Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum has stopped a Pokémon promotional card giveaway due to what it called “safety and security” concerns for visitors and staff.
Last month,The Pokémon Companywas forced to apologise after scalpers appeared to spoil a planned collaboration with the museum, which saw a line of uniquePokémonx Van Gogh merchandise made available.
When the items were first made available, social media videos showedhuge crowds swarming the museum, snatching up items, with claims that many people hadbragged about plans to resell the itemsfor profit.
The special Pikachu promo card, “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat”, was given to customers for free after purchasing any item, and quickly appeared for sale in large numbers on auction sites for over $500.
The Pokémon x Van Gogh collaboration was a disaster, serving as a stark reminder of human greed and lust.Images and videos circulating online depict scalpers hoarding multiple items from the collaboration, a disheartening sight.To the museum: You had to have seen the long…pic.twitter.com/QAHhZkqm5K
On Friday, The Van Gogh Museum confirmed it would no longer be giving away the card due to safety concerns.
“The Van Gogh Museum and The Pokémon Company International take the safety and security of visitors and staff very seriously,” they said in a statement.
“Recently, a small group of individuals has 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.
“In this way, visitors will be able to experience this special collection of Pokémon paintings and the rest of the museum in a safe and enjoyable manner.”
Another opportunity to obtain the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card will soon be made available to those shopping at Pokémon Center (United Kingdom, United States and Canada), and the promo card will be reintroduced in participating retailers in the Netherlands early next year.
