If you've been keeping up with developer Free Range Games' upcoming base-building survival game set in J.R.R. Tolkien's landmark universe, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, there's a chance you caught an early glimpse at its world map.
30.09.2023 - 01:39 / destructoid.com / Vincent Van-Gogh
It never fails to amaze me when massively popular companies host events with products they know will be massively popular with their base, but then act surprised when the event is, surprise, massively popular. That mostly sums up what happened with the recent Pokemon Center x Van Gogh Museum event, resulting in an apology from the the official Pokemon Twitter.
For those unaware, Pokemon and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum are hosting an in-person collaboration until January 7, 2024. The event launched with Pokemon memorabilia, and purchases included a limited edition promo card. Pokemon’s TCG featured “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat,” based on the famous “Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat” by Vincent van Gogh. I know, it’s cute!
We apologize to all the fans eagerly awaiting our Pokémon Center x Van Gogh Museum release today.
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
But, due to the exclusivity of the event — it’s not likely that every Pokemon fan can travel to Amsterdam, after all — the company offered fans elsewhere shopping alternatives. Folks in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada could score their own promo card simply by purchasing an item from the Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum Collection at the Pokemon Center online store. That didn’t go as planned, leaving the company to apologize as the cards and limited goodies sold out.
“Due to overwhelming demand, all our products from this collection have sold out,” read @Pokemon’s tweet. “We understand this is disappointing to many who were looking to our official email and social media channels for guidance on how and when to purchase.”
Hmm. I wonder why this happened? It couldn’t be because Pokemon is — say it with me — massively popular, could it? As usual, giving the internet means of obtaining exclusive items brings scalpers out of the woodwork buying up the lot. On the bright side, the company said it’s exploring options to make this right for fans who missed out.
“We are actively working on ways to provide more “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo cards for fans shopping at Pokémon Center in the future. Details will be released at a later date,” the post concluded.
It’s not the first time scalpers quickly bought up goods intended for fans, and it certainly won’t be the last. We’ve seen everything from cheaper items like Metroid Prime physical copies to whole consoles marked up in the greedy rush. Anyway, here’s to hoping those of you who want a card can get one.
If you've been keeping up with developer Free Range Games' upcoming base-building survival game set in J.R.R. Tolkien's landmark universe, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, there's a chance you caught an early glimpse at its world map.
Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum has said it will no longer offer the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card that ties in with its special Pokémon exhibit due to safety concerns, after scalpers and fans mobbed its gift shop and cleaned out all of its stock in a frenzied scene at the exhibition’s opening on Sept. 28.
Following the successful launch of the Analogue (Unofficial Game Boy) Pocket, the company is turning its attention to reimagining the Nintendo 64.
Late last month, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam opened a special exhibit in partnership with Pokemon, celebrating its 50th anniversary—and, in a move that's a little unwise in hindsight, also offered a limited-edition Pikachu card in the style of Gogh's piece «Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat».
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has confirmed that it will not be restocking its promotional Pokémon card following «safety and security concerns» for its staff and customers.
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.
The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said Saturday it would no longer hand out a prized Pokemon card after the giveaway sparked crushes by "scalpers" reselling it for exorbitant prices. Launched with great fanfare last month to mark the museum's 50th anniversary, the collaboration with Pokemon aimed to inspire younger visitors and included exhibitions on the artist's links with Japan.
Well, this is just Trubbish. The Van Gogh Museum, which recently held a Pokemon collab that got a bit hectic, announced it will no longer distribute its Pikachu promo card at the physical exhibit starting October 14. If you want the Pikachu in Grey Felt Hat collaboration card, you’ll have to shop online for a qualifying purchase.
Last month, a horde of scalpers descended upon the Van Gogh museum in an attempt to nab themselves a Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card, a special card that is being distributed as a collaboration between The Pokemon Company and a Pokemon-themed museum exhibit. In an effort to get ahead of everyone else, scalpers stormed the opening day of the collaboration with the goal of grabbing a card and putting it on Ebay at a ridiculous price, with some going for as much as $600.
What was supposed to be an adorable collaboration card for the with Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum became a chaotic frenzy for collectors and scalpers who wanted to get a copy of the special Van Gogh Pikachu card. On September 28, 2023, when The Pokémon Company debuted its collaboration collection with the museum, scalpers swarmed in to claim the cards, so they could be resold at exorbitant rates online rather than allowing true fans to be able to get access to them as intended. The Van Gogh collection merchandise was entirely sold out within the first 24 hours of the exhibit's opening, and promo cards were out of stock in minutes online.
If you missed out on the special Pikachu card inspired by the Van Gogh Museum the last time, don't worry! The Pokemon Company is giving fans another shot. This card, known as "Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat," is part of a unique collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Pokemon world. They're showcasing a special exhibition that will run until 2024, and there's a range of cool merchandise available, including that elusive Pikachu card.
Following the quick sell-out of the exclusive Pokémon Van Gogh merchandise, and subsequently the Pikachu trading card, on Pokémon Center websites, The Pokémon Company has announced it'll be giving fans another opportunity to get Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat.