The term scalpers refers to individuals or groups who purchase collectible items with the intention of reselling them at significantly higher prices once they become scarce. This practice is common in markets such as Pokémon cards, sneakers, clothing, and concert tickets. The term originates from finance, where "scalping" describes the buying and selling of financial assets repeatedly within a single trading session to profit from small market movements. In recent years, this practice has extended to consumer goods, with scalpers targeting popular items sold in limited editions. Pokémon cards, in particular, have been heavily affected by scalping, with rare cards resold at extremely high prices. A rare Pikachu card was sold at auction for 16.5 million dollars in February. Laurent Seror, manager of the Parisian TCG shop Atmos Arena, explained that Pokémon cards are well-suited for this practice due to their limited quantities and widespread appeal. Some scalpers even pay accomplices to wait in line to secure limited edition cards. Scalping is also prevalent in the sneakers industry. A 19-year-old British man described his experience starting scalping at age 14, which eventually led to making a month's salary in a single day by reselling sneakers at two or three times their original price. The practice is not limited to these areas, as makeup products have also been targeted. The release of the Totally Spies collection by Martine Cosmetics led to reselling of eyeshadow palettes at prices up to three times higher than the original retail price, causing public outrage. Some scalpers use automated software known as "ticket bots" to purchase concert tickets in bulk, often before human buyers can even access the purchase page. These bots create hundreds of fictitious accounts with different IP addresses to infiltrate digital waiting lines and secure large quantities of tickets. The tickets are then resold at significantly higher prices on unofficial platforms. The practice of scalping is legally punishable under article 313-6-2 of the Penal Code, which imposes fines of up to 15,000 euros for habitual resale of event tickets without authorization. Repeat offenders face fines of up to 30,000 euros. However, legal experts note a gap between the law and its effective enforcement, as scalpers often use shell companies or operate from abroad to avoid detection.