I awakened right this moment hoping to purchase a cute plush of Pikachu sporting an outfit impressed by world-renowned artist Vincent Van Gogh, however scalpers received to it the second it went up on the Pokémon Heart web site. I’m annoyed, and that’s the overall sentiment quite a lot of Pokémon followers are feeling proper now, as scalpers and resellers have poached the limited-time collaboration and left no scraps for the common fan.
In case you’re simply tuning into this complete mess, Pokémon and the Van Gogh Museum are collaborating proper now. The Amsterdam museum has an exhibit on show that includes artwork of Pikachu and associates made to appear to be among the artist’s signature works. When the on-site exhibit opened, the Van Gogh Museum retailer was flooded with large crowds, a number of of whom had been reportedly bragging about reselling the merchandise on-line to those that weren’t fortunate sufficient to be there. Moderately than counting on scalpers, many of us who can’t go to the museum had been wanting ahead to the official on-line gross sales of merchandise launching right this moment, September 29, on the Pokémon Heart, as a approach of shopping for slightly piece of the exhibit for themselves.
Sadly, nevertheless, any such hopes have now been dashed, as mere moments after the touchdown web page went dwell, a number of merchandise had been already bought out.
As you may think about, this has left quite a lot of Pokémon followers with disappointment and scalpers with fats wallets, as these commemorative items are already exhibiting up on auctioning websites like eBay. At a look, the Pikachu Van Gogh buying and selling card bundled with every buy is promoting for round $200+ on most listings. Another merchandise, such because the Pikachu plush, are beginning to present up on the location as nicely, typically bundled with the cardboard.
In case you scroll by social media posts on websites like Twitter, you’ll see loads of of us who both couldn’t entry the Pokémon Heart web site when the sale went dwell, or had been simply too late to the sale earlier than scalpers ravaged every itemizing. It’s disappointing, however hardly surprising given how prevalent scalpers have develop into within the Pokémon neighborhood.
The Pokémon Firm responds after Van Gogh Museum merch sells out
Following the fiasco, The Pokémon Firm launched an announcement by itself social channels apologizing to followers upset by the entire mess. It says it plans to supply extra methods to obtain the promo Pikachu card, however doesn’t point out if it has plans to restock any of the merchandise.
The total assertion reads as follows:
We apologize to all of the followers eagerly awaiting our Pokémon Heart x Van Gogh Museum launch right this moment.
As a consequence of overwhelming demand, all our merchandise from this assortment have bought out. We perceive that is disappointing to many who had been seeking to our official e mail and social media channels for steerage on how and when to buy. We’re actively engaged on methods to supply extra “Pikachu with Gray Felt Hat” promo playing cards for followers purchasing at Pokémon Heart sooner or later. Particulars will likely be launched at a later date.
Thanks in your understanding and continued assist.
Even outdoors the Van Gogh Museum collab, limited-edition Pokémon merch is usually reselling for ludicrous costs, similar to a latest sequence of Santa Cruz skateboards that includes numerous Pokémon promoting for over $20k.
The Van Gogh Museum collaboration will final till January 7, so fingers crossed we see restocks on the Pokémon Heart between at times. I simply needed the lovable little painter Pikachu to take a seat on my shelf, for fuck’s sake.