The hardest-to-find plush in TOMY’s Pokémon 20th collection

TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection turned 2016 into a year-long hunt for collectors. Rather than placing every product on shelves at once, the range unfolded through monthly releases, retailer-specific availability and a rotating cast of Mythical Pokémon plush. That schedule gave the collection a sense of occasion, but it also made some figures much harder to locate than others.

The standout scarcity story centres on Mew and Celebi. Both were highly desirable characters, both appeared early in the anniversary programme, and both could disappear quickly from shops. For Australian fans, the search was shaped by long distances between major retailers, uneven stock across states and the extra cost of importing from overseas.

Why Mew and Celebi became the key targets

Mew had an obvious advantage in the demand stakes. It was the original Mythical Pokémon and one of the most recognisable characters from the first generation. A soft Mew plush appealed to children, anniversary collectors and adult fans who remembered the character from the late 1990s. That broad audience gave retailers little trouble selling through their initial allocation.

Celebi was similarly attractive, although for a different reason. Its time-travelling story, green design and second-generation status made it a favourite among fans who wanted something beyond the original Kanto cast. A collector searching for a complete set could not simply substitute another character when Celebi was unavailable.

The Mew and Celebi shortage is best understood as a combination of demand and timing rather than a single production problem. Once early stock had gone, later shipments were difficult to predict, and collectors often encountered empty pegs instead of a reliable replenishment date.

The release calendar changed the collecting experience

The anniversary range worked as a rolling programme. New Mythical Pokémon were promoted at different points across 2016, encouraging fans to check stores repeatedly rather than make one large purchase. That approach suited the anniversary theme, yet it created an uneven aftermarket almost immediately.

A later release could be easier to find simply because a collector had planned for it. Mew and Celebi caught people at the beginning of the campaign, when many shoppers were still learning how the monthly schedule worked. Some fans bought the first plush they saw, then discovered that the earlier figures had already become scarce by the time they tried to complete the series.

In Australia, this pattern was especially noticeable. A collector in Sydney or Melbourne might have several nearby shopping centres to check, while someone in regional Queensland, Western Australia or Tasmania could face a much smaller local selection. A trip to a larger centre, a call to a department store or an order from an Australian online retailer could determine whether the search was successful.

How the hardest-to-find figures compared

Scarcity was not identical for every Mythical Pokémon plush. Popularity mattered, but so did release month, shipment size, retailer participation and whether a shop displayed the range prominently. The following comparison reflects the practical collecting experience around the anniversary range rather than a formal production ranking.

Plush Collector appeal Typical availability issue What made it memorable
Mew Iconic first-generation Mythical Pokémon Strong early demand and rapid sell-through The figure many fans wanted first
Celebi Beloved second-generation character Limited restocking and uneven store supply A frequent gap in near-complete sets
Jirachi Distinctive design and wish-granting theme Depended heavily on local stock Popular with younger and long-time fans
Darkrai Darker character design and film history Less consistent visibility in some shops Sought by collectors building a full set
Shaymin Cute appearance and broad appeal Availability varied by retailer Often purchased as part of a later wave
Arceus Major legendary status Larger character appeal but not always easy to spot A substantial centrepiece for a display

The table also shows why “rare” can be an imprecise word in toy collecting. A product may have been officially released in reasonable numbers while remaining difficult to buy in a particular city. In Australia, that local distinction mattered: a Melbourne collector might find stock that was unavailable in Adelaide, Perth or a nearby regional town.

Retail exclusivity made the hunt more complicated

Retailer exclusivity added another layer to the search. Some Pokémon anniversary products were associated with particular shops or distribution channels, so checking only one chain was rarely enough. A collector might browse Toys “R” Us, Target, Big W or a specialist hobby retailer and still miss the item if that shop was not carrying the relevant release.

This was before many collectors relied on instant stock alerts and community spreadsheets. People used phone calls, forum posts and word of mouth to track plush sightings. In Australia, local Facebook groups and collector communities became useful for identifying which Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne stores had received stock. Shipping between states could also be expensive once postage and GST were added to an imported purchase.

The timing of a shop visit mattered as well. Shopping-centre stock could vanish during school holidays, weekends or a promotional event. A collector who saw Mew in a display one afternoon might return the following day to find only empty hooks. That unpredictability helped turn an ordinary plush into a sought-after anniversary keepsake.

Displaying the collection made the missing pieces obvious

The collection was designed to be seen as a group, not merely stored as individual plush toys. Bright colours, recognisable silhouettes and the range’s official anniversary branding encouraged fans to line up several Mythical Pokémon together. Once displayed, any missing character became immediately noticeable.

TOMY’s official presentation materials reinforced that idea. The official display stand gave collectors a clearer sense of how the plush range could be arranged, with the display acting as a visual guide to the anniversary programme. For fans, presentation was part of the appeal: the toys represented a curated celebration of Pokémon history rather than a random assortment.

That is why Mew and Celebi often feel like the most difficult figures to find, even when other releases had their own regional shortages. They occupied important places in the collection’s story and were frequently the characters people wanted to acquire first. Missing one of them left a conspicuous hole in a shelf, cabinet or dedicated Pokémon display.

What collectors should look for in an original example

Collectors assessing a 2016 TOMY plush usually begin with the character, size and overall condition, then check the original tags and licensing details. Authentic examples should show appropriate TOMY branding and Pokémon or Nintendo licensing information, although tags can be removed, folded or damaged over time.

Useful signs when comparing listings include:

Condition has a strong effect on desirability. A plush kept in a smoke-free cabinet will usually attract more interest than one that has been heavily handled, but small differences are normal for a toy range sold to children. Australian buyers should also check postage costs and whether an overseas listing includes import charges before comparing prices.

The safest way to judge value is to compare several completed sales rather than accept the highest asking price. Mew and Celebi can command a premium because collectors recognise their scarcity, yet a high listing price does not prove that a sale occurred at that amount. Tags, fabric condition, provenance and trustworthy photographs all help separate a genuine anniversary plush from a vague second-hand listing.

The most difficult plush to find was therefore less about an official rarity label and more about the collision of character popularity, release timing and distribution. Mew usually stands as the clearest answer, with Celebi close behind. Together, they capture what made TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection memorable: a carefully staged celebration that turned a simple retail purchase into a year-long collector hunt.