Pokémon Fans Mock Scalpers Over Selling Out Plush

Key Takeaways

Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark

Pokémon fans have countered scalpers price gouging through creative methods, such as creating false listings with inflated prices to alert potential buyers and disrupt resale attempts.
The Pokémon Company announced a restock of the Beginning Pikachu plush and encouraged pre-orders at the original price, giving fans the opportunity to secure the item at a fair cost.
A new chonky Pikachu plushie has been introduced with pixel art details, adding to the collectible options available for fans.
Some Pokémon fans have posted fake ads on Mercari and other platforms to prank resellers and warn fellow enthusiasts about inflated prices in the secondary market.

Pokémon Fans Counter Scalpers’ Price Gouging with Pranks and Pre-Orders

Following its initial online sell-out, Pokémon fans combatted scalpers attempting to resell a Beginning Pikachu plush for inflated prices. The plush, which commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary and replicates Pikachu’s original sprite from Pokémon Red and Green, was originally available at the Japanese Pokémon Center for approximately $19 USD. It was quickly relisted on auction sites for over $200 USD. The Pokémon Company then announced a restock and encouraged pre-orders at the original price, prompting fans to mock the scalpers on Japanese auction sites. Some fans created false listings for the plush at prices exceeding $60,000 to alert potential buyers and disrupt the resale attempts. In related news, a new Pikachu plushie has been introduced: a chunky, black-and-white character with pixel art details. This new “chonky” Pikachu was not mentioned in our previous blog post. Separately, some Pokémon fans have posted fake ads on Mercari with high prices, falsely announcing that the Starting Pikachu plush will be made to order on the Pokémon Center website. These listings prank resellers, while others comment on the exorbitant resales to warn fellow enthusiasts about inflated prices. Through these coordinated actions, Pokémon fans actively resisted exploitative resale practices.

In Case You Missed It

“Kickstart your gaming week with Bruno Pferd’s urgent reminder, ‘You Have Just 48 Hours to Claim February’s Free Games from PlayStation Plus’ You Have Just 48 Hours to Claim February’s Free Games from PlayStation Plus. Published on March 1st, this article is a race against time, urging PS Plus subscribers to snatch up four fantastic games like ‘Ultros’ and ‘Subnautica: Below Zero’ before they’re gone forever on March 3rd. Meanwhile, Carlos Mendoza invites you to explore an intriguing possibility in his latest piece, “A New God of War Franchise with Faye as Protagonist? A Developer’s Mishap” A New God of War Franchise with Faye as Protagonist? A Developer’s Mishap. Published on the same day, Mendoza delves into recent announcements and leaks to discuss the potential of a new franchise set within Cory Barlog’s God of War universe, with Faye taking center stage. And while we’re talking about studios making waves in gaming, Marcus Thompson takes us through the rise and untimely end of Bluepoint Games in his insightful blog, “Bloodborne Remake: Sony and Bluepoint Wanted to Develop It, But FromSoftware Said No” Bloodborne Remake: Sony and Bluepoint Wanted to Develop It, But FromSoftware Said No. Published on February 28th, this blog is a must-read for anyone interested in the dynamics of game development today.”