By Pokemon Professor A
When birthdays and holidays come around, what do you get for Pokemon gamers who have all the Pokemon video games and more cards than they can carry? Just like Hello Kitty or Tokidoki, there are all kinds of Pokemon branded accessories to make your Poke-fanatic’s special occasion dreams come true.
Organized Accessories
Imagine for a moment that you have a mountain of trading cards. Can you even fathom trying to keep it all organized? Hardcore card game players love Monster binders to keep their trades and collections looking good while remaining accessible. If you’re worried they already have binders to stay organized, decorative stickers are perfect for embellishing plain binders or anything else. Another alternative is getting a cute Japanese mini-binder that only holds a little more than 100 cards. These are great for new players with small collections or experienced veterans who need a safe place to keep their most prized cards.
Good Luck Charms
Giving a gamer good luck can be the most appreciated gift ever. Plushies and figurines are some of the most popular and sought after charms. Everyday luck can be gifted through a cellphone charm or keychain. For something extra stylish, try to find items that glow in the dark or light up. Some charms may even have little bells on them. Every year there are exclusive items from the World Championships and they make great gifts for anyone who wasn’t able to attend. Be on the look out for these and other special edition items from events in Japan.
Beware the Pikachu
When buying a plush, figure or any gift it’s best to know their favorite Pokemon. A savvy shopper wouldn’t just pick up the first thing they see with Pikachu on it. Not everyone is a fan of the iconic electric mouse. Variety is the spice of life in this game with 650 pocket monsters and counting. If you can, try to find out the gift recipient’s favorite Pokemon. Look at the photos they may have bookmarked or posted on Facebook. If all else fails, a good rule of thumb is that fans can typically be broken down in to those who like cute characters and others who prefer cool looking creatures. Those who go for the cuddly probably are Pikachu fans, but will appreciate anything with big eyes, puffy cheeks, a sweet smile or a fluffy tail. For folks who don’t dig the cute or cuddly monsters probably like Charizard. According to a poll conducted by IGN in 2011, Charizard was voted the most popular Pokemon of all time. In the Top 100 Pokemon voting results, the other nine monsters to make the top 10 include: Mewtwo, Blastoise, Lugia, Dragonite, Mew, Rayquaza, Zapdos, Tyranitar and Zekrom. Any gift item with these characters on it is likely to go over well.
Estimate by Color
If you’re stuck in a pinch and are trying to guess what monster makes them happiest it helps if you know their favorite color. People who like red may be attracted to Fire-types like Reshiram or Cyndaquil. People who like blue find it hard to resist Water-types like Oshawott or Vaporeon. People who like black gravitate toward Dark-types like Zoroa or Darkrai. People who like purple tend to go for Psychic types, such as Litwick or Gengar. Green lovers are probably fans of Shaymin or Celebi and so on.