Pokémon celebrates 30th anniversary with global merchandise surge

The Pokémon franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a massive wave of global product releases, triggering significant market activity across various sectors.

In the Trading Card Game (TCG) market, the simultaneous worldwide release of the 30th Anniversary set has caused widespread frenzy. While long lines and stock shortages have been reported in many regions, the high pull rates for rare cards—intended to make the collection more accessible—have led to a rapid decline in resale values for some items. However, specific anomalies like the 'Blood Mew' misprint, caused by a factory ink error, have become highly sought-after collector items. Some rare cards, such as the RGB Mew, have commanded prices exceeding $29,000.

Beyond cards, the anniversary includes major lifestyle collaborations. Adidas has launched an extensive collection featuring themed sneakers, tracksuits, and hoodies. In the food sector, the German dairy company Müller has released a limited-edition range of yogurt, milk, and rice puddings featuring iconic characters like Pikachu and Charmander.

Retailers are seeing extreme demand, with some stores reporting their longest queues ever. While the high availability of certain cards has frustrated professional resellers and scalpers, it has generally increased accessibility for casual fans and long-term collectors.