Pokémon's Coolest 30th Anniversary Merch Costs $13,000

Pokémon’s Coolest 30th Anniversary Merch Costs ,000

Pokémon reached its 30th Anniversary on February 27. That’s a huge milestone for any franchise to hit, and the year is already full of different collaborations with various companies alongside official merchandise releasing on Pokémon Center. There’s a lot of great stuff out there, but the coolest is a limited-edition item that costs around $13,000.

No, it’s not a rare Pokémon card, although that Pikachu Illustrator card did close for a record $16 million. Instead, it’s an item that hasn’t even released yet, but it does have a 2026 window, meaning it’ll launch in time to coincide with Pokémon‘s 30th Anniversary this year.

This Limited-Edition Pokémon Pinball Machine Costs $13K

The popular pinball company Stern is releasing a Pokémon Pinball machine later this year. There are a few variants available, but all of them are going to cost you. The Pro model is $6,999, making it the least expensive. The Premium model is $9,699, and the Limited Edition, which will probably be the most sought-after, is $12,999.

There are only 750 models of the Limited Edition being made, which explains the price. And while the pinball machine looks amazing, most of us won’t be able to afford one. If you have a local pinball bar or gaming venue, then maybe they’ll get one, so you can check it out. If you do have the cash, then you’ll be competing against various pinball collectors and Pokémon fans for this limited-edition item.

Pokémon Is Celebrating Its 30th Anniversary In Style

The Pokemon Company

I’m absolutely in love with this pinball machine, and only slightly devastated that it costs so much. Pokémon Pinball was one of my favorite Game Boy Color games, probably getting more playtime than any GBC game other than Pokémon Yellow, so it would’ve been cool to get one of these physical machines.

Classic Pokémon like Pikachu and Meowth are featured in Stern’s pinball machine, and the giant Poké Ball looks great too. The plunger is a Master Ball, and the cabinet and backbox feature icons like Eevee and the Gen 1 Starters. There are also animations showing you catch Pokémon, which is sure to fill any fan with plenty of nostalgia (and dopamine).

It’s a really amazing pinball machine, and arguably the coolest piece of merch Pokémon is releasing this year. It’s too bad each model is so expensive, but those are pretty standard prices for pinball machines, so if you are willing to shell out that kind of money, Pokémon is a worthy IP. The franchise has really celebrated its 30th in style this year, but Stern’s pinball machine takes the cake in terms of cool collabs.