THE HAGUE: The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said on 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. But it also attracted die-hard Pokemon fans keen to get their hands on a limited edition “Pika-portrait” card.

“Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” showed the yellow character in a pose inspired by a famous Van Gogh self-portrait and was available after completing a “quest” around the museum.

“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,” the Amsterdam institution said in a statement. This was done to allow visitors to explore the exhibits in a “safe and enjoyable manner” and was taken with the “safety and security” of staff in mind, the museum added.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023