After a successful first wave that sold more than 100,000 copies, the popular Pikachu Van Gogh Pokemon collectible trading card is set to go on sale again in the Netherlands this Saturday, February 24.
The Intertoys and MediaMarkt stores have both reportedly announced that another batch of these cards will soon be made available. As long as you spend 30 Euros on Pokémon TCG products at qualifying locations, you should be able to get yourself this rare gem.
Grey Hat History
This now valuable card is a result of a collaboration between the Pokémon franchise and the Van Gogh Museum that was launched in September last year.
The Museum launched a series of pieces that recreated the painter’s iconic work to feature certain Pokémon from the popular Nintendo franchise.
This card was initially available at the Museum, however, as many publications reported, buyers flocked into the Museum’s store and overwhelmed the staff. Due to this, the card was quickly pulled from sale at the venue.
In a predictable twist for any who have suffered the effects of a limited quantity product in the TCG world, many of these buyers who stormed the museum's store were Scalpers. These individuals were looking to buy copies of the Pikachu with a Grey Felt Hat and resell them for a profit.
Following the initial sale, this prized card became free for a short while. For a limited time, those who ordered prints of the Pokémon paintings through the Museum’s website received a complimentary copy of the card.
Despite these changes, demand for the card remained high, with prices going up to EUR120 by early February before The Pokémon Company changed tack and launched a promotional first wave on February 10.
Instead of selling the cards through the Van Gogh Museum, the company reportedly gave small numbers of cards to hobby stores and distributed thousands of copies to chain stores in the Netherlands to drive down prices.
It may have worked, as data from Cardmarket indicates that the card is now worth roughly EUR60. It even dropped to EUR53.91 by February 17, a week after the first wave of redistribution.
With two more waves of distribution confirmed for this troublesome Pikachu, players should expect prices to drop even further. This is good news for those who want to try and acquire this Pikachu for themselves.