Category: Collectible

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Apple environmental logo t-shirt (green, XL, 2022)

This bright green t-shirt features Apple’s environmental logo that has been featured in Apple Stores, often as a part of Earth Day recognitions. The logo features a white Apple logo with a green leaf. This t-shirt was given to Apple retail store employees in 2022.

In 2020 Apple reached a major environmental milestone when they reported that their facilities were carbon neutral—and they further state the goal that “By 2030, all our products will be too.” In 2022, Lisa Jackson, Vice President, Environment, Policy & Social Initiatives, wrote:

“In a year where the technology we make touched more lives than ever, teams across Apple never stopped innovating to protect the planet. Whether it’s using more recycled materials in our products, or transitioning our supply chain to 100 percent clean energy, there is no part of Apple this work does not reach.”

This t-shirt is size XL and is printed in the tag area with “100% Recycled Cotton” and “Made in Vietnam.” The shirt is in its original packaging.

Sources: Apple (Progress Report, Environment)

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@AppleEdu vinyl stickers (2023)

The @AppleEDU Twitter account was started in January 2012 and as of 2023 has one million followers. Its description reads:

“Spark new ideas, create more aha moments, and teach in ways you’ve always imagined. Follow @AppleEDU for tips, updates, and inspiration.”

This set of vinyl stickers is printed with @AppleEdu in Apple’s San Francisco font in a variety of colors—red, orange, green, blue, hot pink, and black. Oddly, the Twitter account name is @AppleEDU (with EDU in caps), but the stickers use the “CamelCase” convention from the 1990s—an odd inconsistency given the usual fussiness of the Education Marketing team.

These stickers were available at technology conferences for attendees who visited Apple’s dedicated area. At the EdTech conference I attended, Apple had a part of a hallway and a dedicated conference room where various sessions and activities were offered where attendees could learn about Apple’s programs and offerings for schools.

Each sticker sheet measures 4 x 1.25 inches. Removed from the backing, the custom-die-cut sticker measures approximately 3.5 x 0.625 inches.

Sources: Twitter, Apple, Wikipedia

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Designed by Apple in California book (2016)

Released in November 2016, Designed by Apple in California was a photo book that documented 20 years of design at Apple. The book contains 450 photos depicting products from the original 1998 iMac to the original Apple Pencil released in 2015. The book “also documents the materials and techniques used by Apple’s design team over two decades of innovation.”

In the book’s foreward, Jony Ive, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, stated:

“While this is a design book, it is not about the design team, the creative process or product development. It is an objective representation of our work… We strive, with varying degrees of success, to define objects that appear effortless. Objects that appear so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative.”

The book itself was described by Apple:

“Designed by Apple in California is available in two sizes and printed on specially milled, custom-dyed paper with gilded matte silver edges, using eight color separations and low-ghost ink. This linen-bound, hardcover volume was developed over an eight-year period. It is published by Apple.”

The large book measured 13 x 16.25 inches and was sold for $299. The small book was 10.20 x 12.75 inches and was sold for $199. The book could be purchased at apple.com and at selected Apple Stores, including Apple SoHo, Apple Fifth Avenue, Apple Upper East Side, Apple Williamsburg and Apple World Trade Center in New York; Apple The Grove in Los Angeles and Apple Third Street in Santa Monica; Apple North Michigan Avenue in Chicago; Apple Lincoln Road in Miami; Apple Northpark in Dallas; Apple Union Square in San Francisco; Apple Palo Alto and Apple Infinite Loop in Cupertino.

This example is the large version of the book, unopened in its original box. I purchased this book at the Chicago Apple Store on Michigan Avenue.

Source: Apple

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Close Your Rings microfiber towels (incomplete set, 2021)

Apple’s fifth “Close Your Rings” employee challenge was held in 2021. According to MacRumors contributor, mikedop, the Close Your Rings Challenge:

“…is an internal challenge hosted by Apple’s Wellness team, which challenges employees to close their Apple Watch activity rings every day for an entire month. The challenge can be won at three different tiers: gold, silver, and bronze… Employees log their fitness in their Apple Watch, and after the month, are shipped a prize if they meet the qualifications. This challenge is offered to all employees within Apple, down to the retail level.”

