Before making it big in consumer electronics, Apple tried its hand at making clothes and offered other unique products at that time as well. In the late 80s and early 90s, the company offered a range of products including shirts, caps, bags, umbrellas, etc. One among of the products was a pair of branded sneakers that will go on auction on June 11.
How much will the Apple sneakers fetch?
Though Apple was not a big brand then, it is now, so the starting price of the white vintage sneakers that bear the rainbow Apple logo is high. Heritage Auctions is planning to list the sneakers on eBay at a hefty starting price of $15,000.
“Apple Computer Sneakers, circa early 1990s – Size 9 ½ – These sneakers were produced by Apple exclusively for their employees in the early 1990s,” reads the description of the sneakers.
Fashion changes over time, and in the past 30 years, several major brands have made their mark in the fashion industry, so the success of this auction is still questionable. But Apple has a massive fanbase of people around the globe who don’t mind spending a ton on its products. Heritage Auctions believes the final sale price of the sneakers will go far beyond $30,000.
The reason behind the firm’s confidence is that just last year, a private vendor sold Steve Jobs’ leather jacket for a hefty amount of $22,000. A pair of jeans that Jobs wore was auctioned for $3,000, and a Seiko watch fetched $12,800, notes The Next Web. In 2015, authentic Steve Jobs business cards were sold for a staggering $10,000 by The Marin School in San Rafael, California. Thus, the sneakers might be another instance of this success.
What are Heritage Auctions’ plans?
Heritage Auctions said it will open proxy bidding before the auction and end it ten minutes before, at 10:50 a.m. Central time (11:50 a.m. Eastern). Heritage Auctions will also impose a “buyer’s premium,” which will start at 25% for the first $250,000 on successful bids. The sneakers are a prototype and thus are hard to find, as the company offered them only to its employees and didn’t take it to the next level. It is for this reason that these will probably be a prized possession, and hence, the mind blowing price.
Jobs was always seen in a pair of blue Levi’s jeans, a black Issey Miyake polo-neck and New Balance trainers. It is believed that he also wanted to see his employees in a uniform inspired by the Issey Miyake garb donned by Sony executives. He is said to have approached the Japanese designer about creating some samples for his company and even took some vests to a meeting, but employees didn’t approve of wearing them, reports The Sun.
During the 80s and 90s, Apple offered several clothing and non-electronic accessories, but of course now in addition to its core devices, it sells only electronic accessories such as headphones, cases and cables. The one exception is Designed by Apple in California, a coffee table book that includes 450 photos of Macs, iPhones, iPods, and other products, notes AppleInsider. It is available in two sizes priced at $199 and $299.
