Van Gogh Museum Pulls Promo Pokémon Card Over Security Concerns

Pikachu in a Felt Hat Van Gogh crossover

When it was announced that Pokémon would be coming to the Van Gogh Museum, everybody expected it would be a pretty chill experience. You’d go to the museum, see some cute Van Gogh-inspired Pokémon pictures, maybe learn a thing or two, and kids would get a card for their trouble. Nobody could have expected that less than a month on, the resulting chaos would cause the museum to scale back its offerings.

But that’s exactly what happened. The Pokémon promotion at the Van Gogh Museum erupted into chaos almost immediately after it started. Videos emerged on social media sites showing chaotic scenes at the museum, with dozens rushing to buy Pokémon-themed merch and get their hands on the elusive Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat card that was rewarded for completing a children’s activity booklet.

That chaos went further when select products from the merch line went on sale online in the US, with the Van Gogh merch selling out in seconds. The Pokémon Company apologized over the disastrous Van Gogh crossover, acknowledging that the merchandise sold out instantly and promising to make the promo card available again in the future.

Now, the Van Gogh Museum has decided not to make the card available at all to visitors, citing safety and security concerns at the museum. In a statement on the promotion’s FAQ page, the museum said that there was a small group of individuals creating an “undesirable situation.”

“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 statement reads, “In this way, visitors will be able to experience this special collection of Pokémon paintings and the rest of the museum in a safe and enjoyable manner.”

QA worker and content creator Daan Koopman provided extra context on Twitter, saying that “groups of people, particularly youngsters” were coming to the museum to grab as many cards as they could. As Koopman explains, minors are able to visit the museum for free, and some were reportedly waiting between the reception and the museum shop to try and coerce people into giving up their cards.

The Pokémon Company says that the promo card will be available at Dutch retailers early next year, and at Pokémon Center Online in the UK, US, and Canada, but it will no longer be available at the Van Gogh Museum in any capacity.