Lego and Pokémon released a $650 collab, and resellers are already vying to get a bite of the market

• Lego released its first-ever Pokémon set this month.
• The presale allocation sold out quickly, and it's already a popular target for resellers.
• The Lego Pokémon collection is aimed at adults and taps into nostalgia.

Lego released its first-ever Pokémon-themed sets last week, and within hours of preorders beginning, the scalpers had moved in.

The centerpiece of the collection is a $649.99 Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set. The initial presale allocation for this set sold out in the UK and US within a day and was reselling on eBay hours later for more than twice its retail price. It was restocked by Lego but is now sold out again.

With an 18+ age rating, the Lego collection is aimed at adults, with Pokémon references that go back to the franchise's first generation.

Jay Ong, the author of Jay's Brick Blog, a Lego news hub recognized by the company's ambassador network, told Business Insider that this collection hits the sweet spot for adults who have a "voracious appetite for toys and experiences that feed into their childhood nostalgia."

It's "the perfect marriage of two beloved brands at the peak of their respective popularities. Fans have been waiting decades for official Lego Pokémon sets," he said.

'Perfect type of product for resellers'

The 6,838-piece Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set began appearing on eBay on Monday last week. The most expensive set that has sold since then cost $1,289.99. Others have resold for between $690 and $1,150, the listings show.

One item that seemed to be a popular target for resellers was the free gift with purchase, or GWP, that came with the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set: the Kanto Region Badge Collection.

The badge collection consists of a 312-piece video game collectible set described on the Lego website as "nostalgic." Scalpers are reselling this for north of $200.

"Historically, GWP sets have a very limited production run, so when they're sold out, Lego will usually not make any more," Tiago Catarino, a former Lego model designer and content creator with over 570,000 subscribers on YouTube, told Business Insider.

"This is the perfect type of product for resellers and people trying to make some of their money back on their purchases."

Lego said in a press release that the badge collection will be available as a GWP with the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set from February 27 to March 3, until stocks last.

A spokesperson for Lego declined to comment on the allocation of the promotion.

The resale market may also appeal to fans who do not want to — or cannot afford to — buy the $650 set to access the badge collection.

"They may prefer just buying it outright, which creates further demand for these GWPs," Lego blogger Ong said.

'It is just a side gig'

Jesus Rosado, a 32-year-old Pokémon collector, listed the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise set, with the badge collection and a Pokémon Center — which can only be purchased with Lego loyalty points — for $1,499.00 on eBay.

Lego's loyalty program enables members to earn points by purchasing sets on the official website and in participating stores, which can then be exchanged for discounts and rewards.

Despite originally buying the set for himself, after seeing how much the GWP was selling for on eBay, Rosado decided to wait until the set sold out before listing his preorder.

Reselling, especially of recent releases, is frowned upon in the Lego community. One eBay user called Rosado a "pathetic scalper" via an eBay message, which was shared with Business Insider.

"Yes, I am a scalper in that sense of the word, where I'm buying the product to resell. But I'm not a large entity — I'm just an individual," Rosado said.

"It's no different than someone going out and mowing lawns to earn a couple extra dollars on the weekend or someone who does, you know, nail tech services on the side. So it's not my main bread and butter. It is just a side gig," he said.

Lego has an established reselling scene, with numerous platforms and physical stores dedicated to buying and selling Lego.

Discontinued and rare products can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the secondary market.

"As Lego achieves more mainstream popularity, this has attracted more resellers, speculators, and investors looking to exploit imbalances between supply and demand," said Ong, Jay's Brick Blog author.

However, while Lego is used by some people as an alternative investment, it is not on the same scale and intensity as Pokémon cards.

Influencer and WWE wrestler Logan Paul said he planned to auction his rare Pokémon card — which he bought for $5.3 million — early this year.

"From my understanding, if the Lego community is big on the scalper/reselling side of things, the Pokémon community matches that by tenfold," said Catarino, Lego content creator.