How big a Pokémon superfan is my 10-year-old daughter? For starters, we spent Memorial Day on a trip to Chicago so we could go to the opening weekend of the Pokémon Fossil Museum and check out fossils of Archeops, Tyrantrum, Bastiodon, and Aurorus.
That’s not to humblebrag, but to say trust me when I—a Good Housekeeping parenting editor who often covers toys—know what I’m talking about when I’m talking Pokémon merch. (Did I mention I have the limited-edition Excavator Pikachu plush? Okay, that’s a not-so-humble humblebrag.) And for those with Pokéfans at home looking to stock up on some future gifts during Amazon Prime Day, I have some advice.
SHOP THE BEST DEALS FOR PRIME DAY RIGHT HERE
Let’s start with what not to buy: Amazon Prime Day is not the place to find a deal on the trading cards. In fact, I would be wary of buying any trading cards off Amazon unless you’re getting a gift set, like an Elite Trainer Box straight from the official Pokémon page. There are a lot of random third-party sellers selling bundles of cards on Amazon, but you’re never really sure what you’re going to get with those.
What I would buy this Prime Day: Pokémon gifts, apparel, card accessories, and toys (minus plush, which doesn’t seem to be on sale much). The physical copy of the newest Nintendo game is a deal today, too, which isn’t something I see often. Here are some deals I think are worth a look.
Of these, my absolute favorite is the Pokémon Labyrinth. My family plays this all the time. We take my daughter’s Battle Figures and use them instead of the tokens that came with the game. Another reason it’s a family favorite is that you don’t actually have to know anything about Pokémon to play, which means my husband can play on equal footing with my daughter.
Beyond these selections, for collectors looking for card accessories, Ultra Pro has many different styles of binders (and also card top-loaders) on sale. Bioworld has more styles of backpacks, and Silver Buffalo is a good stop for those looking for notebooks, water tumblers, or mugs. But the deals seem to be running out, so if you see something you like, act quickly.
As for me, I’m thinking of this Sylveon and Espeon sweatshirt, because I know I have more Pokémon events in my future, and I’m going to need something to keep me warm when the sun goes down on Pokémon GO Fest.
