Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans were thrilled to learn that the popular Sanrio amiibo cards were finally coming to North America. For their first U.S. appearance, these cards were set to be offered exclusively through Target starting today. Sadly, an obfuscated ordering system and severely restricted purchase requirements resulted in the ACNH Sanrio cards being immediately sold out to bots and scalpers.
Granted, it’s not like fans were given much of a fighting chance. Not only were the ACNH Sanrio cards only offered at Target in the United States, they were also only available in limited quantities. Orders were limited to just two packs, and no rain checks were given. Plus, true-to-form, Nintendo seemed intent on providing supply well under the cards’ expected demand.
[Announcement]
From @HelloKitty, My Melody, to Keroppi, get ready to discover new residents, styles & items inspired by adorable @Sanrio friends! The #AnimalCrossing Sanrio Collaboration Pack comes to the US on 3/26, exclusively at @Target! pic.twitter.com/7584E2OL4H— Isabelle (@animalcrossing) February 25, 2021
As if those problems weren’t enough, someone down the line decided that the cards would only be available via order pickup or drive-up. This forced customers to use either Target’s app or website to place an order. And as we all know, bots are much faster at completing online orders than humans will ever be. This was an especially hard lesson learned during the release of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X last year.
The rest of the story is as you’d expect. Orders opened up at 9 a.m. Eastern time today, and the cards were sold out just moments later.
would've loved to get the new sanrio amiibo cards when I logged on at exactly 9 AM ET this morning but guess not @NintendoAmerica @Target pic.twitter.com/0qRji4Ed7i
— Mon Cala Musings (@moncalamusings) March 26, 2021
Frankly, it seems as if this ordering system was designed not with fans in mind, but scalpers. So it’s little surprise that these ACNH Sanrio amiibo cards, which are normally priced at $5.99 MSRP, are now being sold for upwards of $100 a pack on eBay.
For now, there’s no word on when or if the Animal Crossing Sanrio amiibo cards will be back in stock. Players who want to unlock Hello Kitty or Keroppi in-game will either have to pay the markup scalpers demand or simply move on with their lives. Next time, maybe Nintendo and its retail partners can find a way to put the product into human hands instead of rewarding those who’d use bots to make a quick profit.
