While the failure of Silicon Valley Bank was a terrifying event for the startup world and has led to an investor crisis of confidence in the banking system, it has also morphed into a pop culture event.
And as fascination with the story continues, that’s leading a run on memorabilia from the bank from collectors on eBay.
While the swag from most banks is largely disposable, SVB’s giveaways were of a higher caliber, perhaps because the bank catered to startup owners and venture capitalists.
A meat and cheese board, for instance, sold for $200, and a wireless speaker brick fetched $80.
A fleece for the bank’s finance committee was listed for $1,000, but the seller accepted an unknown lower offer. Other (non-finance-committee) fleeces and jackets (from North Face) have generally sold in the $100 to $150 range. And a coffee mug and tumbler sold for $100.
Prices are going up, though. A seller looking to unload a SVB baseball hat and tumbler is asking more than $202. And a tumbler and insulated bottle set are seeking nearly $189.
Want a piece of history, but looking to spend less? How about an SVB pint glass for $22?
eBay has long been the go-to place for people looking to own a piece of pop culture, even when the news is tragic. Last year, for instance, the site saw an influx of listings surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth, with mourning wristbands going for as much as $80,000 apiece, despite the site’s vow to remove them.
More recently (and less tragically), people have been using the site to hunt down Raspberry Rally, the newest Girl Scout cookie offering, with prices reaching $50 per box.
