How much do you love Pokémon star Pikachu? Enough to part with $367, perhaps? You now have the opportunity to prove that because German toymaker Steiff - famed for its hand-made teddy bears - has created what has to be the most expensive Pikachu toy in the world.
Priced at 45,000 Yen (US$367), pre-orders for this unique plush go live today on Amazon Japan and the Goodsmile Online Shop. The toy is expected to ship next February.
[source kotaku.com]
Comments 45
I've seen near identical Pikachu plush for 10 bucks. What's so special about this to make it so pricey?
@sketchturner that's what I'm curious about...
For $367 it better be an actual live Pikachu made through genetic manipulation. And then it would be considered a steal.
@sketchturner The company it's made by, the materials they're using... That's it's a collectible item, limited numbers... It is also ~somewhat~ posable.
Steiff Bears aren't cheap, anyway, so of course this wouldn't be cheap.
No thanks. I would never spent that much on a stuffed animal. Plus I could get a cool Pikachu through the Build A Bear workshop for like way less than that.
oh the things people pay money for.
Why would they hang their tag in the middle of his chest like that? It looks dreadful. And I'm pretty sure that the build-a-bear Pikachu is like $30 so I'll be going that route whenever he launches there.
@sketchturner
1. It's all handmade
2. It's all handmade in Germany, not in some third world country using child labour
3. Steiff is of really high quality
4. It's a limited Collector's item
5. ...by the company which made the very first teddy bear in history
@sketchturner @Haiassai It is so expensive because it is made by Steiff. They are not only a German company, all their plushies are produced in Germany as well, which is quite expensive. Apart from that, they only use high-quality materials, which also makes their toys very good for small children, as they are free of anything which might be toxic or harmful. A simple teddy bear costs quite a lot of money, so it isn't a real surprise that something like a Pikachu is so expensive.
@sketchturner
It's made ethically and not through slave labor.
complaints of price aside...it is very cute.
It is very cute.
I think Pikachu blew more than 367 bucks an food, as he's fatter than he used to be.
@SuperWiiU You mean he is back to normal:
It's cute. I'd pay $25 for one.
As much as I like my plushies, I'm not about to sink $367 on one (even if it is Steiff). All this has done is remind me that I still need to pick up Intern Pikachu.
Somewhere in china, a kid is wondering why the ones they labor over cost less than $15. I'm kidding, they're not kids…allegedly.
In any case I can imagine it meet the need of it's target audience. You know the ones who can eat at a "5 star" restaurant every week and not the ones who eats at Burger King every week (Like me). You pay for quality.
All these uninformed people in the comments. Steiff has the most high quality plushes in the world
Let's see... hand-made, crafted with carefully picked materials... and, on top of that, depicting a Pokémon? 367 bucks is surprisingly cheap considering the premises.
@TheAceofMystery
Don't you mean the most high quality Pikmin? I haven't forgotten last night's livechat!
@AlexSora89 STAHP. Im gonna have 10 seconds of fame, then everyone will forget about me
@scamander #5 is the kicker for me. Got it.
Wow. You could buy a 3DS XL and several Pokémon games for the same price. Also, stuffed animals are meant to be held and hugged and what not. For $360, I'd be afraid to touch this thing.
I'd never pay that for it, but I know the Steiff bears are extremely high quality and collectible. You can't even compare it to something sold in the Nintendo store.
I had to read the title a few times...
I thought it said:
You can now blow 367 German Pikachu!
$367?? They must be high on some of the craziest poop!t!doo in the world!
@Gold_Ranger thanks for making my day mate.
@Zoda_Fett
Welcome
Can it do what a pikachu dose in the game lighting come out of it tail an nd follows you around and you can control it.If not I will neverr buy I probably find it a yard sale for 5 dollars
Steiff is the Rolls-Royce of plushies. You gets what you pays for.
@TheAceofMystery I will never forget Pik Skywalker.
@AlexSora89 Explain to me what you're going on about? This is the second time you brought up Pikmin in a livechat that I've seen today.
I'd love to have an expensive Pikachu in my room, but you know what would be better? Having $367 worth of normal-priced Pika-plushies filling my room!
I'd love to have that, but could never justify spending that much on it
Huh, you can catch one quite easily in the Santalune or Viridian Forest for the price of a single Pokeball if you're good enough. I ain't got the money to spend on this, regardless of how good in quality they want me to think it is.
it's expensive because it's the best teddy bear brand in the world. hand made with good materials.
Uhhhhh I remember having a little steiff teddybear as a child. The quality is really awesome and touching them feels so good. But I also remember the unfriendly sales lady when i tried to touch all the plushies in their store.
That said I can't even justify buying a normal steiff toy, not to mention a collectors item.
If I had that much cash to spend on a teddy, I would definitely get this one!
It had better be able to shoot lightning bolts from its ass for that price. What makes it worth over 300 bucks? I can buy like 3 plush pikachus off eBay for 6 bucks a piece and free shipping right now if I desperately had to have one. I mean pikachu is everywhere! Hell I could buy more unique Pokemon for cheap if I were still into plushies.
@scamander
Still not worth that pricetag, plenty of people on etsy, deviantart and toy forums handmake beautiful custom plushies for a reasonable price.
@Tempestryke This is a Collector's item limited to 1000 units sold in Japan where merchandising is way more expensive. There are lots of way cheaper Steiff plushes available. That aside, Steiff didn't only invent the teddy bear, they still make the world best plushes. You can't compare their quality to what you can get on etsy or deviantart at all. My sister still has her Steiff cat which she got 30 years ago when she was baptised and it looks like new. I also doubt that most people on etsy know anything about the materials they use and whether or not their products contain any harmful substances or colouring.
Steiff is a 135 years old company which needs to pay people/ earn money and for which only the best materials are good enough. They are not a bunch of random dudes selling some self made stuff online as a hobby. If your standards for plushes are not as high, just buy something else. It's still good to have the option for people who care.
@scamander
I understand that to some degree, I'm merely saying, they are not the only artists in the toy world, I've seen customs toys that utterly astound and delight at how good they are. The model horse hobby for example, I know people who can take a toy horse, repaint it, break it apart and repose it or even sculpt one from the ground up and present that toy in such a way that it looks as if it could start moving around on its own, its that lifelike.
Just because something isnt old and prestigious, doesnt mean its not good and even steiff started small in the beginning.
As far as quality, I think that may have to do more with the throw away attitude, society and companies have these days. Things aren't built to last so they can keep pulling in money, its sad and annoying.
I still have a Littlefoot plush from my own childhood with surprisingly little wear and tear except around the throat that's been passed down.
I just don't see the point in spending outrageous sums for a toy you can find cheaper and still huggable elsewhere is all.
@Gold_Ranger
That's terrible! XD
Steiff make gorgeous stuff. Too rich for my tastes but lovely nevertheless.
While this is way too expensive, this plush is adorable.
Steiff have been making bears since 1880. The are considered the best in the business and their teddies are easily some of the most highly coveted collectables on the planet. Vintage Steiff bears often go at auction for thousands of pounds - and rare ones for tens of thousands! They each have the Steiff marque on their ear and with a bit of foresight this could be the smartest $360 any of you numpties whom baulk at the price could invest in a genuine collectable.
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