3 min readThe first Pokémon Lego sets are now officially available for Pokémon Day. The first three sets include the original Kanto starters Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, as well as the brand’s mascot, Pikachu, and Eevee.A bunch of other great collectibles, video games, and toys just dropped for Poke-fans, too.
Today is one of the biggest unofficial holidays in recent memory: Pokémon Day. This isn’t your usual Pokémon Day, though: It coincides with the 30th anniversary of the global phenomenon.
The most anticipated drop of the year: the Pokémon x Lego collaboration, a monumental crossover event 30 years in the making. Lego opened up pre-orders for the first three sets of the mash-up last month, which included Pikachu, Eevee, and the fully evolved Kanto region starters, Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Preorders will finally ship out today, and while the coveted starter set sold out within a few hours of the drop, it looks like you have another chance of snagging it from select retailers.
The pricetag of what is essentially considered the crown jewel of the first launch (Lego is expected to release more Pokémon Lego sets throughout the year) might be a little steep for some. The 6838-piece set is listed for $650 on Lego’s site, but given the inherent collector’s value of the set—Pokémon cards can’t stay on the shelves, and this marks the first ever collaboration between the world’s most popular IP and the biggest toy company on the planet—the price point isn’t all that surprising. Plus, other highly sought-after Lego releases, like the equally iconic Star Wars Millennium Falcon, debuted at $500 way back in 2007. Adjusted for inflation, that’s between $780 and $800.
The sets are primarily designed for adult collectors, with all three recommended for those 18+. It’s clear Lego has one key demographic in mind: those who lived through the original Pokémania craze in 1998.
Fortunately, the sets come in three distinct price points for inclusivity. The brand’s mascot, Pikachu, is the brand’s mid-tier set, at least from a pricing standpoint, and is listed at $199.99. Perhaps ironically, the set also features a classic Poké Ball alongside Pikachu, which the fickle electric Pokémon notoriously detests in the anime.
Eevee, a fellow first-generation Pokémon with similarly enduring popularity (look no further than some of the secondary market for last year’s hard-to-find Eeevelution set, Prismatic Evolutions, for proof of that notion), represents a more budget-friendly option at $59.99.
There are a few other notable Pokémon Day releases, and the Pokémon Company is set to announce more highly-anticipated drops throughout the anniversary year. Nintendo is re-releasing the classic first-gen remakes, Fire Red and Leaf Green, in its e-store, marking the first time the games have been widely available since their 2004 debut. The brand also has a bunch of 30th anniversary merch available at its online store, Pokémon Center, with anniversary TCG sets expected to hit shelves within the next few months.
Pokemania 2.0 has lived up to its 30-year hype. During the initial wave of Lego pre-orders, the brand had to set up a virtual queue to avoid site crashes, which all but confirmed the demand among adult collectors and hobbyists. We’d suggest securing yours swiftly if you want to catch ’em all—or in this case, build ’em all.
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Tim Kohut is the Deals and Trends Editor for Popular Mechanics, Men’s Health, Best Products, and Runner’s World. He has extensive product review and gear coverage expertise, particularly in tech, home, auto, and health. Tim was previously the Deputy Commerce Editor of The Drive and a Commerce Editor at BGR. He’s also overseen gear coverage and strategy at Popular Science, Bob Vila, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream. He has a strong affinity for cats, Batman, and early 90’s Nicolas Cage films, in that order.