Tracking Down the 2016 TOMY Pokémon Plush Regional Exclusives

The TOMY 20th Anniversary Collection arrived in 2016 with a bang, treating Pokémon fans to a year-long parade of monthly drops. While the standard line-up featured beloved creatures like Bulbasaur and Charmander, a handful of mythical and fan-favourite figures remained locked behind retailer exclusivity programmes. For Aussie collectors, securing those Toys R Us and Target exclusives meant navigating international shipments, juggling currencies, and racing against very public sell-out dates. The chase was part of the fun, but knowing which plush went where is essential for anyone still hunting these gems.

Back then, the Pokémon community Down Under was buzzing about the monthly releases, with collectors trading intel on Facebook groups and the old Oz Cardboard forums. Toys R Us had a strong Australian footprint in 2016, with flagship stores in Melbourne's Chadstone and Sydney's George Street keeping shelves stocked, while Target Australia ran its own dedicated toy aisles in suburban centres. The exclusives were never advertised with the same fanfare as they were in the US, so most locals only learned about them through cross-pollinated news from American and British collector blogs.

What Toys R Us Had Locked Away

The Toys R Us exclusive plush in the 2016 TOMY collection was the coveted Mew figure, released in mid-summer as part of the seventh wave. Mew was distributed through Toys R Us stores across North America, the UK, and a handful of other markets, with the toy giant positioning it as a "hidden" mythical for completionists who had already grabbed Celebi earlier in the year. The plush itself came in the same 20 cm format as the standard releases, but with a subtle metallic sheen on its tail and a Toys R Us-exclusive hang tag featuring the anniversary logo.

For Australian collectors, finding Mew meant either convincing a mate overseas to ship one over, or paying a premium through local reselling groups on Gumtree and the Pokémon Australia Facebook page. Postage from the US or UK often ran upwards of AUD $25 for a single plush, and Australia Post's tracked parcel service added another few dollars. Once the Mew plush sold out at retail, secondary prices on local forums crept toward the AUD $80-$100 mark, which was a serious outlay for a stuffed toy.

The Celebi plush, released a touch earlier, was similarly tied to Toys R Us in some markets, though distribution varied by region. Australian Toys R Us stores did receive a small allocation of Celebi in 2016, though stock was patchy and the Chadstone and Brisbane locations were considered the safest bets. Collectors who missed out locally often turned to specialty importers, who charged around AUD $15-$20 per plush on top of retail to bring them across the Pacific.

Target's Quietly Curated Selection

Target ran its own exclusive line within the 2016 TOMY collection, and the standout was a special edition Eevee plush with an embossed Poké Ball pattern on its paws. Target's exclusive program in the US featured this Eevee alongside a couple of other pocket monsters, but the Eevee is the one that really caught the collector community's attention thanks to its unique colourway. Unlike the standard tan Eevee in the mainline set, this version sported a slightly more muted cream tone that made it instantly distinguishable on a shelf.

In Australia, Target's exclusive plush offerings were a bit of a mixed bag. Target Australia did participate in the 20th Anniversary program, but its exclusive SKUs were thinner than those offered by its American parent company. Many Aussie collectors who wanted the Target-exclusive Eevee ended up sourcing it from US-based eBay sellers, which meant factoring in international shipping, customs duties, and the ever-present risk of a soft package getting bashed around in transit. The grey import market flourished for a year or two after the collection ended, with prices for a mint condition Target Eevee settling around AUD $60-$90.

The Pikachu variants, including a Target-exclusive version with a different coloured cheek patch, were another piece of the puzzle. While Pikachu was everywhere in the mainline set, the Target variant had a slightly larger head and a special tail tip that made it a sleeper hit among completionists who wanted every version of the franchise mascot. These pieces rarely surface in Australian online auctions, so when they do, prices tend to spike quickly.

