How the 2016 TOMY mythical plush held up by seam quality

The TOMY Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection rolled out across Australia throughout 2016, with monthly reveals at chains like EB Games, Big W, and Target. For local collectors who lined up at suburban shopping centres or refreshed checkout pages at midnight, the plush figures became the highlight of the year, particularly the mythical Pokémon that had rarely been made into high-quality plushes before. Prices hovered around the $30 to $40 AUD mark, and stock vanished quickly once the limited allocations sold through.

Among the various items released that year, the mythical Pokémon plush figures drew the most scrutiny from stitch-conscious buyers. Australian collectors, many of whom had been burned by earlier plush releases with sloppy closures or loose threads, examined each figure for backstitch density, fabric weight, and edge finishing. The differences between models turned out to be more pronounced than many realised, especially when figures were sourced from different regional warehouses or later reprints.

This examination looks at how each mythical plush in the collection was constructed, which ones held up best on display shelves, and why certain figures have aged better than others. The findings draw on collector reports from Australian forums, photos shared in Facebook groups, and hands-on comparisons of figures stored in climate-controlled conditions for several years.

Why some months produced tighter stitching than others

The TOMY collection followed a staggered release schedule, with one wave hitting Australian shelves each month from February through November 2016. Factory output varied across these runs, partly because the plush figures were produced at different facilities depending on demand forecasting. The earlier runs tended to use slightly heavier polyester fibre fill, which made the seams sit under more tension during stuffing.

Later runs, particularly those tied to retailer exclusives at Big W and EB Games, sometimes used a thinner fill that resulted in softer figures but also created more visible seam allowances on the reverse side. Australian collectors who bought from the earlier monthly drops often reported fewer burst stitches after years of handling, while those who picked up later reprints saw more variation in thread tension and closure quality.

The fabrics themselves remained consistent across most of the collection, a short-pile minky that took dye evenly and resisted pilling. What changed between runs was the reinforcement at stress points: the bases of wings, the joins between limbs and torsos, and the small embroidered features that had to be stitched through multiple fabric layers.

Mew and Celebi set the early construction baseline

Mew was the inaugural mythical plush released in February 2016, and it set a baseline that many collectors measured later figures against. The figure was small, roughly 18 centimetres, and relied on simple curved seams that were easier to finish cleanly. Backstitching was dense at the base where the tail attaches, and the head-to-body join used a ladder stitch that has held up well on most examples still in circulation.

Celebi followed in April, and its shape introduced more complex seam work because of the leafy protrusions on either side of the head. These leaf shapes required multiple curved panels meeting at sharp points, and the factory used a tighter stitch length around the points to prevent tearing. On most Celebi figures this approach worked well, though a small percentage showed popped stitches near the left leaf tip, especially on earlier examples that saw heavy handling.

Collectors in Melbourne and Sydney noted that Celebi figures sold through Big W tended to have slightly more consistent seam quality than those sourced from independent toy shops, likely because the larger chain received stock from the primary factory rather than secondary distributors. This pattern repeated across several waves and became a useful rule of thumb when evaluating used figures on Australian eBay listings.

Jirachi and Victini tested small-format finishing

Jirachi and Victini presented different construction challenges because both are small, round figures with limited surface area for stitch placement. Jirachi, released in March, used a simple round body with metal eyelets on the back that required reinforced stitching around each hole. The reinforcement was effective on most units, but the surrounding fabric tended to wear thin where the eyelets met the minky, particularly on figures that were carried frequently.

Victini, released in June, featured a more complex topknot that involved multiple fabric gathers meeting at a single point. The factory used a bar tack at the gather point, and on most figures this held firm. The under-stitching along the belly seam showed more variation, with some units displaying loose loops that caught on clothing or other plush surfaces. Australian collectors who stored Victini in display cases rather than play bins generally reported fewer issues with this particular seam.

Both figures used a slightly different dye lot than the later releases, which gave them a marginally warmer tone under direct light but had no impact on seam integrity.

Keldeo Ordinary and Resolute Forme compared

Keldeo was released in two forms during the collection, with the Ordinary Forme arriving in August and the Resolute Forme following as a later exclusive. The Ordinary Forme featured a simple standing pose with minimal seam work beyond the basic body shell, and it stitched up cleanly with very few reported defects across the Australian run.

The Resolute Forme introduced more complex seam geometry because of the longer, swept-back horn and the additional fabric pieces around the hooves. These elements required the factory to adjust stitch paths around the horn base, and the result was a figure with denser stitching at the stress points but slightly less neat finishing along the back seam. For collectors interested in the specific construction differences between the two forms, the Keldeo Resolute Forme differences breakdown on the project microsite provides side-by-side photos and stitch counts.

Most Australian buyers sourced the Resolute Forme through EB Games, where it was available alongside the Ordinary Forme for a brief window. The figures sold out within hours at most suburban locations, and the secondary market on Australian eBay saw resale prices climb to $80 to $120 AUD within weeks.

Shaymin Sky Forme pushed plush engineering to its limits

Shaymin was released in both Land and Sky Formes, and the Sky Forme in particular tested what plush construction could achieve at this price point. The Sky Forme features outstretched wings and a small body, which meant the factory had to attach multiple wing panels to a torso only a few centimetres across. The resulting seam density around the wing bases was high, and the stress on these seams was significant.

In practice, Sky Forme figures showed the highest rate of seam failure of any mythical in the collection, particularly where the wings met the back. Many collectors reinforced these joins themselves using clear nylon thread, and Australian plush repair services in Melbourne and Brisbane reported a steady stream of Sky Forme figures coming in for re-stitching in the years after release.

The Land Forme, by contrast, was one of the best-constructed figures in the entire collection. Its compact, hedgehog-like shape allowed for simple seam paths, and the fabric pieces were cut with enough margin that the fill could be packed firmly without stressing the closures. Land Forme figures from the original 2016 run have aged remarkably well, with many examples still showing crisp stitching and minimal pile wear after nearly a decade.

Construction verdicts across the full mythical lineup

When all the mythicals are compared on construction criteria, the Land Forme Shaymin and Mew stand out as the tightest builds, while Sky Forme Shaymin and Resolute Forme Keldeo show the most seam stress. The summary below covers the key construction details based on Australian collector surveys and hands-on examination of figures kept in stable indoor conditions.

Mythical Approx. size Backstitch density Edge finishing Overall seam rating
Mew 18 cm High at base Clean Strong
Celebi 20 cm High at leaf tips Mostly clean Good
Jirachi 15 cm Reinforced at eyelets Clean Good
Victini 16 cm Moderate at gather Variable Fair
Keldeo Ordinary 22 cm Even Clean Strong
Keldeo Resolute 22 cm Dense at horn Slightly uneven Good
Shaymin Land 17 cm Even Clean Excellent
Shaymin Sky 18 cm Very high at wings Clean but stressed Fair

Collectors evaluating second-hand figures on the Australian market often look for several visible indicators of seam quality before committing to a purchase.

For those looking to preserve the seam quality of their own figures, a few storage habits have proven effective across Australian conditions, where temperature swings between coastal and inland climates can affect fabric integrity.

For more information about the full collection and how each figure was produced, the TOMY Collections microsite maintains detailed release notes and collector resources from the 2016 anniversary run.