Reverse Shoplifting by qwerty uiop, Jackie H
April 15th, 2007 2:46 AM / Location: 37.869662,-122.2678Shrink-wrapping was key. It equals authority and inspires confidence in consumers. Jackie happens to have access to shrink-wrapping technology.
We put a bar code on each item. If scanned, the items will register as snickers bars.
Here's what we got, and what we did:
1) Unusual looking spoon --> "Fun Spoon!"
2) Ancient 24-hour timer --> "Personal Security Device" (iPod compatible! Plug and Play!)
3) Stick The IRS (a board game from 1981) --> we didn't really need to do anything to this one, it was already AMAZING, although we did insert some real tax forms
4) Scary Bobble-Head Doll --> this doll had a empty space in its face where you could insert a photo, presumably. We inserted a photo of Alan Greenspan in front of a $1 bill
5) Picture frame with *real* pictures of two girls --> we inserted pictures of Gorbachev, Condoleezza Rice, and Michael Ironside along with the original pictures of the girls
6) Empty picture frame --> inserted image of Hollywood hills on fire
We placed the picture frames, the Fun Spoon and the bobble-head doll in walgreens. The IRS board game went to Games Of Berkeley, and the iPod compatible Personal Security device went to Comp USA.
81 vote(s)
- Jason 7au
- Ink Tea
- Møuse
- Burn Unit
- Hemingway Kat
- Darkaardvark
- Saint
- rongo rongo
- r0ck c4ndy
- Saul Z
- star5
- Cthulhu Kitty
- Blue
- Phishman
- la flaneuse
- Sara Johnsen
- Orion
- Kristen Rutherford
- JR Bobb Dobbs
- SNORLAX
- Ziggy C.
- Yenoh Honey
- Lizard Boy
- Brandon Sarzynski
- Michael Bina
- Lincøln
- Poisøn Lake
- Lank
- Radioactive Cheese
- GYØ Ben
- Tøm
- Bex.
- IntermezzoBeard
- d@n s
- Pizazz
- El Justiciero
- aaron rhodes
- YellowBear
- Odysseus
- Grey Ghost
- Meta tron
- Wurm
- Loki
- døøm stew
- susy derkins
- Hank Manolo
- lara black
- Jane Doe
- david ciao
- Hot Dog Fingers
- Lord of Entropy
- Not Here No More
- The Revolutionary
- Magpie
- The Vixen
- adam.
- Wishy Washy
- Flitworth
- Star St.Germain
- Anastasia Bliss
- Twenty Four
- Sir Ducksbane
- Rather Dashing
- Ben Whitehouse
- ravenous shredder
- Dax Tran-Caffee
- TEA
- Delirium's Fishes
- Morse Kode
- Tricia Tanaka
- Jellybean of Thark
- Myrna Minx
- Franzi
- will grizzly
- Ninju Ninju
- Beetle bomb
- relet 裁判長
- Picø ҉ ØwO
- Fission Chips
- David Hayman
- anna one
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shplank34 comment(s)
Inspiring.
Ive always imagined the insertion part of this task must be rather tricky. Were there no shifty security guards keeping their beady eyes on you?
O my word. That is epic and unbelievable . Also, that's the most chilling bobble head i've seen in a good long while.
Well done, koodos for the awesome use of shrink wrap, and clever idea to put snickers bar codes on every item. This is amazing, and I so want a fun spoon now!
It would be cool to know whether these unique pieces of merchandise stayed on the shelves.
I also want a fun spoon!!
And that game looks fabulous. If I worked at that store and someone brought it up to buy, I would explain that we don't sell it, confiscate it, and steal it myself!!!
Looking forward to follow-up documentation of purchased-not-yet-purchased items. I also kinda want that gas mask.
I'm planning on checking on the items at Walgreens and Games of Berkeley on Monday. Also, Sam will be uploading amazing video of us packaging these things, so check back. We had absolutely no trouble inserting anything. After all, we weren't doing anything wrong. It wasn't a problem for any security people/employees that we were carrying strange objects into their stores and then not leaving with them. At CompUSA the security people asked if we were making a return (of the Personal Security Device), and I just told them I had bought it elsewhere, and they stuck some sort of marking sticker on it. It was pretty funny...
