Can't load array from another class

I want to have a variable containing all game items inside the Item class, but when I try to get the value of GameItemContainer.Container.items it gives me an error.

Item.cs:

 public string Name;
 public float Price;

 // Contructors
 public Item() {}
 public Item(string itemName)
 {
     List<Item> allItems = GameItemContainer.Container.items;
     for (int i = 0; i < allItems.Count; i++) {
         if (allItems[i].Name.ToLower() == itemName.ToLower()) {
             this.Name = allItems[i].Name;
             this.Price = allItems[i].Price;
             break;
         }
     }
 }

GameItemContainer.cs:

 [XmlArray("Items"),XmlArrayItem("Item")]
 public List<Item> items = new List<Item> ();


 public static GameItemContainer Container = LoadXML("gameItems");

 private static GameItemContainer LoadXML(string xmlname) {
     return GameItemContainer.Load (Path.Combine (Application.dataPath, "Scripts/XML/" + xmlname + ".xml")) as GameItemContainer;
 }

 public static GameItemContainer Load(string path)
 {
     XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(GameItemContainer));
     using(var stream = new FileStream(path, FileMode.Open))
     {
         return serializer.Deserialize(stream) as GameItemContainer;
     }
 }

Error appears in line

 List<Item> allItems = GameItemContainer.Container.items;

And it throws the error

 NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Any help would be greatly appreciated.