Successful participants in the 2021 Close Your Rings challenge were sent a set of three microfiber towels that use the colors and designs of Apple’s Activity rings. Each towel is primarily black and has a two-sided tag with the Activity rings on one side and the Apple logo on the other. Each towel features a different design woven into the microfiber: one uses three thin stripes in the colors of the Activity rings along two sides, one uses a “21” design in a unique, triple-stroke font style using the Activity ring colors, and a third towel shows half of the three filled Activity rings.

My collection includes the stripe and “21” designs, but I do not have the half-Activity ring design.

The towels were packaged in a custom white box with the Activity rings printed on top. The towels were created by Sunscope USA under a brand DiLA, Designed in LA (Los Angeles).

Sources: MacRumors (mikedop), SunscopeUSA

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Mindful Minute Fleece (2019)

This Mindful Minute fleece was only available to Apple employees who participated in and completed the “Mindful Minute” challenge.

According to MacRumors writer mikedop, who has extensively researched and written about the challenges:

“Those who completed the 2019 Mindful Minute challenge received a soft fleece blanket. The blanket measures four feet by six feet in size (4×6) and contains no designs except for an embroidered mindfulness icon and Apple logo in a light teal.”

The blanket is made from black fleece. For the logo design, the mindfulness icon was simplified to use six interlocking circles in a circle. The design is similar to the Breathe app (which uses eight transparent interlocking circles).

Source: MacRumors

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Apple Watch Sizing Guide (2021)

Beginning in 2020 Apple began offering Apple Watch band designs that were specifically sized to wrists. These bands included the Apple Watch Solo Loop and the Apple Watch Braided Solo Loop. These Apple Watch bands were available in sizes 1–12.

In order to allow individuals to determine their Apple Watch Band size, Apple provided three methods:

1. Printable Tool (online PDF)

2. Everyday items (using a “tailor’s measuring tape” or a narrow strip of paper)

3. Sizing Tool (in-store paper tool)

Options 1 and 2 were available online. After measuring your wrist, Apple provided an online converter that allowed users to enter their wrist size to a maximum of 10 15/16 inch (although the Solo Loop only fit wrists to a maximum of 8 2/16 inches).

This Sizing Tool was available to Apple Store Customers. The tools includes the directions on the outer package, instructing individuals through diagrams to open the package, peel back an adhesive dot, wrap the tool around the wrist, and determine the band size based upon the location of arrows printed on the Sizing Tool. 

This example is unopened and was obtained at the Apple Store Michigan Avenue in Chicago in December 2021.

Source: Apple (Solo Loop, Sizing Guide)

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Apple Logo Mousepad (strawberry, 1999)

This thin plastic mousepad was made by the company Microthin and features the strawberry (red) Apple logo printed in a manner to simulate the translucent plastic Apple logo used in the iMac line of computers at the time. This mousepad is red to match the strawberry iMac. The iMac colors of the time included tangerine, lime, blueberry, grape, strawberry, and graphite.

This mousepad is round and measures 8.5 inches in diameter. It is printed with a MICROTHIN PRODUCTS logo and small text along the bottom curve (in Apple Garamond font) reads, ©1999 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. L04108A. Different mousepad colors appear to use the same part number.

The back of the mousepad is covered in a sticky material that provides traction to prevent slippage. The tackiness of the material is still viable after over 20 years and can be reactivated by rinsing accumulated dust with water. However, the entire mousepad is beginning to show signs of yellowing.

I also have a blueberry example of this mousepad.

Source: No official sources found, additional colors confirmed on eBay

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Lanyard (black, red, white logotype, c. 1990)

This lanyard is black with a red wooden bead accent. Its style appears to place it in the 1990s. This lanyard was acquired from the estate of a former Apple Education employee and was likely used in the 1990s at education events.

The cord of the lanyard features a white Apple logotype in Apple Garamond, Apple’s corporate font used between 1984 and 2003. The manufacturer is shown on a white tag printed with he name KOOCHY gear.

I have found similarly designed items by this manufacturer on eBay branded with other company logos. Although the company is no longer active, it now appears to be associated with the company PROMOVISION, specializing in custom lanyards.

I also have a similar version of this lanyard in my collection without the manufacturer tag.

Source: PROMOVISION