Why TOMY’s 2016 Plush Calendar Sometimes Doubled Up
TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection was planned as a year-long celebration rather than a single toy launch. The centrepiece was a sequence of plush figures based on Mythical Pokémon, with new characters appearing through 2016 alongside special Pikachu products, Clip ’n’ Carry Poké Balls and other anniversary items.
That schedule can look uneven when viewed through old retailer listings. Some months show one headline plush, while others show two items arriving close together. The difference usually reflects overlapping product lines, retailer exclusives and regional shipment timing, rather than a random change to the collection.
A calendar built around Mythical Pokémon
The main plush programme followed the anniversary’s monthly rhythm. Each release gave collectors another rare Pokémon to seek out, moving from familiar favourites such as Mew and Celebi to characters that had received less merchandise exposure, including Manaphy, Keldeo and Diancie.
This approach also matched Nintendo’s wider 2016 celebration, when a different Mythical Pokémon was promoted during each month. TOMY could therefore connect its toys to the broader anniversary campaign while giving shops a reason to refresh their Pokémon displays regularly.
The Australian experience was sometimes less tidy than the intended calendar. A product promoted for a particular month in North America might appear later in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane after sea freight, customs processing and retailer distribution. A collector checking a local shelf could consequently see two new plush together.
How the release rhythm worked
The core sequence was generally understood as a monthly run: Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Darkrai, Manaphy, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Keldeo, Genesect, Meloetta and Diancie. These characters formed the backbone of the 20th Anniversary plush assortment, even when availability varied by market.
A second item could enter the same selling period for several reasons. A retailer might receive a standard Mythical Pokémon plush alongside an exclusive Pikachu, or a delayed shipment could arrive just as the next scheduled product reached stores. Online catalogues also sometimes grouped products by launch wave rather than by the month printed in a promotional plan.
For collectors, this means a “double plush month” does not necessarily indicate two places in the Mythical Pokémon sequence. It can mean two anniversary plush were available at once, with one belonging to the core programme and the other supporting a separate promotion.
Why Pikachu changed the appearance of the schedule
Pikachu products were especially likely to make a monthly release list look crowded. Pikachu was the recognisable face of the anniversary, so TOMY used the character for celebratory designs that sat beside the Mythical Pokémon range. A themed plush, seasonal version or retailer-exclusive item could arrive close to the scheduled character for that month.
The party-hat Pikachu is a useful example of how an anniversary item could have a different role from the monthly Mythical Pokémon plush. It was designed as a commemorative product, with visual appeal for birthday displays and general Pokémon shoppers, rather than as another entry in the Mythical Pokémon sequence.
This distinction mattered in Australia, where a major chain such as Big W, Target or Kmart might carry a broad Pokémon range, while a specialist hobby shop offered a narrower imported assortment. A collector could therefore encounter two plush in one shop and only one in another, even during the same month.
The core schedule compared with extra anniversary items
The release plan makes more sense when the central character run is separated from supporting products. The dates below describe the intended flow rather than guaranteeing a uniform Australian shelf date.
| Release period | Core plush focus | Why another plush might appear |
|---|---|---|
| January | Mew | Anniversary launch items and early Pikachu stock |
| February | Celebi | Retailer opening orders or delayed launch cartons |
| March | Jirachi | Standard plush beside a special anniversary design |
| April | Darkrai | Regional shipment overlap |
| May | Manaphy | A second retailer-exclusive or promotional plush |
| June | Shaymin | Mid-year replenishment arriving with the next wave |
| July | Arceus | Larger anniversary assortment during school-holiday shopping |
| August | Victini | Exclusive Pikachu or alternate store allocation |
| September | Keldeo | Australian distribution catching up with overseas timing |
| October | Genesect | Halloween or seasonal retail activity |
| November | Meloetta | Pre-Christmas range expansion |
| December | Diancie | Holiday stock and late shipments appearing together |
The table shows why a simple list of monthly names can be misleading. The Mythical Pokémon schedule was the organising framework, but TOMY was selling a complete anniversary assortment. Product pages, store catalogues and shipment notices did not always use the same definition of “release”.
