We've reached unprecedented levels of cooked: The Mega Gengar Pokémon TCG is selling for $800 even though it doesn't actually exist yet

Pokémon TCG has been a hellscape for a while now. Scalping in the community has always been a sore spot, but ever since that darn eeveelutions set, Prismatic Evolutions, hit the shelves and sent collectors into a frenzy, matters have only gotten worse.

It has become almost impossible to get any stock for Pokémon TCG expansions as scalpers raid the shelves and even manage to use tricks to swipe 42,000 products, ready to sell for triple the price to desperate players. I really didn't think it could get worse, but it seems like I've jinxed myself, because it just did.

Ahead of the upcoming Japanese Mega Dream ex expansion, people have spotted pre-order listings for up to $800 on eBay (via Wargamer) pop up for the coveted chase card of the set, the Mega Gengar ex #240. The only problem with this is that the card doesn't actually exist yet.

The Mega Dream expansion isn't available until the end of November, and while you can pre-order products from some online retailers, individual cards won't be sold until people get their hands on the set, open it up, and actually stumble upon the card.

In the item specifics, one retailer lists the condition as being ungraded, near mint or better, presumably as they have no idea what the card will actually look like, because they don't have it yet. This is also the case for most of the other listings, alongside the fact that they use the same promotional art of the card instead of an actual card photographed in a stand, because, and I'll say it again for the people at the back, this card isn't out yet.

It may seem ridiculous, and while I don't agree with the practice of selling cards before you actually have them, Gengar is a very popular purple rascal. A PSA 10 Gengar Vmax #271 goes for around $2,000. It's no first edition shadowless Charizard holo, but Gengar does have a habit of pulling big numbers when it comes to reselling.