Skip to content
FRFrançaisGet the newsletter
Pocket Monsters

Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)

Also known as: ポケットモンスター, ポケモン

Before conquering the world as Pokémon, the Pocket Monsters Red and Green games came out in Japan on 27 February 1996. Toys from those early years are the most touching, and the most sought after. No trading cards here: only toys.

In Japan right now

Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999) listings spotted this morning by the radar, not checked by hand. Photos by the sellers.

At a glance

Original games
Pocket Monsters Red and Green, 27 February 1996
Monster Collection figures
Tomy, since January 1997
Pokémon Kids
Bandai, since 1996
Period covered
1996 to 1999, the first 151 Pokémon

Their story

The Pocket Monsters Red and Green games came out on Game Boy in Japan on 27 February 1996. Success was lightning fast, and the toys followed right away: Bandai’s Pokémon Kids, little vinyl figures sold with sweets, then Tomy’s Monster Collection from January 1997, plush toys and stationery.

The franchise only reached America and Europe in 1998 and 1999, under the name Pokémon.

Why we fall for the early items

They were made for the Japanese market alone, before the worldwide wave, often in small runs. Promotional items, never sold in shops, are the most coveted.

No trading cards at Fleaven

The Pokémon card market is dominated by speculation and fakes. I prefer to stick to toys and everyday objects, the ones you hold in your hands.

Tips for dating an item

  1. The printed yearThe copyright line carries a year (1995, 1996, 1997…): a first clue, to be confirmed by everything else.
  2. The Tomy brandBefore the 2006 merger that created Takara Tomy, figures and plush toys simply say "TOMY".
  3. Early Monster CollectionSmaller figures, sculpted more simply than recent series, sold as "モンコレ" (Moncolle).
  4. "AG" codes and laterAG references and later ones belong to the 2000s generations: outside the period covered.
  5. Items never sold in shopsMarked "非売品": shop gifts, arcade or competition prizes. Often the rarest.

Things to collect

  • Monster Collection figures (Tomy)
  • Soft vinyl Pokémon Kids (Bandai)
  • Plush toys (Tomy, Banpresto)
  • Stationery, stickers and stamps
  • "非売品" promotional items

Price guide

The price guide grows with every find: it will appear here once I have enough comparable listings.

Current finds

  • Cover of a “Pocket Monsters PUNCH KICK” notebook with Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee on a yellow and blue background.

    Pocket Monsters · 1997

    Pocket Monsters, Banpresto “Punch Kick” notebook, never sold in shops (1997)

    In 1997 you could not buy this notebook: you won it from Banpresto prize machines in arcades. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee face off on the cover, “Punch” against “Kick”. It has never been used, although the inside has faded a little over time. A simple souvenir of the first Pokémon wave, at a very small price.

    Toy line
    Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
    Condition
    Never used, inside slightly faded, complete
    Listing price
    ¥3,000 · about €17
  • Small green Pokémon Kids box, still sealed, photographed by the seller.

    Pocket Monsters · 1997

    Pocket Monsters, Pokémon Kids Geodude figure, never opened (1997)

    Pokémon Kids are the small soft vinyl figures Bandai sold with a card in the sweets aisle. This one dates from 1997, the very first series, and its box has never been opened: inside is number 59, Geodude, and a surprise card. The first boxes are getting hard to find still sealed. A small price for an untouched piece of 1997.

    Toy line
    Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
    Condition
    Never opened, complete
    Listing price
    ¥4,888 · about €27
  • Red “ポケモン図鑑” box showing a Pokédex and Pokémon, still in its film.

    Pocket Monsters · 1997

    Pocket Monsters, Bandai Pokédex from 1997, never opened

    Ash's Pokédex, as a toy! Bandai released it in 1997, and this one is still in its plastic film. Note that it is a toy sold with a sweet, like many Bandai products of the time: the candy inside is of course long expired, so do not eat it. The seller mentions two small holes in the film and a scratch on the back of the box. A lovely piece for a Pokémon display.

    Toy line
    Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
    Condition
    Never opened, two small holes in the film, complete
    Listing price
    ¥15,000 · about €83
  • Twenty small Pokémon-shaped stamps, still in their capsules, photographed by the seller.

    Pocket Monsters · 1997

    Pokémon, 20 Banpresto figure stamps (1997)

    Twenty stamps, all different, each topped with a tiny figure. In 1997 you could not buy them: you won them in arcades, from Banpresto's prize machines. These have never been used and are still sleeping in their capsules. A complete set in this condition is a really lovely find. Before you fall for it, check in the photos that no ink has leaked inside the capsules.

    Toy line
    Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
    Condition
    New, in their capsules, complete
    Listing price
    ¥11,111 · about €62

Guide updated on 26 September 2026.