Snubbull Vintage Metal Charm: A Piece of Japan's Pokemon Generation II Boom
What This Charm Is
This is a metal charm featuring Snubbull, the bulldog-inspired Pokemon introduced in Generation II. Cast in a reflective silver-toned metal, the charm presents Snubbull in raised relief — a three-dimensional sculpt that captures the character’s distinctive silhouette: wide-set ears, flattened snout, and frilled body. A jump ring connects the charm to a lobster clasp (known in Japan as a naskkan fitting), allowing it to clip onto a bag, backpack strap, or keychain. This wearable format set it apart from static display figures — it was designed to be carried and shown off, not just kept on a shelf.
The manufacturer cannot be confirmed from the item itself, as no maker’s mark is visible. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, multiple licensed producers — including Bandai and Tomy, both major Pokemon licensees — released metal charm lines. Smaller licensees also produced items of this type. Based on Snubbull’s debut year and the style of the hardware, this charm is reasonably estimated to date from roughly 1999 to 2003, though that cannot be stated with certainty.
Snubbull, Generation II, and the Pokemon Boom
Pokemon launched in Japan on February 27, 1996, with Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy, created by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. The franchise expanded rapidly into an animated series beginning in April 1997, a trading card game, and a wave of licensed merchandise that reached into nearly every retail channel in Japan — toy shops, convenience stores, department stores, and candy kiosks alike.
Snubbull is Pokedex #209, a Generation II Pokemon that debuted in Pokemon Gold and Silver (Japan, November 1999; North America, October 2000). Originally classified as Normal-type, Snubbull was retroactively reclassified as Fairy-type when that type was introduced in Generation VI (2013). The character evolves into Granbull (#210). Beyond the games, Snubbull earned recognition through the anime’s Johto arc, where a Snubbull belonging to a wealthy character named Madame Muchmoney recurred across multiple episodes — following the main cast and eventually evolving on screen. That storyline gave Snubbull a narrative arc that resonated with viewers who may never have encountered the character in gameplay.
Why Collectors Outside Japan Seek Out Items Like This
Metal Pokemon charms were a standard format in Japanese character merchandise during this era. Unlike capsule toys or food-toy premiums, single charms with lobster clasps were typically sold through accessory-adjacent retail channels, often bagged or as part of small sets. The tactile quality of metal — its weight and finish — distinguishes these pieces from the far more common plastic goods of the period.
Generation II merchandise presents a particular gap for international collectors. The original 151 Pokemon had a longer export window and broader Western market penetration; Gen II items, produced closer to the peak of Japan’s domestic Pokemon boom, circulated less widely outside Japan. Snubbull, with its anime visibility, is a character that crosses over from game audience to animation audience — which broadens the pool of people who recognize and respond to it. For collectors focused on late-1990s Japanese Pokemon goods, a metal charm in this format represents a specific and now-dated production style that is no longer manufactured.
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