Final De-Feathering? Musk’s X to Auction Off Twitter-Themed Memorabilia
© AFP 2023 / STEFANI REYNOLDS
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Twitter owner Elon Musk announced in July that the social media platform would change its logo, bidding goodbye to "all the birds." The billionaire later wrote that he wanted the new logo, "X".
For anyone looking to snatch up a Twitter themed-bargain, here is something to look forward to: billionaire Elon Musk appears to be shedding all vestiges of his social media platform’s previous brand identity after changing the logo to “X”.
Now that the Blue Bird has been ditched by the platform that Musk acquired back in late October 2022 for $44 billion, a bunch of memorabilia is set to be auctioned off from X’s San Francisco headquarters.
Every single item, ranging from office equipment, such as desks, chairs or printers, to an assortment of bird-themed props, has an opening bid set at $25, as per auction house Heritage Global Partners.
Screenshot showing Twitter bird memorabilia listed for auction at X headquaters in San Francisco.
© Photo : X / Heritage Global Partners
The online auction with 584 lots bears the title "Twitter Rebranding: Online Auction Featuring Memorabilia, Art, Office Assets & More!"
Screenshot showing swinging bird-cage-shaped chair up for auction at X headquaters in San Francisco.
© Photo : X / Heritage Global Partners
For anyone hoping to pick up some collector's items, there are some eye-catching bits and bobs to look out for. For example, the building signs with the Blue Bird logo.
No, they haven’t been removed yet - that's something the buyer would need to do. According to the auction listings, the logo sign on the company's headquarters on 10th Street in San Francisco may be removed, but “… Buyer is responsible for hiring an SF Licensed Company with appropriate Permits."
The Twitter logo seen on the exterior of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California, on October 28, 2022.
© AFP 2023 / CONSTANZA HEVIA
Two oil paintings of photographs that previously went viral on Twitter will also be auctioned. One is of a selfie of comedian Ellen Degeneres taken at the 2014 Academy Awards. The other is an image that then-US President Barack Obama tweeted when he was re-elected in 2012. At the time, it drummed up a record number of "likes" on the social media platform.
There is also musical equipment listed, ranging from drum kits and amplifiers to guitars, as well as a DJ booth.
In early June, Elon Musk, who finalized the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in late October 2022, hinted that he was considering rebranding Twitter in order to unleash the platform's full potential. Finally, in late July he tweeted that, "soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds."
The auction comes as Musk acknowledged earlier that Twitter had lost almost half of its advertising revenue since the magnate bought the platform, bemoaning a lack of any increase in sales that had been expected in June.
After the acquisition, the tech mogul had culled jobs, shedding close to half of the company's workforce last year to cut costs. With the platform's burdensome debt load likely in the back of his mind, Elon Musk had stated in a mid-July tweet: "Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else."
