Tamagotchi Series Gains Popularity Among Millennials and Gen Z
Rare Items Resold for Over 10 Times the Original Price
The Tamagotchi, a toy that was immensely popular in the 1990s, is experiencing a resurgence among the MZ generation (Millennials and Generation Z). For Millennials who enjoyed Tamagotchi games in their youth, the toy evokes childhood memories. For Generation Z (born in the late 1990s to early 2010s), who have never experienced this product before, it offers a new and novel experience.
A post on a secondhand trading platform seeking a limited edition Tamagotchi for 990,000 won. Screenshot from Junggonara.
Recently, Bandai Namco Korea unveiled the latest installment in the Tamagotchi series, "Tamagotchi Paradise." On July 15, a Tamagotchi pop-up store opened at I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and even before opening hours, large crowds gathered, resulting in long lines. All 600 units prepared for the first day sold out on the same day. With an average of about 300 units sold per day, the entire stock was gone by the end of last month, just two weeks after launch.
The same trend is evident online. Most products are sold out on the official Bandai Namco Korea online store, with restocks planned for the future. The resale market is also booming, with prices marked up significantly. In particular, limited edition or discontinued items are sometimes sold for more than 10 times their original price. On the limited edition trading platform Kream, the "Tamagotchi Some M?rchen Pink" is being traded for 409,000 KRW, which is over seven times its original price of 54,900 KRW. This product, a Korean-language Tamagotchi released in 2019, was discontinued earlier this year. The immediate purchase price for the "Tamagotchi Some Magical Purple," which had the same launch price, is also 329,000 KRW. In addition, collaboration products such as the Uni Angel Sanrio and the 20th Anniversary Edition are being sold for 600,000 to 800,000 KRW on secondhand trading platforms.
Tamagotchi is a product created in 1996 by the Japanese toy company Bandai Namco. It is a simulation game in which users raise a virtual pet on a screen. Depending on how the user raises it, the creature, which starts in an egg form, evolves into different appearances, making it enjoyable to watch the various outcomes.
The "Tamagotchi Paradise" product released last month has sold out online. Photo by Bandai Namco Korea Mall capture
The culture of customizing Tamagotchi devices to reflect individual personalities is also spreading. People decorate their devices with accessories such as cases or keyrings and share them on social networking services (SNS). This trend has especially taken off among Millennials, who became familiar with Tamagotchi in their childhood and are now able to afford such hobbies as they have gained economic independence.
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