Pokémon games have different generations, and the franchise spans generations of fans—whether through Nintendo consoles, card collecting, or the various TV shows. That also means there is a massive market for Pokémon merchandise to Gible on if you are looking for gift ideas.
From Pokémon TCG products to custom clothing designed by fans, for fans, there is no shortage of incredible products out there if you know what you want or where to look. So, if you don’t just want to give one of the best Pokémon games as a gift, here are plenty of other ideas that cross most genres for the franchise.
Best Pokémon Gifts for Boys
MEGA Pokémon Charizard Figure Building Set
Charizard is a Pokémon fan’s best friend, or at least that is true if you ask The Pokémon Company. A MEGA model building set themed around the Fire Starter is a great gift, and there are other options for Charizard haters, such as Dragonite.
Pokémon Go Plus +
Pokémon Go is still thriving, and the Pokémon Go Plus + makes playing the game easier for anyone with it on their wrist. Use this accessory to help you catch Pokémon, spin PokéStops automatically, track your sleep, and more. It also works with Pokémon Sleep.
Pokémon Adventures Manga
If you have someone in your life who still likes Pokémon but complains that it doesn’t have enough media out there that takes itself seriously, try to get them hooked on Pokémon Adventures. This long-running manga series tells variations of the same stories from the Pokémon games but with some serious twists that can border on brutal. It currently has volumes available up through Sword and Shield available.
Best Pokémon Gifts for Girls
Sleeping Pokémon Figures
There is nothing cuter than a Pokémon like Eevee or Pikachu sprawled out, comfily sleeping on a cushion, and many sites offer a wide selection of affordable figures dozing off on beanbags or sitting up—take your pick.
MEGA Pokémon Eevee Evolution Figure Building Set
For anyone wanting a more activity-based Pokémon gift, you can’t go wrong with a set of nine buildable Eevee figures from the MEGA collection. For a more detailed alternative, there is a Jumbo Eevee-only model available.
Loungefly Pokémon Accessory Collection
Accessorizing with a Pokémon flair is easier than ever thanks to the officially licensed Loungefly collection. This includes an Eeveelutions Shoulder bag, Sleeping Pikachu and Friends wallet, and dozens of other options—mostly based on Gen I Pokémon.
Best Pokémon Gifts for Adults
Pokémon Center × Fossil watch collection
The Pokémon Center store hosts several unique collaborations with well-known brands, with the most appealing recent launches being a crossover with Fossil watches. You can find a design for each of the OG Kanto Starters—Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle—featured on the website, with unique colors, decals, and straps.
Embroidered Pokémon Hoodies
While not every adult still plays Pokémon, even lapsed fans will have a favorite Pokémon they have fond memories of using during their journeys. In addition to what’s on Amazon, several artists who run smaller clothing shops, like Anbustudios, offer specialty, embroidered options with unique Pokémon designs on them—such a powerful-looking Dragonite hoodie.
Pokémon Go Trainer Gear Level 50 Jacket
If you would prefer some official merch or have someone in your life who is avidly playing Pokémon Go, the Pokémon Center has a specialized jacket based on the in-game avatar item you get when hitting Trainer Level 50. Alternatively, you could also see what Pokémon hoodies Amazon has to offer.
Poké Ball by The Wand Company
Another partnership, The Wand Company has been releasing premium-quality replicas of various Poké Ball types from the games that look, feel, and even act like their digital counterparts thanks to the die-cast metal shell and touch/proximity-sensing illumination. You can grab dozens of designs, but you can never go wrong with the classic red-and-white Poké Ball on your office shelf.
Best Pokémon Plush Toys
Giant Poké Plush
Occasionally, the Pokémon Center will drop a surprise Giant Poké Plush, with options like Spheal, Slowpoke, Altaria, and Lucario having popped up in the past. Availability and sizes for these giant plushies vary, and they can be pricey, though there aren’t many better gifts for a big Pokémon fan. There are also plenty of Pokémon plush options available on Amazon.
Pokémon Sweet Support Plush
A line of plush toys where an evolved Pokémon comforts its pre-evolved—Baby Pokémon friend that is too cute to pass up. The Pichu and Pikachu options are by far the most popular, but there are three other variants, including one with Sudowoodo and Bonsly.
Pokémon Squishmallows Plush
Squishmallows are a popular brand of plush that has partnered with Pokémon multiple times. From Pikachu and Clefairy to Teddiursa and Piplup, you can find plenty of adorably “ultra-squeezable” options to fit your giftee’s taste.
Best Pokémon Trading Card Game product gifts
Pokémon TCG 151 Binder Collection
If you have someone, especially a younger person, who has shown interest in Pokémon cards, getting a Binder Collection product is a great way to start them out on their collecting journey. Pokémon 151 is a great set for new and old fans of the franchise, and the Binder Collection comes with four packs and a fairly well-made binder to hold cards for a solid price.
Pokémon TCG: Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box
If the 151 Binder Collection is an entry-level product for collectors, Paldean Fates is the perfect set to get more invested in. Picking up a Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box will net you a Mimikyu promo card, eight packs, and plenty of other goodies that will help players get deeper into the Pokémon TCG, like card sleeves, a full set of Energy Cards, and dice.
Pokémon World Championships Deck
If you don’t want to go the pack route and just need a good, sealed product usable to play the game, the Pokémon World Championships Decks exist. These are a selection of top-placing decks from any given year’s Pokémon World Championships bundled into collectibles you can open and use right away.