Perhaps a fun follow up task for someone else would be to document the attempts to purchase one or more of these items...
If only every SFØ task was completed with such flair!
I want to go buy these things....
Which Comp USA did you go to?
Funk! I have to do my Taxes!
just in case anyone is interested...
Games of Berkeley: 2151 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, 94704
Walgreens: 2187 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA
CompUSA: 750 Market St, San Francisco, CA
Can't wait for the follow-up to see what's still in place. If I lived anywhere nearby, I would've been to the Walgreens already to get my mitts on the fun spoon because the packaging cracks me up, and I can't wait to see someone try to buy these. Y'all have till the 17th to do taxes anyway.
As of right now, the Fun Spoon is still on its hook in Walgreens. The picture frames are still there, too, but they've been shifted to a lower shelf (by an employee who noticed they were on shelves meant for organized things?). The Bobblehead Greenspan, unfortunately, has disappeared, perhaps bought? Stick the IRS is gone as well. As for the Personal Security Device, I doubt it would still be at CompUSA, but who knows.
Sometime this week it would be fun to go into Games of Berkeley and ask an employee if they carry "Stick the IRS." I wonder what they did with it.
yeah, i thought about asking them whether they carried it, but didn't want them to accuse me of planting it. i was thinking about calling them about it, though. obviously some inquiry should be made.
the scene between buyer and seller trying to figure out why the fun spoon keeps ringing up as snickers, and what the actual price should actually be...
The woman who answered sounded amused by the end of the call, as if she knew. (Or am I just imagining one of you works there?) I would post the bad audio (lots o' cell phone feedback on my iTalk recorder) but am not sure how to cut out all the dead time. I asked about checking if they had a game in stock: Stick the IRS. She couldn't hear me, which isn't surprising on my phone lately. "Stick....as in twig or something....IRS....as in tax season," I translated through my bad cell phone static. "Oh, yeah, yeah, Break the IRS, we do have that in stock." "Is it Stick the IRS or Break the IRS? I don't know... a friend of mine was telling me about it." "It might be Stiff....let me check." Silence. "I don't know...it's here. ...........I don't know which one it is. I could go check and look on the shelf. I can't find it in my computer, but...." I asked if she knew how much it was. [Over two and a half minutes waiting] "I'm sorry, it seems to have... disappeared. But I did see it here on Sunday." She sounded amused by this point, unless I was imagining that part. [Why say 'disappeared' instead of that they sold it, then?] Ok, I'll check back. "Sorry," she said. We both hung up.
hah, that's awesome, thanks flaneuse! i will try to go in person at some point soon--it will be much easier to gauge their reaction when we're face-to-face.
attempted to grab the Fun Spoon when we were eating dinner next door, but all that is left is the empty rack. :(
both picture frames are still at walgreens in berkeley.
I think this is one of the most impressively completed tasks I have yet to see. I wanted to buy the Fun Spoon too. Eggsellent job guys!
I think this is one of the most impressively completed tasks I have yet to see. I wanted to buy the Fun Spoon too. Eggsellent job guys!
Well, I feel like I'm late to the party bandwagon...or...something, but WOW! I wish I could vote more than once for this because it totally deserves it.
I think weve managed to elect Senator Fun Soon to the sf0 senate.
if someone decided to be an sf0 character that was also an incarnation of the fun spoon, i would certainly vote for its senatorial campaign. no question.
your performance was top nocth! i want fun spoon.
I think this may be the best example of droplifting that I seen for ages.
All Hail the Fun Spoon.
At work trying not to burst out laughing with joy. This was great, an inspiration. Thank you
Hi, I'm new here. This is the first time I've voted, and if I could vote for you twice, I would. This was absolutely amazing. Well thought out, creative and hilarious!
It's me and my fiance's anniversary in a week, and I'm praying that he got me a Fun Spoon. Seriously. . .
Our relationship may be on the line here.
I want that damned spoon.
:D
I was wondering what the "fun spoon!" picture was on your kitchen table when Mr. Burn Unit and myself were over tonight. Points for the packaging! And for multiple shopdroppings.