LEGO has launched its first-ever Pokémon sets, and the resale market moved in almost immediately.
The collection went live this month, and preorders sold out within hours. The headline item is a $649.99 Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set, which quickly disappeared from LEGO’s US and UK stores before reappearing on resale platforms at double — and sometimes triple — the retail price. Even after restocks, the set has repeatedly sold out again.
With an 18+ age rating, the LEGO Pokémon line is clearly aimed at adults, leaning heavily on first-generation nostalgia. According to Jay Ong of Jay’s Brick Blog, it hits “the sweet spot” for fans who grew up with Pokémon and now have the spending power to indulge that nostalgia.
Resellers have focused not just on the main set, but also on the gift-with-purchase Kanto Region Badge Collection, a limited-run bonus available only for a few days. That free add-on is already reselling for $200+, driven by scarcity and collectors who don’t want to buy the full $650 set just to get it.
Former LEGO designer and creator Tiago Catarino said this is exactly the kind of product resellers look for: limited production, high emotional value, and two globally recognized brands colliding at once.
While reselling is often criticized within the LEGO community, it’s long been part of the ecosystem. Rare or discontinued sets routinely fetch high prices, and as LEGO becomes more mainstream, more speculators are stepping in — especially when Pokémon-level demand enters the picture.