Despite legal threats, Apple stair back on Ebay

A former Apple Store employee has defied legal threats and re-listed a broken stair on Ebay.

In 2008, three broken stairs were removed from the spiral staircase in the Fifth Avenue Apple retail store in New York. Former employee Mark Burstiner asked the Seele GmbH employees who were hauling them away if he could have one, and they said yes, according to Mark's story on Gizmodo. After storing it at his place for a while, he decided to put it up for auction on Ebay.

Shortly thereafter, Seele contacted Mark to claim ownership of the stair and demand that the auction be taken down and the stair returned to them. Mark removed the auction but refused to return the stair, claiming that it had become his property.

Now, the Ebay listing is back up. As of this writing, the bid is at US$9,9500. It's only a 3-day auction, so get your bid in early. Also be aware that the winner will take home a massive glass step (it weighs more than 200lbs) as well as Seele's ire -- they still claim ownership of the stair. Buyer beware, indeed.

[Via ifoapplestore]

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Source: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110500632…

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Apple Corporate Retail Odds and ends

A former Apple Store employee has defied legal threats and re-listed a broken stair on Ebay. In 2008, three broken stairs were removed...

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tyler

I have one of the glass steps from the Apple store at the Grove in Los Angeles sitting in my backward. Maybe I should try to sell it.

March 03 2010 at 1:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to tyler's comment

Blackstar

Hey yeah? Me too! Course mine was rubbed on the thighs of Filipino virgins and Steve Job's ass before it was recovered. It's true. Says so right in the letter of authenticity I printed out using Pages.

March 03 2010 at 2:12 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tyler

I am serious. Mine is not a spiral though its a rectangle. I might post a pic tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

March 03 2010 at 9:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris

Apple has no legal argument to stop the transfer of this step. Maybe they will try to make a lie up on paper that they did not agree to do this, but since Apple verbally agreed to give this step to the employee, they have no further claim to it.

March 02 2010 at 5:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Who are those people willing to pay such a sum for a broken(!) piece of glass? That's what I wonder about. Think of all the nice stuff you can buy for that money or less, like for instance a non-broken glass stair.

March 02 2010 at 3:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John Short

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidItems&userid=pmolis&completed=1&all=1&rows=50&sort=12&_rdc=1

I BELIEVE EBAY TO BE USING ID pmolis (FRANCE) TO SHILL-BID/CONDUCT FEEDBACK MANIPULATION/LISTINGS PADDING FOR PURPOSES OF STOCK MANIPULATION AND HAS BEEN DOING SO SINCE 1994!

March 02 2010 at 3:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John Short

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidItems&userid=pmolis&completed=1&all=1&rows=50&sort=12&_rdc=1

Current and recent auctions bid on by EBAY-BACKED SHILL-BID ID pmolis( 1071)
Member since: Jul-31-04 in France
All Feedback - 8,118 Feedback received
Feedback left for others - 8,338 Feedback left WITH A FEEDBACK SCORE OF JUST 1071

March 02 2010 at 2:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

PeterO

If Seele or Apple want it back -- for whatever reason -- I strongly suspect that at $9,950 (the current bid price with 7 hrs to go) it would be cheaper for them to buy it via eBay than to initiate legal action.

March 02 2010 at 2:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

glad

obviously the recession hasn't affected some people in the USA

March 02 2010 at 2:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Lance

Legal threats? No, Mark was just too dumb to realize the "Seele VP" was just an internet troll wanting the step for himself cheap.

March 02 2010 at 2:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Michael Kaye

How bad are those picture in the listing. Surprised he has any bids at all. Either way I'm not convinced even the hardened fanboy would pay this much. Its not like the crack is at one end...straight through the middle....

March 02 2010 at 1:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andrew

The company is *not* called Seele GmbH!

That's the German HQ of the company, GmbH is German for Incorporated! (limited liability company).

The North American division you are writing about is Seele, Inc.

March 02 2010 at 11:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply