4) Printing and distributors problem

Bandai's One Piece TCG Supply and Printing Issues: What Players Need to Understand

There are a lot of posts circulating right now that clearly indicate a misunderstanding of how Bandai prints its products and how they get to players. In an effort to cut down on the misinformation and help players better understand the actual process, here's a detailed explanation of how it works.

The process of distributing One Piece TCG products

1. Orders and planning
   Stores have to place their orders with distributors in pre-orders about 6-8 months before the release date of a product. This means that shortly before the release of OP05, stores are already finalizing their orders for OP07. When OP10 is released they were ordering their OP12
2. Bandai's role
   Once the distributors send the order numbers to Bandai, the latter schedules the printing of the products according to the quantities received, always adding a little extra stock to avoid a reprint too early. Once the printing is finished, the products are shipped from Japan to the distributors. This is when the distributors fulfill the orders placed by the local stores.

The problems encountered

1. The explosive popularity of One Piece TCG
   As everyone knows, with the release of OP05, the popularity of the game exploded. Many local game stores that weren't interested in the product at first wanted to be a part of it, but they missed the order window, and so no product came to them. If a store is big enough and spends enough with their distributor, they can have some negotiating power to get stock, even if they missed the boat. But the only way for a distributor to supply a product to these stores is to "pick up" stock from other shops that met the order deadlines.
2. Exponential growth in demand
   This problem is compounded by the constant growth of the player base with each new series. For example, the number of players at the time of OP05 (when they placed orders for OP03) is very different from the number of players today. It is the responsibility of the shops and distributors to predict this growth and anticipate demand, not Bandai (Cardass).
3. Distributors sell directly to consumers
   It is also known that many distributors sell directly to consumers through their own platforms, instead of selling only to stores. This creates even more shortages, as the stock intended for stores ends up in the hands of end consumers and Bandai does nothing about it.

Why Bandai Can't "Print More"

While frustration with Bandai is understandable, there are several logistical factors that complicate this situation. Bandai currently prints 12 different games (Dragon Ball Super, One Piece EN, JP and CN, Digimon, Ultra-Act, etc.), and each print requires careful planning, spanning months or even years. Changing this schedule mid-stream to "print more" would require sacrificing prints of other games, which is not a realistic solution.

Furthermore, expanding printing capacity cannot be achieved overnight. It requires a massive investment in equipment, contracts, infrastructure, and personnel. According to industry experts, even if Bandai decided to expand its printing capacity, the results would take months or even years to see, and it would not necessarily be feasible during a set release.

What can you do?

1. Order widely from your shops
   Encourage your local store to place orders well above the quantity needed, so that they can receive enough stock even if their allocation is reduced. However, this solution carries the risk that your store will end up with excess inventory if demand decreases.
2. Place pre-orders
   Talk to your store to find out the deadlines for ordering from distributors. Be prepared to pre-order and pay months in advance for more products than you need, to ensure your tcg store does not bear all the risk of ordering.
3. Ask Bandai to investigate the rumors
   Ask Bandai about the rumors about distributors selling directly to consumers and ask them to take action on this. It might also be helpful to suggest introducing new distributors to ease the current pressure. However, this depends on existing contracts, and Bandai is not obligated to respond in the way that is hoped.

Conclusion

While this shortage issue is frustrating, it is the result of a situation of "success" that is difficult to manage. As the player base continues to grow, these issues are likely to persist. The situation will eventually stabilize as demand regulates. In the meantime, it is a waiting game.

Disclaimer : This article is based on information available at the time of publication, gathered from shop owners, distributors, and people with experience in the card game supply chain, but it is not an official statement from Bandai.