When Do Pokémon Vending Machines Restock? I Spent 3 Hours Trying to Find Out

If you've tried hunting Pokémon cards at retail, you've probably encountered the same problem I have. Finding *some* Pokémon cards isn't necessarily difficult. Finding the products everyone actually wants at MSRP is another story.

That's one reason I've become interested in the official Pokémon vending machines.

I've seen these machines carry products that can otherwise be frustrating to find at normal retail, including desirable sets like Prismatic Evolutions and Ascended Heroes. When they're stocked, they can be fantastic.

The problem is figuring out when they're stocked.

So one morning, instead of randomly checking a machine and hoping for the best, I decided to try something a little ridiculous.

I was going to wait them out.

The Plan

There are two Pokémon vending machines at Harris Teeter locations relatively close to me.

I'd heard enough theories about early morning restocks that I wanted to see what would actually happen if I got there *really* early and stuck around.

The idea was simple.

If I checked a machine frequently enough, eventually I might see the inventory change. If that happened between, say, 7:00 and 7:15, I'd suddenly have a very useful piece of information about when that particular machine was serviced.

And because I had two nearby machines, I could try the same experiment at both locations during the same morning.

So I set my alarm.

Machine #1: Starting at 6:00 AM

I started with the Harris Teeter closest to me.

I arrived at approximately 6:00 AM and checked the Pokémon vending machine.

Then I waited.

And checked again.

And waited.

And checked again.

I kept this up for roughly an hour and a half, from about 6:00 until 7:30 AM.

No restock.

The inventory wasn't suddenly replenished. Nobody arrived and filled the machine. Nothing happened that gave me any indication that this particular vending machine was being serviced during that early morning window.

At around 7:30, I decided I'd given Machine #1 enough of my morning.

But I wasn't done yet.

Machine #2: Around 7:45 AM

There was another Harris Teeter with a Pokémon vending machine nearby, so I drove over there.

I arrived at Machine #2 at approximately 7:45 AM.

Then I repeated the experiment.

I hung around and periodically checked the machine to see if its inventory changed.

8:00 came and went.

Then 8:15.

Then 8:30.

Still nothing.

I finally gave up somewhere around 8:45 to 8:50 AM, definitely before 9:00.

After starting at 6:00 that morning, I had spent nearly three hours trying to catch a restock across two separate Pokémon vending machines.

I never saw one.

My Early Morning Pokémon Vending Machine Experiment

So, at least on this particular morning, the 6:00 to 9:00 AM strategy didn't work for me.

But there's an important distinction here.

This Doesn't Mean Pokémon Vending Machines Never Restock in the Morning

One morning and two machines aren't enough data to establish a universal Pokémon vending machine restock schedule.

That's not what I'm claiming.

There are all kinds of variables I couldn't see. Different machines may be serviced on different days. Routes could change. Inventory availability could affect deliveries. One location could be visited at a completely different time from another.

The fact that nothing happened while I was there also doesn't tell me whether a machine had been stocked before I arrived or whether somebody showed up ten minutes after I left.

That's the frustrating part of trying to reverse engineer these things.

What I *can* say is much narrower:

I monitored two nearby Pokémon vending machines between approximately 6:00 AM and 8:50 AM, and neither was restocked while I was watching.

That's one real data point.

And it's more useful to me than simply repeating that you should "check early."

Is 6:00 AM the Best Time to Check a Pokémon Vending Machine?

Based on my experience, I certainly wouldn't treat it as a guarantee.

If you're already awake, you're passing the store on your way somewhere, or checking the machine is convenient, there's nothing wrong with looking early.

But I wouldn't wake up at an absurd hour solely because somebody on the internet told you Pokémon vending machines always get stocked first thing in the morning.

I tried that.

I was at my first machine at 6:00 AM.

By the time I quit shortly before 9:00, I'd tested two different locations and still hadn't caught a restock.

That doesn't mean the early morning theory is wrong everywhere. It means there's clearly more to figuring these machines out than simply being the first person through the grocery store doors.

Why I Still Like Pokémon Vending Machines

The funny thing is that this experience didn't make me stop checking them.

If anything, I'm still more interested in vending machines than some traditional retail shelves.

I've made plenty of trips to stores where Pokémon cards were technically "in stock," but the selection consisted mostly of products that weren't particularly difficult to find elsewhere.

The vending machines have been different.

I've actually seen desirable products show up in them, including sets that I've had considerably more trouble finding elsewhere at retail.

That's the reason I'm willing to put some effort into understanding their stocking patterns.

The potential payoff isn't necessarily getting Pokémon cards.

It's getting the right Pokémon cards at retail price.

What I'd Do Differently Next Time

I'm probably not going to spend another three hour block hanging around two grocery stores.

There's a much better way to do this.

Instead of trying to catch someone physically restocking the machine, I'm going to treat this as a longer term data collection experiment.

Every time I check one of these machines, I can record:

• The machine or location
• Day of the week
• Approximate time
• Whether inventory changed since my previous visit
• Notable products available
• Whether desirable products disappeared between checks

Over enough visits, something interesting might emerge.

Maybe one particular machine tends to change inventory on the same day.

Maybe the stocking time moves around.

Maybe the two nearby machines appear to be serviced sequentially.

Or maybe I collect a bunch of observations and discover there's no reliably exploitable pattern at all.

That's useful information too.

Can You Actually Figure Out a Pokémon Vending Machine's Restock Schedule?

That's what I ultimately want to find out.

I'm not there yet.

And I don't want to turn one morning of observations into a fake "SECRET POKEMON VENDING MACHINE RESTOCK SCHEDULE" article just because that would make a better headline.

What I know so far is this:

Checking from 6:00 AM until almost 9:00 AM across two machines did not catch a restock.

That's Experiment #1.

I'll keep checking these machines as part of my normal Pokémon hunting and update this article if I collect enough observations to identify something meaningful.

If I eventually catch a machine changing inventory between two checks, things get much more interesting.

Because then I'll finally have a window.

And I'll probably start narrowing it down from there.

Have You Caught a Pokémon Vending Machine Being Restocked?

If you've actually seen one of these machines being stocked, or checked before and after a restock on the same day, I'd be interested in comparing your experience with mine.

The most useful information is simply the day of the week, approximate time, and whether you actually witnessed the restock or inferred it from an inventory change.

I'll continue documenting what happens with the two machines I'm watching and update this article as I learn more.

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