A Disney store on London's Oxford Street has temporarily ceased sales of the trading card game Lorcana following an influx of aggressive scalpers and crowds that disrupted operations. The latest release, the Curator's Collection: Heroines Edition, featuring popular characters like Ariel, Anna, and Elsa, drew significant attention.
Social media posts from July 17 depicted extensive queues forming outside the store, with some individuals lining up as early as 12 hours before opening. Reports from attendees, including user DazRollsDice on X, described "scalpers and gangs" exhibiting "violent, aggressive behavior" and pushing to the front of the line. In response to the escalating situation, the Disney Oxford Street store canceled the planned release event and announced it would remain closed "until further notice."
The store's official X account stated that more information regarding how customers can purchase the collection would be shared soon, and expressed gratitude for patrons' patience. Similar scenes have been observed at other Disney locations, including Downtown Disneyland in California and Disneyland Paris, where footage shows crowds and individuals rushing to acquire the card set.
Disney has not yet issued a company-wide statement on the matter. The issues surrounding Lorcana reflect a broader trend affecting other trading card games, such as One Piece and Pokémon, which have also faced challenges with scalpers impacting market availability. As a countermeasure, some retailers are implementing stricter sales protocols; for instance, a Bic Camera branch in Tokyo requires potential buyers to pass a quiz before purchasing Pokémon TCG packs.