Van Gogh Museum Cancels Pikachu Card For Safety Reasons

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will no longer offer its Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum promo card featuring Pikachu. This card depicted Pikachu in the style of Van Gogh’s infamous Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat painting. According to the museum’s FAQ page, it’s pulling the card due to safety concerns.

You can see the full announcement below:

In late September 2023, posts on social media showed hordes of people swarming the Van Gogh Museum. The attendees were there to grab limited-edition Pokemon goods such as postcards, plushes, and the special Pikachu promo card. For the Van Gogh Museum’s collaboration with The Pokemon Company, it released several pieces of merchandise, as well as displayed exhibits, that depicted Pokemon in Van Gogh’s art style. However, not everyone went to the museum to appreciate the art on display and instead went to claim a nice memento for themselves. Many resellers were among the crowd. Items like the Pikachu card appeared for hundreds of dollars on websites like eBay.

Previously, the museum did not limit how many items customers could buy. Following the chaotic first day, the museum started to limit purchases to one piece per person. However, as of October 13, 2023, the Pikachu promo card is no longer going to be available at the exhibit. On the museum’s official website an announcement was posted that read: “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.” It also explains that this decision is to ensure that visitors can enjoy the exhibits in a safe environment.

However, all is not lost. If you’re in the United Kingdom, United States, or Canada, The Pokemon Company will release the Van Gogh Pikachu card in Pokemon Centers. More updates on when to expect this will appear on social media in the future. You’ll be able to get it as a free gift when you order $30 worth of Pokemon TCG items. There is a limit of one promo card per order.

The Pokemon event at the Van Gogh Museum will end on January 7, 2024. There is no exact date yet for when to expect the promo card to re-appear in the Pokemon Center.