Pokemon fans taunt scalpers on auction site after news that sold out limited edition Pikachu plush is returning
Fans are posting fake troll listings and commenting on existing listings
Pokémon fans have been trolling scalpers after it was announced that a 30th anniversary Pokémon plush that sold out almost instantly will get more stock in the future.
As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, The Pokémon Company announced a special ‘Beginning Pikachu’ plush toy, which was set to go on sale in Japan on Sunday at 10am (Japan time).
The plush – which is based on Pikachu’s original sprite in Pokémon Red and Green – was released in the Pokémon Centre store in Japan on Sunday at a price of ¥3,300 ($21), as well as a smaller keychain version for ¥880 ($5.60).
Both products sold out extremely quickly, and started appearing on Japanese auction site Mercari, which prices going for up to ¥35,000 ($223) for the pair.
However, The Pokémon Company has now posted a message on the Pokémon Center site stating that both products would be returning on a pre-order basis, to ensure more people who want to buy one will be able to do so at the original retail price instead of an inflated scalper’s price.
As reported by Magmix, this has resulted in victorious trolling by some anti-scalping Pokémon fans, who have been creating fake listings on Mercari to taunt the existing ones.
A number of users have been listing the Beginning Pikachu plush at a price of ¥9,999,999 ($63,700), often accompanied by an image of the plush with text over it saying the item will soon be made-to-order, in an attempt to push scalper’s listings further down the search, and to catch the eye of would-be customers looking to buy from scalpers.
The publication reports that while some on social media are praising these taunts, others are complaining that the fake listings are ruining the site too because it’s against Mercari’s terms to list something you don’t intend to sell.
Other users have gone with an arguably less dramatic way to spread the word, by posting comments on each Mercari listing.
Unlike eBay, Mercari allows users to post comments on a listing page, to discuss the item in question. Some users, then, have been making their way through all the scalpers’ listings and posting comments telling users not to buy them because they’ll soon be available again for the retail price of ¥3,300.
There is currently no indication that the Beginning Pikachu plush will be sold in the West.
