Following crushes by “scalpers” who resold the treasured Pokemon card for high rates, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said on Saturday that it would no longer distribute the card.
The partnership with Pokemon, which was officially unveiled last month to celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary and inspire younger visitors, includes displays on the artist’s connections to Japan.
However, it also drew ardent Pokemon enthusiasts eager to obtain a limited edition “Pika-portrait” card.
by completing a “quest” around the museum, “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat”—a picture of the yellow character in a stance modelled by a well-known Van Gogh self-portrait—became available.
The Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card will no longer be available at the museum, the Amsterdam organisation said in a statement. “Recently, a small group of individuals have created an undesirable situation that has led us to take the difficult decision to remove the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card from the museum,” the statement read.
The museum said that this was done to “enable visitors to explore the exhibits in a safe and enjoyable manner” and that it was also done with the “safety and security” of the employees in mind.
Several tourists shared videos of the disorderly scenes at the museum while vying for valuable Pikachu memorabilia on social media.
Due to the cards’ limited availability, those who want to “catch them all” are willing to pay exorbitant fees to acquire them.
As many as possible are acquired by so-called “scalpers” in order to be sold again on trading platforms. With one selling on eBay for an ambitious $6,969, “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” has been selling for hundreds of dollars.
According to the museum, players from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada will soon have another opportunity to purchase the rare card through the “Pokemon Centre,” with stores in the Netherlands offering them once more early next year.
However, the statement emphasised that “it will not be available via the Van Gogh Museum.”