Video Game Merch That Costs More Than Your Car

Being a gamer can be expensive, but being a gaming paraphernalia collector can get downright ridiculous. Some people are willing to spend an absurd amount of money for rare or otherwise valuable merchandise simply for the pleasure of knowing that they are one of the few people in the world that own it. This is often done in the name of preservation, making undamaged products grow in value as they age. That's why the most expensive video games in the world today were all made before 1990. A bidder at Heritage Auctions spent $660,000 on an immaculately maintained copy of the original 1985 "Super Mario Bros" back in April, breaking the record for the most expensive single video game auction sale in history.

It isn't always about the age of the item that makes it expensive, however. Sometimes Luxury brands participate in video game collaborations in order to produce some truly outrageously priced collectibles. Seiko made a line of "Pokémon" watches that go for 49,500円 (just over $430 USD), Balenciaga made a line of PlayStation t-shirts and hoodies that ranged from $675-$875, and Luis Vuitton made a "League of Legends" jacket that costs $5,650. There's some merch out there that's even more expensive, though. Here are a few items that might cost more than your car.

This next item also came about as the result of an anniversary. Baccarat is a French crystal manufacturer that has been around since 1764. The company owns two museums and has since expanded into hotels, restaurants, private residences, commercial spaces, yachts, jets, and virtually everything else in the luxury market. They also sometimes partner with other brands in order to make commemorative crystal pieces designed by world-renowned artists.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of "Pokémon," Baccarat produced "a limited Pikachu Fragment created by Hiroshi Fujiwara, a Pikachu figurine, and a Poké Ball, for all fans across the globe." The website points out that this anniversary is significant because Pikachu, the mascot of the franchise, was the 25th Pokémon in the original Pokedex.

The Pikachu and Poké Ball figurines went for $440 and $410 respectively, but that's nothing compared to the $25,000 price tag that came with the Fujiwara Pikachu Fragment. Why is it so expensive? Well, Fujiwara is one of the most renowned fashion and fragment designers in the world, so naturally, his designs aren't cheap. Then there's the sheer size of it. Kotaku reported that the Pikachu Fragment comes in at 11.8 inches high, 5.7 inches wide, and consists of 18.3 pounds of solid crystal. And in keeping to the 25th-anniversary theme, only 25 of them were made.

Back in the late 1990s, "Pokémon" trading cards quickly became one of the most successful video game merchandising efforts ever attempted. They grew so sought after that they outpaced the popularity of the games they were based on for a while. Then, in 2020, they blew up again. Only now, the value of Gen 1 cards was significantly increased both by the increased demand and by the rarity of immaculately preserved cards that were now over 20 years old. This trend was exacerbated by figures like streamers Logic and Mizkif, as well as YouTuber Logan Paul, who have all had a public interest in collecting the cards.

Of course, Charizard was widely known as the rarest card from Gen 1, and getting one in perfect condition is challenging, as there are only a handful of them left in the world. PSA  offers one of the most respected grading services in the world. It ranks cards from 1-10 with a score of 10 being reserved for cards that have no evidence of any manufacturing or handling defects. Several Charizards which have been graded PSA 10 have been sold for over $100,000. In fact, the most expensive single Pokémon card sale to date was a PSA 10 Charizard that was sold at auction for $399,750.