Nintendo has recently taken steps to control the sales of select memorabilia from the Nintendo Museum, which are now being sold on online marketplaces.
After welcoming its first visitors this week, following exclusive press events in late September, the museum has captured the attention of Nintendo enthusiasts. Among the highlights are unique merchandise exclusive to the Kyoto location, which is unlikely to be found elsewhere.
Among the most popular items are oversized cushions resembling the Nintendo 64 and Wii controllers. Priced officially at 11,000 yen, equivalent to about 56.84 GBP or 68.12 EUR, some resellers are offering these cushions for exorbitant prices, exceeding 164 GBP or 195 EUR on platforms like Mercari.
Other sought-after products include pens and keychains designed after various Nintendo consoles such as the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and Wii U, along with the menu from the museum's restaurant.
In light of this high demand, Nintendo has decided to impose limitations on certain items available for purchase. Each visitor can acquire just one of four types of cushions (Famicom, SNES, Nintendo 64, and Wii) and is restricted to a single item from the game keychain collection or Hanafuda card decks.
It's disheartening that such steps have become required. It is hoped that this limitation will eventually be lifted as the museum's novelty diminishes, though the exclusivity and scarcity of these collectibles might sustain their desirability among devoted fans for years ahead.