Pokemon Worlds' Beefeater Pikachu Is Being Scalped For Ludicrous Money
Pokemon Worlds was a pretty big deal this year - arriving in London to love from fans all over the world. The tournament was a great signifier of the best thing about Pokemon - its communities coming together in battle to determine the absolute greatest trainer in the world.
Pokemon is little without its passionate fans, and it seems that The Pokemon Company knows it. But, fans seem to be a little too enthusiastic, as despite the company's best efforts, scalpers have infiltrated the well-meaning Pokemon Center.
How Much Is Beefeater Pikachu Being Sold For?
Click to enlargeThe pop-up Pokemon Center that was introduced as part of Pokemon Worlds had its very own digital queueing system in hopes that scalping and fan fervour was kept to a minimum. Still, it didn't stop people from ransacking the limited edition Beefeater Pikachus. And now, they're appearing all over eBay, at seriously hiked prices.
As reported by VGC, the Pikachu plushes had sold out within an hour on August 20, even though they were limited to only 1 item per person. It's like the McDonald's Happy Meal cards all over again, as some unscrupulous fans are reselling Pikachu for ludicrous sums.
The rest of the merchandise seems to be in good number, but as the Beefeater Pikachu was exclusive to the event, it's no surprise to see that they went so quickly. As they appear all over eBay, some listings are reaching £60 in spite of the Beefeater Pikachu's £17.99 retail price.
Fans Queued For 5 Hours To Buy Pokemon Merch
Even though the virtual queueing system was expected to help the intensity that the Pokemon Center brings, the system broke on the first day of Pokemon Worlds. According to VGC, many fans were waiting for up to five hours to get into the Pokemon Center to bag their own merch.
It's to be expected without a working system in place to let people in, but damn, if it isn't a signifier of the dedication of both fans and scalpers. This is sadly becoming the norm that anything to do with Pokemon is quickly sold out and then resold at a beefy markup. It's a shame that the plushes sold out so quickly - but we'd expect nothing less.
