There is no shortage of fantastic Pokemon merchandise to collect, including all the incredible number of cards in the Pokemon TCG. In continuing our celebration of Pokemon’s 30th anniversary, we asked the IGN staff to share the rarest and coolest Pokemon merch and favorite Pokemon cards in their collections.
Miranda Sanchez – Executive Editor, Guides
My old desk at IGN’s San Francisco office was known as “Pikachu Mountain.” While most of my collection is of Pikachu plush and figures, I also enjoy special soft items of other Pokemon. My small collection of Pokemon washi tape and my Pikachu Pilot fountain pens are some of my secret favorites. While I’ve slowed down on collecting in recent years due to rising import costs and limited storage, I’ve made some exceptions for especially neat Pokemon merch. It’s also been easier to get holiday and other plush from the official Pokemon Center US website as they’ve prioritized bringing more specialty plush lines. Aside from what’s new, I’ve ammassed quite a few odd items that, while not entirely rare, remain as prized items in my collection.
Mike Mamon – Syndication & Digital Specialist
I realized I don’t have much space for collecting anymore, so I’ve been very selective in what speaks to me the most. For Pokemon, the Blue Version is what started my whole fandom adventure. Blastoise is one of my favorites from the early days so I tend to gravitate towards them.
Amir Rakib – Technical Producer
I collected pokemon cards and figurines as a kid following my obsession with the TV show and Yellow Version for GBC. Chasing the elusive Mew and wanting Pikachu to follow me around defined my collecting interests. I would visit hobby and card stores after school, trade with friends, and make my parents stand in long lines with me for promos. After a few big moves, I was heartbroken to realize much of what I’ve collected as a kid up had been lost or sold. A few years ago, my mom was going through some old boxes and discovered some of my collectors items, including my original card binder! It reignited my interest in collecting as an adult. Despite all the figurines and miniatures littering my desk at IGN and at home, my passion remains in collecting mainly Pikachu and Mew cards and chasing some elusive White Whales (Lookin’ at you Pikachu in the Grey Felt Hat).
Kevin Cappiello – Sr. Producer, Branded Content
My desk at the IGN office is covered with 90’s action figures, obscure trading cards, and retro video game memorabilia. Here are some items you might find on there:
Mark Medina – Video Manager, Guides
Collecting Pokémon cards was my absolute jam when I was younger. I started a paper route at age twelve, and looking back, I can’t remember spending my earnings on anything else.
As soon as we got paid, a friend and I would head straight to 7-Eleven to buy every pack we could afford—the purple packs were always my favorite. This was 1999–2000, so the cards were easy to find; the modern-day frenzy didn’t exist yet.
Today, the hobby seems to be all about hunting rare pulls for resale or unboxing them for YouTube views. Back then, we collected purely for the love of the game. I actually still have my original binder with all of the first 151!
Nick Maillet – Producer
I’ve been a fan of Pokemon ever since I first discovered it way back in Gen 1. Outside of those first sets from the TCG, I mostly try to collect some of the more obscure but cool stuff from those early days of Pokemon.
Max Scoville – Senior Writer, Host & Producer
I was crazy about Pokémon during Gen 1, and had my share of merch and collectibles. My fandom lapsed into a more casual appreciation since then (though I did get obsessed with Pokémon Black & White, because Garbodor is awesome.) Around five years ago, I had a kid, so wild Pokémon collectibles have been appearing in my house a lot more frequently these days.
Bo Moore – Senior Manager, Tech
Way back in the year 1999, I was heavily into everything Pokemon, including the TCG. I was more of a player than a collector – I played competitively in both weekly events at my local card shop, as well as in larger regional tournaments. I was good, too, at one point ranking in the top 10 in my state. (Admittedly, the scene was so small and new that it wasn’t hard to rank if you played regularly and actually knew what you were doing.) All that said, I wasn’t immune to the collecting side of the hobby, and put together a nearly complete collection of the original Base Set, which thankfully surivived the years in a binder at my mom’s house. Most importantly, for Christmas that year I asked for a First Edition Charizard. It was the “Holy Grail” of Pokemon cards, even back then, and I somehow convinced my parents to buy one off of eBay for around $100. I grew up hearing stories about rare baseball cards being worth thousands of dollars, and figured the same could happen for Pokemon. It lived in a drawer for many years, during which I’d occasionally check in and see that yes, it had gone up in value, but was only ever worth a few hundred bucks. Well, the Covid-era boom certainly changed that, and my 12-year-old self was finally proven right.
Jacob Kienlen – Senior Audience Dev Strategist
I’ve been into Pokémon since I first started playing it on my Game Boy. It was one of the first things I was actually a fan of, and I watched every episode and collected as many trading cards as I could afford as a kid. Now as an adult I’ve played almost every Pokémon video game, but I have very little to show off after all these years and have given away almost all of my trading cards and game cartridges. The only actual merch I own is the new LEGO Eevee set that was just released in 2026. It has become one of my favorite things since I first built it and I felt the need to share it as a reminder that it’s never too late to start collecting something you love.
Alan Knight – Supervising Producer & Host, Branded Content
I started playing Pokémon on my Game Boy Advance, so naturally Rayquaza is my favorite legendary of all time.
Marhyan Franzen – Supervising Technical Producer
This is my one and only Pokemon Card, its a promotional card from the Burger King promotion for the movie in 1999. It was gifted to me (in 4thgrade) because I reminded them of Jigglypuff. I have since grown up to be Psyduck, so I have a little waddling Psyduck that sits on my desk at work.
Samuel Claiborn – Senior Manager, Content
I collect one-off or unique items that weren’t consumer goods or were so limited that they may as well not have been consumer goods. I make an exception for condition — sealed copies of games from decades ago are as rare as the press kits, autographs, and other one-of-a-kind things I seek out.
Casey DeFreitas – Deputy Editor, Guides
I’ve been casually collecting Pokemon anything, really, since stuff first became available. Though my parents insisted I give away the majority my Burger King Pokemon toy collection, I still have a lot from my childhood, including Pokemon cards all the way back from the base set. I never stopped collecting the cards, and have picked up packs as a “little treat” throughout my life, so I have a pretty cool collection. I’ve visited Pokemon Centers every time I’ve been to Japan, have brought home way too much stuff from the Pokemon World Championships since 2016, have a few pieces from BlackMilk’s Pokemon collab—I could go on. I could populate a Pokemon-exclusive seller’s booth at a con. Honestly I need to stop buying Pokemon stuff because of FOMO—good Pokemon merch isn’t so rare to find anymore!
Looking for more fun features celebrating Pokemon’s anniversary? Check out our list of The 30 Best Pokemon of All Time and our showcase of the 18 Pokemon You Probably Forgot Exist. If you’ve got a cherished Pokemon card or merch, be sure to tell us below in the comments!
Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Unlocked. She’s a big fan of stationery reading, and bouncing between forever games like Pokopia and Dota 2. You can sometimes find her on Bluesky.
