Someone Just Paid Over $6,000 for a Steve Jobs Business Card

[B4U]

Now everyone can just print one and sell for a fortune...

 

[Analog Kid]

If you do stuff like this, the government should officially declare that you have too much money and confiscate 90% of your stuff. Plus make you use Android.

Guess this is where I'm a Debbie Downer.
I cant understand the waste when people are starving, struggling, straining, and homeless.
The human species still has so far to go.

Why do people not understand how money works... Money needs to flow for it to do work.

How do you expect the starving and struggling to earn anything if noone is spending anything? Government already "confiscates" part of the money when it moves, it's the money that's stockpiled that government gets no cut of.

"Wasting" this $6k took it out of some account and put it to work. It went to the auction house, paid employees, eventually went into the hands of the original card owner who probably "wasted" some themselves on celebrating and then put a much smaller amount into an account. All along that chain that money did useful work, raised demand, increased employment, increased demand for investment, and the government could tax each transaction and apply the proceeds to social programs.

 

[kstotlani]

I guess I should have hung onto the email I received from Jobs a few years ago... Oh, wait... half the people here have received a personal email from Steve Jobs. He had a well known habit of responding to users. Still, could have gotten like $5 for it now!

I don't really understand people who buy things like this... The whole idea is lost on me. The whole idea of celebrity warship is lost on me. I've met several famous people and somehow the "star" factor never impressed me. Not at all. They are just people doing what they do. The only well-known person that made an impression on me was Jim Lovell. He has an extraordinary mind. Truly an amazing human being.

Two words for you - disposable income. You have to be seriously wealthy to understand this. People pay millions for art which never made sense to most other people.

 

[Anarchy99]

Vista Print.

Buy 500 cards for $10
Sell for $5259 each
Profit that would make Tim Cook jealous...

don't give him ideas Apple's next product with be the Applecard™
it already has some of Tim's signature features:

• thin & light
• no headphone jack
• lacks I/O
• not that practical

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

I guess I should have hung onto the email I received from Jobs a few years ago... Oh, wait... half the people here have received a personal email from Steve Jobs. He had a well known habit of responding to users. Still, could have gotten like $5 for it now!

I don't really understand people who buy things like this... The whole idea is lost on me. The whole idea of celebrity warship is lost on me. I've met several famous people and somehow the "star" factor never impressed me. Not at all. They are just people doing what they do. The only well-known person that made an impression on me was Jim Lovell. He has an extraordinary mind. Truly an amazing human being.

You contradict your own brawl with the last sentence

 

[iZac]

Somewhere right now, Steve's old PA is about to retire sitting on crates full of old business cards that they threw out when they ditched the rainbow logo.

...The whole idea of celebrity warship is ...

...Amazing

I really want to see one!

(PS, I'm not being a pedantic arse, it's just a lovely typo that conjured a fun image in my head)

Better than the celibacy warship, I'd imagine.

Of all the people I'd expect to visualise a Celebrity Warship, you came up short my friend

Now come back when you've spent half a day animating hilarity. I have my own ideas, but I don't want to pollute your creative expression.

 

[jlc1978]

Lol, you can't equate a business card to art. That's like saying iphones are Ferraris. Lame

Of course you can. You are confusing supply and demand with equivalancy. Any collectable, wkether it's a business card, authograph, painting, car, etc. only has value if someone wants it. None of it has any intrinsic value beyond the value of its material, but demand for it is what makes it worth a dollar or millions of dollars. Even then, not everyone would agree on something's value.

 

[groadyho]

Shallow? Oh please get over yourself. So the ONLY thing in your home is a folding chair and a card table... You don’t a SINGLE non-essential object... Right.

I'll tell ya what I live a pretty darn simple life. 1000sq ft cabin in the woods in a natl park. Yes I make decent money on weed legally but it doesn't mean I waste it on business cards or signed magazines. I don't place people on a pedestal at all. The few nice pieces i have , marble top table, queen anne and roll top desk all were passed down from great grandfathers to grandfather to mother to me.
No art, business cards, no memorabilia except a signed 1978 baseball by the Red Sox team I didn't buy, I got as a kid during a visit to the stadium.
I probably give away 3k a month in different products to cancer patients, homeless and people in general who need it but can't afford it. It's just weed, oil and/or baked goods the wife makes but it helps those that need it.
I was taught to sleep well at night and live with a light hearted soul.
I even have a half crippled rescue rooster living in my garage. Lol. Ignorance and want are no excuse and no way to live. Did I touch a nerve with you this holiday season?
[doublepost=1544884171][/doublepost]

I think this would be an excellent opportunity for you to learn some macroeconomics. Find out how desire creates demand that causes people to spend money on things they want. Figure out a way to add value to society by creating something that does what people want, does it better than anything before it, and in a way that causes people to immediately prioritize their needs so they can accommodate that want. Build those products, create jobs, raise the standard of living for everyone concerned.

