Amsterdam, scalpers go wild for Vermeer exhibition: tickets go for hundreds of euros

That the Jan Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was destined to be a huge success was to be expected. Indeed, it is the largest retrospective ever devoted to the artist, capable of bringing together as many as twenty-eight works (i.e., almost all of the artist’s known output: in fact, thirty-seven works are known), and it is normal that it should attract a large audience, not least because Vermeer is among the world’s most popular artists. What perhaps the organizers could not foresee was thehuge demand: the exhibition, scheduled to run from February 10 to June 4, 2023, in fact sold out just two days after ticket sales opened (as many as 450,000 coupons were sold), so much so that the Rijksmuseum was even forced to close online ticket sales for the museum, as thousands of people, even after ticket sales for the exhibition closed, continued to ask to visit the Vermeer exhibition.

In short, situations that occur only for concerts of big rock stars: and in fact on online platforms there are already cases of resale of overpriced tickets and phenomena of scalping with admission tickets being offered at exorbitant prices, much higher than the already not-so-cheap cost of the ticket (it used to cost 30 euros).

On eBay several users put the ticket up for sale at the standard price, knowing that users will then initiate strong auctions: at the time of writing, for example, an auction expiring next week for two tickets has already reached 122 euros, thus doubling the normal cost, another 99, while one expiring tomorrow has had 31 bids, and is currently traveling at 151 euros. But these are by no means the highest prices: in fact, in five days an auction for two tickets in the evening hours for May 7 will expire, which received 30 bids raising the price to 451 euros, a price similar to another auction expiring in four days, with 18 bids reaching 476 euros. For now, the “record” belongs to an auction that ended last March 23: in the end, the successful bidder got two tickets at the sum of $2,724, after 44 bids.

And of course there are those who offer tickets for sale starting from considerable figures: at the moment, for example, one private individual is offering two tickets for 500 euros, yet another is offering one for sale at 300 euros, there is even a reduced one for children at 250 euros. The museum cannot know whether these are always regular ticket sales or whether scams are hiding behind some of the auctions: the suggestion is to consider carefully what you are buying.

Amsterdam, scalpers go wild for Vermeer exhibition: tickets go for hundreds of euros

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.