Pokémon x Van Gogh collab ends in disaster, as scalpers appear to snatch stock
The Pokémon Company has apologised after scalpers appeared to spoil a planned collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
A line of Pokémon x Van Gogh merchandise was planned to be made available this week, including a statue, a plush, a tote bag, and more, to celebrate 50 years of the Van Gogh Museum.
When the items were first made available on Thursday, social media videos showed huge crowds swarming the museum, snatching up items, with claims that many people had bragged about plans to resell the items for profit.
24 hours later, the limited edition Van Gogh merchandise went on sale via the online Pokémon store. However, moments after the items went live for sale, the most popular items immediately sold out, with auction sites quickly filling up with listings at inflated prices soon after.
The speed at which the items sold out led to many fans suggesting that the items were targeted by scalper bots, computer programs designed to find products as soon as they’re added to a website and then buy them quicker than a human can.
At the time of publication, there are currently over 2500 listings for Pokemon x Van Gogh items on eBay.
The special Pikachu promo card, “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat”, which was given to customers for free after purchasing any item, is listed on the auction site for over $500 by dozens of users.
One seller has even had the card professionally graded and is asking for 800 Euros ($846 / £694).
According to users on Reddit, most items at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam have also sold out.
Following the immediate online sellout on Friday, The Pokémon Company issued an apology on its social media channels. The company said it was “actively working” on more ways for fans to obtain the Van Gogh promo card
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