eBay and Balenciaga Partner to Sell a Cap for $495

The world's largest sports card auction house has partnered with Balenciaga to sell a branded cap for $495 - or about the price of a PSA 10 2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama Orange Ice rookie card.

The etching, \"Self Portrait in a Flat Cap and Embroidered Dress,\" by Rembrandt circa 1642 as it appeared in the 2003 eBay listing. / Paul Kuehnel, York Daily Record

Would you buy an eBay hat from Balenciaga for $495? It's a question posed by the Instagram account lememe_james. About 40% of all respondents said yes, though they have not been completely vetted. The black cap, with a worn front bill, is 100% cotton. It features the iconic eBay logo with Balenciaga in tiny script just below it.

Screenshot Courtesy of lememe_james

It's been a busy past year for eBay, which entered into a partnership with COMC in Dec. 2023, acquired Goldin Auctions in April, and partnered with sports site The Athletic in August. Now, the e-commerce giant has partnered with the Spanish luxury fashion house.

The cap is equal in value to a PSA 10 2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama Orange Ice rookie card. Which begs the question: Which would you rather have?

A copy of this card recently sold for $450, according to Card Ladder. / Photo Courtesy of Card Ladder

According to Balenciaga, the authenticity of the cap can be ensured using a new scanning technology. The Balenciaga site states: "The pieces from this collaboration are the first Balenciaga products to offer the Balenciaga Digital Product Card. The Balenciaga Digital Product Card enables product authentication and is accessible via an NFC chip embedded in tags."

Photo Courtesy of Balenciaga