Friday, April 5, 2024

Pokémon, France FDC

First-day postmarked in Paris. These stamps featuring the character Pikachu from the massively popular Pokémon franchise sold out shortly after I purchased them, just after they were issued on Feb 27. There was also a collectors booklet of four international stamps issued and another domestic booklet of related stamps planned for June. Why did La Poste feel the need to issue a stamp featuring a Japanese video game character? They occasionally issue a stamp that features something that interests French children, either now or at one point in recent history. And Pokémon certainly fits that category.

When my children were younger they were keenly interested in Pokémon and they even spent a few years playing the collectible card game and video games competitively. We used to travel around to different cities in the region playing in tournaments to earn points for an invitation to the world competitions late in the summer which they managed to do twice. I did not play but some parents we knew did. Most of the participants at these Pokémon tournaments are adults. The top prize at the Pokémon Worlds Championship is $50k USD.

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