▁August ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁it ▁was ▁attract ing ▁ 5 , 2 0 0 ▁visitors ▁a ▁year , ▁of ▁which ▁ 4 , 2 0 0 ▁were ▁from ▁abroad . ▁He ▁put ▁the ▁museum ▁up ▁for ▁sale ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁also ▁offered ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Re yk jav ík ▁as ▁a ▁gift . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁obtain ing ▁financial ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁or ▁city . ▁When ▁he ▁retired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁he ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁afford ▁the ▁rent ▁on ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁prem ises . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁ret irement , ▁he ▁moved ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁collection ▁to ▁H ús av ík , ▁a ▁fish ing ▁village ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁about ▁ 2 , 2 0 0 ▁people ▁located ▁ ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁the ▁capital . ▁The ▁museum ▁was ▁hous ed ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁building , ▁formerly ▁a ▁restaurant , ▁that ▁was ▁marked ▁with ▁a ▁giant ▁wooden ▁pen is ▁and ▁a ▁stone ▁ph all us ▁standing ▁outside ▁on ▁the ▁street . ▁The ▁village ' s ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁at ▁first ▁ske pt ical ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁arrival , ▁but ▁came ▁to ▁accept ▁it ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁persu aded ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁nothing ▁por n ographic ▁about ▁the ▁museum . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁he ▁handed ▁over ▁the ▁collection ▁to ▁his ▁son , ▁H j ört ur ▁G ís li ▁Sig ur ð