Why TOMY Chose to Region-Lock Certain Plush

Retailer exclusivity isn't a new idea in the toy industry, and TOMY leaned into it heavily for the 20th Anniversary Collection to maximise shelf presence across multiple big-box partners. By splitting mythical Pokémon like Mew and Celebi between Toys R Us and other retailers, TOMY ensured that fans had to visit multiple outlets to complete the set, which drove foot traffic and generated buzz across competing retail channels. It also gave each partner something unique to advertise, which was important in a year when Pokémon was getting massive mainstream attention thanks to Pokémon's mobile app boom.

For collectors, region-locking creates both opportunity and frustration. The opportunity lies in the thrill of the chase and the secondary market value these exclusives carry. The frustration comes from logistical headaches, especially for collectors in markets like Australia where neither Toys R Us nor Target ran full exclusive campaigns at the same scale as the US. Many Aussie fans ended up with mixed collections sourced from multiple countries, which is part of the charm for some but a sticking point for purists who prefer a region-pure set.

There's also the licensing reality to consider. The Pokémon Company and Nintendo maintain tight control over regional distribution, which is why certain exclusives simply never appeared in Australian big-box stores. Australian distribution agreements at the time favoured different SKUs, leaving hardcore fans to fend for themselves through import channels.

Hunting These Plush From Australian Shores

Snagging a Toys R Us or Target exclusive from Australia in 2016 required planning, patience, and a fair bit of luck. The most reliable method was to coordinate with overseas friends or family, particularly those in the US or UK, who could purchase the plush at retail and post it down under. Many collectors organised bulk shipping runs to split postage costs, with five or six plush packed into a single Australia Post satchel often working out cheaper per item.

Local alternatives existed, though they came with caveats. Brisbane's specialty toy shops and the handful of independent Pokémon stockists in Melbourne sometimes carried limited imports, but these were unofficial grey market goods rather than TOMY-sanctioned distributions. EB Games Australia, the local gaming specialty chain, stocked standard TOMY Pokémon merchandise but never the regional exclusives, which left collectors reliant on either overseas sources or local resellers.

Cash conversion was another factor that caught out first-time importers. A plush that retailed for USD $20 in the US often ended up costing AUD $45-$50 once you factored in the exchange rate, international shipping, and the GST that Australia Post collects on imported goods valued over AUD $1000. Bulk orders crossing that threshold attracted the goods and services tax, which could push a small haul well past the original budget. Platforms like Australia's local Buy Swap Sell groups on Facebook became unofficial price references, with mint condition Mew plush regularly trading hands for AUD $75-$120.

Authentication and Protecting Your Investment

Given the secondary market value of these plush, authentication matters. Original TOMY 20th Anniversary plush came with specific hang tags, embroidered details, and packaging that's distinctive from later reissues or counterfeit products. For anyone serious about collecting, verifying the the tomy 20th anniversary plush's official certificate of authenticity is essential, as fakes have proliferated in the years since the collection ended.

That reference walks through the exact details to look for, from the specific thread counts on the embroidered eyes to the font used on the original hang tags. Collectors who invest in authentication protect their own purchases and help maintain the integrity of the wider market. For Australian buyers especially, where import purchases can be harder to verify in person, these checks are a crucial part of any acquisition.

For completionists working toward a full set, the complete checklist for completionists is an invaluable reference. It catalogues every mainline release, retailer exclusive, and variant, which is handy when negotiating with sellers or verifying what's missing from your collection. Cross-referencing your plush against such a list takes the guesswork out of buying on the secondary market, especially when dealing with sellers who may not be entirely upfront about the condition or rarity of what they're offering.

Exclusive	Retailer	Plush	Australian Availability	Approximate AUD Value (Mint)
Mew	Toys R Us	Mythical pink cat	Grey import only	$80-$120
Celebi	Toys R Us	Mythical time-travel	Limited AU stock 2016	$60-$90
Eevee (Special)	Target	Embossed paw pattern	Grey import only	$60-$90
Pikachu (Variant)	Target	Larger head, custom tail	Grey import only	$50-$80