
Last week, we got a sneak peek at some of the awesome merchandise available exclusively at the Nintendo Museum. Well, wouldn't you know it, after just one day of being open to the public, the attraction has announced that it will be limiting sales on select items (thanks, VGC).
As detailed in a post from the official Nintendo Museum Twitter account, the Kyoto site will now be installing one-per-person sale limitations on its Game Hardware Keychain collections, select Hanafunda cards, lanyards and pass cases and the game Magnet Collection. The same limitations also apply to the controller cushions that we were particularly enamoured with last week.
You can find the announcement tweet and its translation (via Google Translate) below:
[Request to Customers] There will be a limit on the number of items available for sale at the Nintendo Museum Shop "Bonus Stage".
□ One per person - Game hardware keychain collection (6 types) 1983-1999
・Game hardware keychain collection (7 types) 2000-2017
・Hanafuda Phoenix ・Hyakunin Isshu Phoenix ・Neck strap & pass case Nintendo Museum
Cookie Pipe Super Mario Cookie Nintendo Museum□ Up to one of four types of cushions: 4 types of cushions (Family Computer Controller, Super Famicom Controller, Nintendo 64 Controller, Wii Remote)
□ Magnet collection (7 types) (7 items or 1 box per person)
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
While Nintendo does not confirm the reason for these new limitations, our friends at VGC point out that the online marketplace Mercari is already awash with expensive resales. Some popular items, like the oversized controller cushions, are reaching more than double their Museum RRP, while smaller exclusives have popped up with equally ridiculous asking prices.
We don't know that's the reason for the limitations, but it seems like the logical conclusion — it's the approach we've seen taken in the past with the likes of last year's Pokémon X Van Gogh merch, for example. Sigh.
Those attending the Nintendo Museum for reasons other than the gift shop will find exhibits on the company's history, interactive Hanafunda areas, giant consoles and even harmonising Toads. What's more, Miyamoto has announced that the museum won't be expanding to other locations, so you've got to take your shot if you're lucky enough to end up in Kyoto.
What do you make of these merch limitations? Let us know in the comments.
[source x.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 22
Dangit. Scalpers ruin everything. I want many for meeeeeeeeee. Not to resale.
But I guess that can increase ticket sales.
Edit: just checked ebay to see how bad it is. Some of those scalpers are smoking something.
Why isn't scalping dealt with more?
Nintendo makes merch of any kind, scalpers go scalping. It's the circle of life at this point.
It'd be nice to have the merch more readily available worldwide, since it's extremely evident that there are people who are more than willing to put down the cash for these things.
Sad to see such a limitation most likely due to scalpers so that those who legitimately wanted more than one of each of these (even more so since there are different kinds for most of them) won't be able to get them in one go!
Hi Nintendo
here's another way of fighting scalpers. 3 ways:
End store exclusivities. End geographic limitations.
Make enough for everyone. That's it.
No everyone can go to Japan.
Region free Switch is a great start. Selling Nintendo JP store through My nintendo is a great continuation.
Just make stuff available to everyone. You have enough ressources to do that, and plenty of physical and online stores around. When I say everything; I mean games, soundtracks, everything. You win, we win, we all win. Spend little bit of the money you now have to make everyone happy. You will sell.
A better way to combat reselling would be to just offer them online.
Leave some stuff to be exclusive like t shirts or keychains but gosh darnit I want a giant Wiimote pillow
@batmanbud2 because Capitalism is about opportunity and profit...which breeds opportunism and profiteering silly
Regarding "Hanafuda Phoenix", what makes it so much more expensive than their normal hanafuda decks?
It's all fun and love until someone loses an ear
Dang I was kinda looking forward to people buying the Wii Remote cushions and selling them online so I could get one 😞
Going there in a month.
But I have to be honest and from the shared in-store footage that I have seen so far nothing calls my attention.
The big controller cushions are nice but not fit for the travel back home.
I'm sure that I will end up buying something just because I will already be there, but I prefer the character merchandise seen in other Nintendo stores that I have been to in NY/Tokyo.
I've just seen the merch and wow! Was not expecting what I saw. Absolutely need a Wiimote pillow please and thank you.
@Diowine please report how it is! I will likely go in a few years. Already trying to figure out how i can stuff the pillows into boxes to ship home (no way they are going into luggage
@batmanbud2 unfortunately it’s super hard to. You can limit sales but that doesn’t stop greed and exchange of resources. And the answer is not unlimited production or a storefront everywhere (logistics nightmare and company would never make that money back. There is a reason so many companies destroy stock to keep the sales pool steady).
All we can do as people is try to buy from legit sources or if you have to buy from resellers pick those that have a low profit threshold because they are more likely trying to provide the product to more people rather than just trying to take advantage of folks with a lot of money (or credit cards).
Won't limiting the items just increase the value of the items and the profits for the online sellers?
@Diowine
Certainly doesn't look worth incurring the hatred of Kyoto residents to me.
I'm surprised it's just Meracari and not Mandarake
Is anyone surprised this merch is getting scalped? Nintendo scalpers are a plague.
And this is why we can't have more than one of each nice thing.
@Pipulitoch agreed, it’s time Nintendo shared the love.
The limiting of sales on certain items is a double-edged sword. While it may help to ensure that there's enough for everyone, it also makes those items even scarcer than they already were, driving up the prices on the 2nd hand market up even more. I'm not a fan of it, but overall I think the positive outweighs the negative.
Sadly inevitable in the world we live in, people always try to profit off the desperation of others less fortunate to be able to visit the museum.
Oh, they skipped making a gamecube controller cushion? Rude.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...