called the police! You love Pokemon?

Yes. What do you love about Pokemon? I love Gengar. I got a S-A-R Gengar. What does that mean? I got a M-2-Gengar S-R. You got S-A-R-Gengar? Yeah.

S-R Gengar. Hop in the car. Su-Sar-S-Sar-Su-Sad-O. Yeah. Yeah, baby. All right, well, Pokemon. I think we've all learnt something today. Feels like a good end, natural end.

Cut. Thank you, pokey people. Those cards, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was scared after. Yeah. But they were really into it. Oh, man, that's helped my... I just couldn't be standing probably you should put a tracking for their eye.

I was scared of those keys because there were so many of them. I just thought what if they try and fuck with the camera?