Pokémon’s latest collaboration with the Amsterdam Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration brought video games and art together, with specialty Pokémon paintings publicly displayed from Sept. 28 to Jan. 7. However, many fans might have already missed out on the premium base selling price.
The official Pokémon Center website features 29 items in the Van Gogh collection, including reimaginings of famous paintings with Pokémon as the main subjects, like Munchlax and Snorlax inspired by “The Bedroom.” Included in every order from the Pokémon Center is the Pikachu with Felt Hat promo card, while supplies last. But all items have already sold out in less than an hour of the shop’s opening.
For unfortunate fans who got the news late, they can still find the limited-edition merchandise, including the promo card, on reselling websites like eBay, in the hands of scalpers. Listed prices for the Pikachu with Felt Hat promo card already range as high as $500. In comparison, a quick and lucky customer could have gotten the card as an additional mail-in gift for as cheap as eight dollars by purchasing any of the six card sleeve painting sets.
Even those attending the Amsterdam Museum’s opening weren’t fortunate, as multiple videos showed prospective price scalpers pushing past each other and grabbing multiple copies of the collection items, despite the museum’s rules limiting promo cards and merchandise to one per person, with the clear intention to resell the items to less-fortunate Pokémon fans at premium prices.
Initially, the Pokémon Company posted in an official blog post that despite the overwhelming popularity and demand for a restock of the collaboration, they will not be restocking any of the items, leaving price scalpers as their only avenue for fans to get the limited-edition merchandise.
After widespread backlash from the community, the Pokémon Company then issued a follow-up statement, stating they will find another way to provide fans with the “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo card, with details to be announced at a later date.
Pessimistic fans can have faith in The Pokémon Company’s response, as this is not the first time they have dealt with limited-edition sale problems.
The Pokémon TCG Classic set released back on Sept. 21, also selling out in the first hours of availability. The Pokémon Company then clarified its plans to release the cards individually in February 2024, giving fans who missed out on the initial sale a set date to wait for instead of leaving price-scalpers as the only option to collect the rare cards.
