Move over The RealReal, Neptunes producer Pharrell is creating a new auction platform called JOOPITER, which will serve as his personalized auction house.
Pharrell Is Selling Stuff
The inspiration for JOOPITER came from his manager, concerned about the artist overloading storage units.
“My business manager was like, ‘Hey, at this point, you have 11 different storage units,’” said Pharrell in an interview with Financial Times. So the “Happy” artist, whose net worth is estimated to be $35 million, came up with an app to sell possessions he no longer needed.
The app is debuting with a collection called “Son of Pharaoh,” a 52-piece capsule highlighting major events throughout Pharrell’s career since 1992. The platform will go live Oct. 11.
“Spiritually, it’s a very rich experience, an enlightening experience, to let … stories go,” Pharrell told Financial Times.
What’s Up for Sale
Some of the items for sale go back 20 years in his career, including a leather jacket that is inscribed with the words “Women’s Rights” on the front, Timberland x BBC Bee Line hand-painted boots he wore when he accepted his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Casio G-Shock x BAPE gold and diamond DW6900 watch, an 18K yellow gold Blackberry, and a N.E.R.D. Brain Pendant chain from 2004. N.E.R.D. is the hip-hop and rock band, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo started in 1999.
Opting not to sell his items through Stockx, an established digital auction app, or any other platform, Pharrell thought he would create a meaningful outlet for collectors and tell a story with his disregarded things. He plans to incorporate a philanthropic element into JOOPITER in the future.
“There’s not really one size fits all,” he told FT. “I’m not going to sell furniture on StockX. You know what I’m saying, I’m not going to sell, you know, 20-plus-carat diamond rings on [The] RealReal.”
About JOOPITER
“JOOPITER is a new platform for myself and for my fellow curators, one where existing and future generations of collectors can feel welcome to take part in this exchange,” he continued.
Solo Career and Fashion Line
Since the 2005 release of his solo debut album, “In My Mind,” Pharrell has made a name for himself. The singer/songwriter/producer has had numerous hits throughout his career, with the theme song for the film “Despicable Me 2,” “Happy,” being his most popular single to date.
Pharrell has made millions of dollars from tours and music and is one of the judges on the long-running singing competition TV show “The Voice.”
The singer also has his own clothing line called the Billionaire Boys Club, and its sub labels include ICECREAM, Bee Line, and Billionaire Girls Club.
The BBC has a U.S. flagship store in the SoHo district of New York City, a European flagship store in Soho, London, and a store in Tokyo, Japan.
