We just want to play Pokémon.

Pokémon cards weren't part of my childhood. My kids brought them into my life when they were around six, and we've now spent about five years collecting and playing together.

I didn't grow up with this hobby. Apparently, I inherited it from my kids.

And it's been a lot of fun. But buying cards has gotten frustrating.

The flipping. The people taking advantage of the demand. The feeling that everything has become another opportunity to make a buck.

I'm not mad at somebody trying to earn a living. People need money. I get that. But I can understand it and still be frustrated by what it's doing to a hobby my family enjoys.

Today, I walked into Target and saw Pokémon cards in stock, with plenty of different options. They were limiting purchases to one per person, which felt like a good start.

Then I looked at the prices.

I was seeing packs at around $10.

Ten dollars for a pack of Pokémon cards.

I used to think about these prices as a reseller problem. Seeing them on a retail shelf made me stop and think about whether buying new packs is something we can keep doing.

At that price, it just isn't sustainable for my family.

And that's the part that bothers me. My kids really enjoy playing. So does my wife. It's something they bond over. The collecting is fun, but the gameplay is why we got into this in the first place.

We can keep enjoying the cards we already have. But if buying new ones keeps going in this direction, we may have to look at other options for our family hobby.

It's frustrating to find something your kids love, something you can share with them, and then start wondering whether the price is going to push you away from it.

We got into this because it was fun to play together. I'd like to keep it that way.

Are other families feeling this too? How are you keeping it fun and affordable?