Zelda Tears of the Kingdom GameStop Scarf is Reselling

News

By RC Staff

25 May 2023

You might not know it, but sometimes buying a game can be profitable. May 2023 saw the release of the highly anticipated game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and fans are happy. We’ve previously covered some of the most profitable pieces of TotK merchandise, but today we’ll be looking at one more item. A very limited supply of bandanas were provided to Gamestop locations which now resell. Getting one was tricky, and not entirely clear how. One thing’s for certain though; if you did get one these scarves, it would pay for the game three times over.

The Zelda TotK GameStop Scarf

For such a major game release as Tears of the Kingdom, retailers have a little fun with things. It’s the perfect chance to bring out some new trinkets and drum a little extra business. If you can convince a prospective buyer to make a purchase through your store over a competitor’s, it makes sense, especially during a major release.

We’ve already covered the major preorder bonuses for TotK from GameStop, Target, and Walmart, but there’s one more worth mentioning. While gamers who preordered through GameStop received a commemorative wooden plaque, there was an additional piece of merch handed out on release day: these Tears of the Kingdom Scarves.

Officially, they’re the “Explorer’s Scarf”. Manufactured from fairly high quality material, reviews of the scarves are positive. You may also see them referred to as Zelda GameStop bandanas. The scarf is a soft brown with a mazelike pattern on the fabric, and includes a small wood button to fasten it.

Getting one was no easy feat. The Explorer’s Scarves were actually a promotional bonus for GameStop employees working during the release of Tears of the Kingdom. They were never available for sale, or even intended for consumers.

Some GameStop locations organized contests during TotK’s launch with the scarves as rewards. Both cosplay and trivia contests were reported, while some scarves were simply handed out to customers who came to GameStop in costume. Of course, having a friend working the counter would help as well.

Zelda TotK GameStop Scarves start reselling

Regardless of how someone obtained one, it didn’t take long for the first Tears of the Kingdom Explorer’s Scarves to go up for sale.

Since these were never made available for consumers and were an employee bonus, they were highly desirable. Fans who picked up their copies of the game went online and found a piece of merchandise they didn’t even know existed. This feeling of FOMO combined with the unique nature of the scarf fueled an aftermarket for the Explorer’s Scarf.

For how much? Immediately after release, the Zelda GameStop scarves resold for around $200. Yes, seriously. These have become the holy grail of TotK merch, similar to the Master Sword Statuette from Breath of the Wild.

Unlike the statuette though, these scarves were not a Collector’s Edition bonus, or even a preorder option. They were essentially just laying around the storerooms at GameStop locations, waiting to be handed out.

Snagging one either through luck, connections, or cosplay skills meant you were the new owner of a $200 scarf. While some may prefer to keep it for themselves, eBay has recorded around 100 sales of the item since TotK’s launch, with another 100 or so listed for sale.

Prices have come down a bit since then. The average resale price for an Explorer’s Scarf is now around $100-$150. Chances are there a fair number of GameStop employees who picked up on the value of the item, and are now attempting to cash in. Still, considering these were completely free, reselling for any amount is nice.

If you haven’t already, check out our other articles on Legend of Zelda merch. Aside from the TotK preorder bonuses, we’ve also covered the Collector’s Editions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom and compared them. Considering one of them can resell for $4,000, these are games worth knowing about.