And if you were Steve Jobs, you'd have been able to figure out what people wanted/needed before the people themselves ever did, and you'd have built insanely great things that drove entire markets - and even nations - to buy things. You'd have built an entire ecosystem that made thousands of people millionaires and even billionaires. You'd have brought a lot of happiness to people by creating products that were a joy to use (in most cases).

In doing this, maybe you might figure out why a simple business card might have meant enough for one guy to have spent $6k on it. I'm betting it means more to him than a lot of what passes for modern "art" would ever mean.

Hey bro, I've been creating and giving the people what they want for 25yrs. And I do well at it, I undercut everyone else's price and still made mint. It doesn't mean I place anyone or anything on a pedestal. Never have never will. People planet animals and peace come first for me.
[doublepost=1544884349][/doublepost]

Of course you can. You are confusing supply and demand with equivalancy. Any collectable, wkether it's a business card, authograph, painting, car, etc. only has value if someone wants it. None of it has any intrinsic value beyond the value of its material, but demand for it is what makes it worth a dollar or millions of dollars. Even then, not everyone would agree on something's value.

Agreed totally. Just goes to show how messed up the human species is and how far we need to go.
[doublepost=1544884743][/doublepost]

Why do people not understand how money works... Money needs to flow for it to do work.

How do you expect the starving and struggling to earn anything if noone is spending anything? Government already "confiscates" part of the money when it moves, it's the money that's stockpiled that government gets no cut of.

"Wasting" this $6k took it out of some account and put it to work. It went to the auction house, paid employees, eventually went into the hands of the original card owner who probably "wasted" some themselves on celebrating and then put a much smaller amount into an account. All along that chain that money did useful work, raised demand, increased employment, increased demand for investment, and the government could tax each transaction and apply the proceeds to social programs.

Me or anyone else dropping 6k on any idolized piece or piece of art does nothing for the good of humanity, the planet or anything else. It might fulfill your inner desire or line the pocket of another fat cat is all.

 

[jlc1978]

I'll tell ya what I live a pretty darn simple life. 1000sq ft cabin in the woods in a natl park. Yes I make decent money on weed legally but it doesn't mean I waste it on business cards or signed magazines.

So here's the counter argument. Medicinal use aside, your product serves no purpose for humanity other than to offer someone an escape from reality and a period of bliss. Others accomplish the same thing through driving a fast car, admiring their art, jumping out of airplanes, etc. If you feel that what others do to achieve bliss is lining the pockets of greedy fatpants, then it's fair to say you are guilty of the same thing. You can disagree with their choices, but if you denigrate them then they can reasonably apply the same argument to your choices.

 

[groadyho]

So here's the counter argument. Medicinal use aside, your product serves no purpose for humanity other than to offer someone an escape from reality and a period of bliss. Others accomplish the same thing through driving a fast car, admiring their art, jumping out of airplanes, etc. If you feel that what others do to achieve bliss is lining the pockets of greedy fatpants, then it's fair to say you are guilty of the same thing. You can disagree with their choices, but if you denigrate them then they can reasonably apply the same argument to your choices.

Maybe so and maybe I am guilty, but if that escape helps relieves pain, nausau and sickness I'll take that and happily give it away for free.
Not saying I'm perfect or righteous but my mind is at ease for what I do. Driving my 69' camero fast or flying down a fire road on my crf250 doesnt give me the same satisfaction as watching someone find relief.
I say eff money eff greed eff self satisfaction for the greater good of all.
We're all brothers and sisters of the planet.

 

[iMi]

You contradict your own brawl with the last sentence

No, I don’t. It was a noted exception and I still would not go collecting authographs and such, let alone pay $6,000 for a business card. All I was saying is that the celebrity factor doesn’t appeal to me — personally. I don’t care what other people do.

 

[MacManiac1]

Thank you for checking the value. More than I thought! I have several other first issues of various Mac magazines. I should make a collector pack someday.

It is fun to look at the old ads and see what things were selling for. Of course disk sizes were small and things that we take for granted now were brutally expensive or didn’t exist. Good memories!

 

[Solomani]

I’ve never been on a celebrity warship. How was it?

They are slow, cruising speed no more than 15 knots/hr. But the food is way better than what you get on a cruise ship.

 

[jlc1978]

Maybe so and maybe I am guilty, but if that escape helps relieves pain, nausau and sickness I'll take that and happily give it away for free.

Which I find the decent thing to do; my point was to the recreational users who are spending money for personal satisfaction just as a collector would, and it can be argued they could put it to better use. However, that is a personal choice.

I say eff money eff greed eff self satisfaction for the greater good of all.
We're all brothers and sisters of the planet.

Yes, there is a lot of way to go ...

 

[iMi]

If you’ve ever spent a portion of your income on any decorative or collectible item, you probably spent the exact same proportion of your income on it that the buyer of the SJ card spent. And there are people in the world who would deem your inexpensive purchase as waste.

