At Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum Exhibit, An Ugly Scalping Battle Ensues
Images via Pokémon Press
If Pokémon trading cards are of any indication, when it comes to collectibles steeped in the lore, fans gotta catch ’em all. Recently, the franchise took over the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in commemoration of the latter’s 50th anniversary. And, well, the birthday celebration turned out to be a rowdy one, to say the least.
The unexpected Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum power pair was destined to send a massive thunderbolt rippling through the air, perhaps a little too adeptly. Anticipating demand for the reimagination of Vincent van Gogh masterpieces with Pikachu, Eevee, Snorlax, and more, scalpers quickly flocked to the gift shop and got their hands on the merchandise before others could.
As seen in viral TikTok videos, all chaos ensued when the retrospective opened on September 28. Visitors elbowed their way through the mess to snag the special-edition wares.
This makes me so sad and is why we can’t have nice things
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) September 28, 2023
I saw so many wanting to go over in the first few days just to get any card and merch to resell. This is not an acceptable practice. If you do that, shame on you. https://t.co/vVHLHhVyZ1
@7daysageeek On the 1st Afternoon of Pokémon x Van Gogh it was absolute chaos! Things calmed down a bit later on but staff took away all of the merch very soon after this incident. They only just began to restock for literally less than a minute! Who knows how it will be after today... #pokemon #vangoghmuseum #vangogh #amsterdam #pokemoncommunity #pokemonvangogh #pokemonxvangogh #pokemonmerch #tcg #promocard
♬ original sound - 7 Days A Geeek
Each guest who completes the museum’s Pokémon Adventure activity will also be able to redeem the coveted card of Pikachu subbing in for the Post-Impressionist painter in his 1887 self-portrait. Those who can’t be present can also shop the merchandise online and receive this card with any purchase from the collection.
Images via Pokémon Press
Images via Pokémon Press
Unsurprisingly, many of these cards have emerged on resale marketplaces, with one being listed for a whopping £2,000 (US$2,439). On the Pokémon center website alone, the swag was reportedly wiped out within seconds, per Artnet News.
@pm1.tcg crazy scenes in amsterdam today 🤯 #pokemon #pokemonxvangogh #amsterdam #vangoghexhibition #vangoghmuseum #vangoghamsterdam #pokemonpromo #pokemonpromocards #pikachu #snorlax #pikachupromo
♬ original sound - PM1
The Pokémon Company has issued an apology, promising to broaden access to the limited-edition trading cards at a later date. The exhibition will conclude on January 7, 2024, so hopefully, genuine fans won’t have to wait long.
We apologize to all the fans eagerly awaiting our Pokémon Center x Van Gogh Museum release today.
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) September 29, 2023
Due to overwhelming demand, all our products from this collection have sold out. We understand this is disappointing to many who were looking to our official email and social media… pic.twitter.com/KM3ZCO1EQZ
[via Kotaku and Artnet News, images via Pokémon Press]
