The collapse of companies like SVB is triggering demand for limited-edition corporate merch

A Silicon Valley Bank bag. An FTX hat. A Fyre Festival hoodie. While buzzy companies have collapsed, their corporate merch is getting a second life on resale marketplaces.

Many years ago, it might have been difficult to acquire items from scandal-ridden or recently-dissolved companies. But thanks to the internet, a new type of economy has risen around demand for merch from corporations with a spectacular fall from grace.

Over the years, people have increasingly rushed to eBay and Facebook Marketplace to buy and list everything from backpacks to keychains from fallen corporations once branded as the next big thing. The recent collapse of SVB has been no exception. Google Trends for the phrase “SVB swag” peaked March 11, the day after the bank was shut down by federal regulators. On Poshmark, a sweater labeled as a “vintage SVB Christmas sweater” sold for $35. Sellers on eBay have listed a $1,000 SVB-branded blanket, a $249 wine and cheese board with the SVB logo on it and a $340 Patagonia backpack with an SVB patch. Some of these items have racked up dozens of bids in a matter of days.

One listing on eBay, for a navy blue Rains backpack with the SVB logo on it, belongs to Becky Jacob. Her friend had gifted her the backpack about six months ago, she told Modern Retail. The two heard about the demand and interest in SVB-branded items, and Jacob decided to post the item on eBay and “see what happens,” she said.

Leave a Comment