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Today: October 11, 2024
December 14, 2022
1 min read

Twitter auction oddities: This phone-charging bike, that big blue bird

If you’re looking for an army of espresso machines or a 3-foot-tall statue of Twitter’s blue bird, the company’s upcoming auction may be for you.

After being purchased by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who slashed its workforce by thousands and made a flurry of other upending changes at the popular social media platform, Twitter is also selling off a long list of equipment from its San Francisco headquarters.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the reason or timing of the auction, or whether Musk had ordered the sale.

Standing desks, freezers and chairs make up the bulk of the office items going on the auction block Jan. 17. The auction is being hosted by Heritage Global Partners, an industrial auction firm that works with large companies, including Pfizer, Honeywell and Boeing. Most of the items are the kind you’d find in most corporate offices. Then there’s those you wouldn’t.

There’s the big blue Twitter bird statue — the first item listed in the auction catalog.

The Twitter bird in statue form.

A statue of the company logo is among auction items.

(Heritage Global Partners)

The blue Twitter logo stands more than 3 feet tall and almost 4 feet wide. Bids for the statue are set to start at just $25.

But the logo statue is just half the size of the large @-shaped planter that’s also available for purchase, towering at about 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

The sculpture is filled with artificial plants, but the auction company notes it can also be filled with several real plants.

But buyer beware — Heritage Global Partners points out buyers are responsible to make their own shipping arrangements.

Or maybe you’re looking for some exercise?

Twitter is also auctioning off two stationary bikes that generate electricity when you pedal to charge your mobile devices. Bids for the two bikes start at $25 as well.

Twitter has been going through a slew of changes since Musk’s $44-billion purchase in late October, including the layoff of thousands of employees. Recently, the company has also been under investigation by the city of San Francisco for allegedly converting some of its office work spaces into sleeping quarters.

The investigation came weeks after Musk reportedly sent a late-night email to employees telling them to commit to a “hardcore” Twitter or leave.

Twitter is also auctioning off coffee grinders, ovens, fryers and other kitchen equipment. There’s a long list of projectors, computers and TV displays as well.

For those interested in the auction, there may be big bargains to land.

One used espresso machine, which retails for about $25,000 brand new, will be sold with a starting bid of $25.

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