Retail exclusivity and Australian availability
Retailer exclusivity was another reason for apparent double releases. An item could be advertised through one chain, offered through selected specialty retailers, or distributed in limited numbers to particular markets. Exclusivity did not necessarily mean that every Australian state received stock at the same time.
Australian collectors were also dealing with a different retail environment from fans in the United States or Japan. Pokémon products might be imported by a local distributor, sold through a chain with a national catalogue, or purchased from an overseas website in Australian dollars. Postage, exchange rates and GST could change the practical cost, especially for a low-volume collectible.
A useful checklist for reading old listings includes:
- The date the product was announced, rather than the date it reached Australian shelves
- Whether the listing described a core Mythical Pokémon plush or a separate Pikachu item
- The retailer named in the promotion and whether it operated in Australia
- Whether the product was a standard release, an exclusive or an imported item
- The country and currency used by the original catalogue
Australian Consumer Law also matters when assessing old purchase records. A genuine retailer remains responsible for consumer guarantees that apply to goods sold in Australia, while a purchase from an overseas seller may involve different return arrangements. That legal distinction is separate from TOMY’s licensing and does not alter the character’s official status.
Collecting a monthly range without missing the overlaps
The anniversary format encouraged fans to collect progressively. Instead of waiting for a large set to appear at once, they could follow announcements, compare store stock and add one or two figures at a time. For Australian buyers, keeping a record was particularly helpful when a shipment crossed a month boundary.
Manaphy illustrates why the schedule appealed to collectors. Its plush release gave a less frequently merchandised Mythical Pokémon a prominent place in the range, and the Manaphy product page helps separate the character’s individual release from the wider anniversary campaign.
Collectors comparing their shelves can use a few practical habits:
- Record the character, retailer and advertised month
- Photograph packaging details before removing tags
- Keep receipts showing an Australian seller or distributor
- Compare size, fabric and hang-tag information across listings
- Treat a late arrival as a distribution issue, not automatically a missing release
The habit was useful around Christmas, when Australian toy aisles became crowded and stock moved quickly. A collector visiting a Melbourne shopping centre in December could see a late Diancie shipment beside a Pikachu anniversary item, creating the impression of a planned two-plush finale.
Licensing gave the range a consistent identity
The collection carried official Nintendo licensing, which helped TOMY maintain a consistent visual identity across plush, Poké Balls and other products. Licensing also set boundaries around character artwork, logos, packaging and approved designs. A retailer-exclusive plush could therefore look different while still belonging to the same authorised anniversary programme.
That consistency helped fans distinguish official TOMY merchandise from unofficial imports and later custom products. It also made the monthly range feel like a connected collection rather than a group of unrelated toys released during the same year.
The January launch was important because it established the anniversary as an ongoing retail event rather than a one-day celebration. The background to the January 2016 launch explains why the timing mattered: starting early gave TOMY and its retail partners a full year to build interest, introduce characters and refresh displays.
Why the double months still matter to collectors
The apparent two-plush months are best understood as overlaps between the main Mythical Pokémon sequence and the wider anniversary merchandise programme. They reflected practical retail decisions: launch waves, exclusive allocations, international shipping and the strong demand for Pikachu products.
For Australian collectors, the release schedule is therefore a guide rather than a perfect local timetable. A product may have been announced in one month, shipped internationally in another and reached an Australian store later still. That layered history explains why old listings can show a pair of plush where the original promotional concept focused on one monthly Mythical Pokémon.
Seen this way, the uneven calendar is part of the collection’s character. The 2016 TOMY plush programme combined a clear commemorative sequence with the realities of licensed toy distribution, allowing some months to carry two figures without breaking the overall plan.