Interesting perspective and true. I travel a lot and see the disparity in income/wealth. What I consider to be inexpensive would be a prized possession to some. I supposed the same would be true for someone very wealthy.

 

[Bacillus]

Interesting perspective and true. I travel a lot and see the disparity in income/wealth. What I consider to be inexpensive would be a prized possession to some. I supposed the same would be true for someone very wealthy.

For me, this is priceless - as long as Petrus has got his population index up-to-date over there

 

[Analog Kid]

Me or anyone else dropping 6k on any idolized piece or piece of art does nothing for the good of humanity, the planet or anything else. It might fulfill your inner desire or line the pocket of another fat cat is all.

You make a living selling weed, and you use some of your excess wealth to aid those you find needy. Artists make a living producing art and many use their excess wealth to buy weed. Some fat cat makes money selling tech, or stock, or Maserati's and uses some of their excess wealth to buy art.

If that executive didn't buy the art the artist couldn't buy the weed and you couldn't help the cancer patient.

Money needs to move to do work. It hardly matters what makes it move-- as long as it's in motion it's more likely that someone along the value chain will do something with it you find worthwhile.

You're arguing against your own values. Fat cats buying trinkets is the best possible engine to drive your world view.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't see a problem with someone spending $6,000 for the business card, so long as said person can afford it. It really doesn't matter whether any of us here approve or disapprove of said purchase.

I have spent much, much more on various collectible items, than what this particular auction person paid for his or her item. In the end it is all relative to what one likes and can afford. Nothing more.

 

[rjlawrencejr]

I'll tell ya what I live a pretty darn simple life. 1000sq ft cabin in the woods in a natl park. Yes I make decent money on weed legally but it doesn't mean I waste it on business cards or signed magazines. I don't place people on a pedestal at all. The few nice pieces i have , marble top table, queen anne and roll top desk all were passed down from great grandfathers to grandfather to mother to me.
No art, business cards, no memorabilia except a signed 1978 baseball by the Red Sox team I didn't buy, I got as a kid during a visit to the stadium.

I am going to nitpick here. But the question posed to you was that it was hard to believe you don't own anything non-essential. But unless I read incorrectly, don't you have a 1969 Camaro? No matter what you say, that is a collector's car (I am sure you've received many offers) and it takes time, effort and money to keep a car that old running (the parts don't grow themselves). It is certainly not a 2009 Honda Civic. Many would criticize you for maintaining a car that is now 50 years old.

 

[Hieveryone]

Some people just have that money. Good for them.

But I mean who would care so much to have it even if they have the money???

Maybe to impress guests at cocktail parties?

 

[jlc1978]

But I mean who would care so much to have it even if they have the money???

Maybe to impress guests at cocktail parties?

Becasue they like it? People collect all sorts of things: beer cans, stamps, autographs, comic books. Chances are if it was made or signed someone collects it.

 

[davester]

There are 7 spot colours used to print those original business cards, not CMYK like other jobs would be printed. Probably not far off the original price

 

[Ghost31]

 

[groadyho]

You make a living selling weed, and you use some of your excess wealth to aid those you find needy. Artists make a living producing art and many use their excess wealth to buy weed. Some fat cat makes money selling tech, or stock, or Maserati's and uses some of their excess wealth to buy art.

If that executive didn't buy the art the artist couldn't buy the weed and you couldn't help the cancer patient.

Money needs to move to do work. It hardly matters what makes it move-- as long as it's in motion it's more likely that someone along the value chain will do something with it you find worthwhile.

You're arguing against your own values. Fat cats buying trinkets is the best possible engine to drive your world view.

We're talking about a business card not the Mona Lisa. Weed costs virtually nothing to grow. Anybody can grow it and doesn't need me at all. Matter of fact I push people who buy it to just grow there own for free. No excess wealth here, I give more away for free than I give to the shops to sell.
[doublepost=1544972948][/doublepost]

I am going to nitpick here. But the question posed to you was that it was hard to believe you don't own anything non-essential. But unless I read incorrectly, don't you have a 1969 Camaro? No matter what you say, that is a collector's car (I am sure you've received many offers) and it takes time, effort and money to keep a car that old running (the parts don't grow themselves). It is certainly not a 2009 Honda Civic. Many would criticize you for maintaining a car that is now 50 years old.

Nitpick all you want. I didn't buy it and never would it was my fathers. Its a Chevelle not a Camaro. That was my bad autcorrect always changes it. . Not many know it sits in my garage with 29k miles and when we do drive it l which isnt often, not many offer to buy it. Not much maintenance when she only sees the road a few hundred miles a year. Plus I'm pretty handy with tools. That said, money shouldn't be the driving factor is anybody's life, sadly it is the way the world is and run

 

[tobiastimpe]

Somewhere, either in an Apple building or at someone‘s house are probably like stacks of these.