For 2023, your options include the likes of Vance Kelley: Mew’s Revenge and Gabriel Fernandez: Colorless Lugia.
Pokémon TCG Classic
The ultimate throwback to OG Pokémon TCG Base Set, the Pokémon TCG Classic is a premium product centered around three 60-card decks featuring the original Starters—Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. It includes high-quality deck boxes, card sleeves, counters, markers, and a fancy two-player game board with new cards like Suicune ex, Lugia ex, and Ho-Oh ex too.
Best Pokémon Gifts under $15
Pokémon Battle Academy Board Game
For anyone looking to get into the Pokémon TCG at the absolute lowest price point, the Pokémon Battle Academy box is the best bet. It offers three complete, 60-card decks based on fan-favorite Pokémon like Cinderace V, Pikachu V, or Eevee V with rules sheets, guides, and other goodies to help you easily learn the game for cheap.
Pokédex Nintendo Switch game holder
Everyone needs a place to store their games, so why not use a Pokédex? FUNLAB has a Nintendo Switch game case based on Ash Ketchum’s original Pokédex from the anime, which can hold up to 24 games in a compact, hard-shell design.
Custom Pokémon Card Holographic Stickers
It isn’t hard to find Pokémon cards or stickers online, but there are a few places you can go to combine the two options. If you want any Pokémon card of your choice turned into a sticker with a customizable holographic pattern GotMiltank has your back.
Best rare Pokémon Gifts
Old Pokémon Cards and Packs
Rare gifts is a general term, but if you want to inject some excitement into any Pokémon TCG fan’s life, getting them a pack or two of older Pokémon sets that are no longer in print is an effective—if costly—strategy.
You can try to look at places like Amazon, TCGplayer, or eBay for some good deals on individual Pokémon cards from these old sets. If you want sealed packs or entire Booster Boxes, not only will that cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars, but you will also need to do plenty of research into individual sellers or auction platforms.
Base Set is obviously the gold standard here, though you might have better luck going for something like X and Y Evolutions, which is still very expensive.
Pokémon KOTOBUKIYA ArtFX Figures
KOTOBUKIYA is known for crafting incredibly high-quality figures and has been partnered with Pokémon for years. You can find KOTOBUKIYA figures for most of the main protagonists from different Pokémon games out in the wild for order, up through Scarlet and Violet. Some, like Red and Blue, are harder to find now, but others, such as Rosa and Brendan are readily available.
Classic Pokémon Game Guidebooks
Much like with old cards, if you want to get something nostalgic and fun for fans of older Pokémon games, you can try to find some classic guidebooks. Plenty of these guides aren’t even that expensive, depending on what condition you want to find them in—or how old the game in question is.
For games post Diamond and Pearl you can usually find guides of various types on Amazon and other online booksellers. Anything from the GameBoy era, such as Gold and Silver, will likely only be seen on eBay and secondhand shops for a much higher price.
How did we come up with this list of Pokémon Gifts?
Because I am a huge Pokémon fan, I spend way too much time looking at official and fan-made merchandise—much to the chagrin of my wallet. As a result, this list of top Pokémon gifts was put together by digging around my usual go-to spots like Etsy and the official Pokémon Center and dipping into the murky waters of Amazon’s Pokémon offerings.
My priority when compiling this list was ensuring every product chosen had good reviews, was sold by an official or reputable marketplace and could appeal to multiple demographics, regardless of the category it is listed under. In my opinion, every product in our best Pokémon product guide is at least worth a look for Pokémon fans looking for gift options.
FAQs about Pokémon Gifts
Where is the best place to buy Pokémon gifts?
When looking for great Pokémon gifts, my recommendation is official marketplaces like the Pokémon Center or Pokémon’s official Amazon shop. These only list products that are licensed by The Pokémon Company.
Etsy is an excellent place to browse if you want a wider selection of unofficial products where you can easily check reviews and quality. I have found some of my favorite items while browsing Pokémon tags on Etsy. But I don’t recommend spending too much time on eBay or other reselling websites unless you know what you are looking for.
What do you get someone who collects Pokémon cards?
If someone is heavily invested in collecting Pokémon TCG products, either to use them in decks or to put in a binder, you have a few options for what to get them as a gift.
If you aren’t sure what they are collecting or if they have a specific deck they are trying to build, you can opt for an Elite Trainer Box for a recent set to ensure they get a nice handful of packs and other goodies. You can also try to buy individual singles or cards that have already been pulled, for cards they are interested in or that feature their favorite Pokémon—my friends have given me plenty of Golurk cards as gifts in the past.
If you want to purchase singles, your best bet is TCGplayer since you can browse hundreds of cards and sellers quickly with multiple different filters available to weed out options you aren’t interested in.
What are the best Pokémon cards to buy as a gift?
Depending on the age and interest level of the person you are trying to gift Pokémon cards to, there are a few different products you can go for.
Demographic | Product Recommendation |
New/Young | Booster packs, Starter Decks, or something to help them learn the game, like the Battle Academy Board Game. |
Active/Teen | Booster bundles, Tins, Battle Decks, or larger products, like Elite Trainer Boxes, which are more advanced and feature more cards. |
Invested/Adult | Booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes, Premium Collections, and even individual cards, which they are looking to add to their collection. |
Published: Apr 15, 2024 02:38 pm