One thing Apple has been overtly consciences about since Steve Jobs returned as CEO in 1997 was brand control. Jobs killed off the cheap Mac clone market and simplified the product lineup. Aside from that, officially licensed merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, mugs, etc. have only been made available directly from “the mothership” : Apple’s Company Store located on Apple’s Campus.
However, back in the early days while Apple was just beginning to mold their iconic brand, they sold Apple branded merchandise via mail order catalogs. Take this official Gift Catalog from 1983 for example, you could order everything from t-shirts and coffee mugs to a kite and tote bags. Man, I wish I could still order one of those tees…
I grabbed these photos from the awesome macmothership.com. Lots of great Apple history over there, worth a long look if you’re an Apple fan.
18 Comments
I’d love one of these belt buckles.
The brass belt buckle is just… Awesome ! ^^
The belt buckle and the t-shirts are awesome… and by awesome, I mean super-awesome.
This is really great! Nice find Paul. I’d take all of it, even the t-shirt.
That Brass Belt Buckle is sweet! I could see myself geeking it out with that :)) LOL
I just saw that it’s everyone’s favorite
Thanks Stephen! I really want one of those tees. Hilariously enough, the father in that t-shirt photo looks like a thinner/younger version of Microsoft’s Steve Balmer.
If that Porsche was one of the novelties, I would be all over that. What better way to sport Apple than to drive a race car down the highway!
The classic Apple logo actually look really nice, and its amazing if you think that the time these things came out its just a mind blowing idea with such simplicity, probably at the time these came out people are still chasing after “luxury”.
Is this actually real? I can’t think Apple had the money in ’83 to produce this stuff – do you think people really bought it? I’d love to meet someone with the wall hanging.
That’s REEM!
Andy Warhol did a riff on the Apple logo around that time, which I could kick myself for not snaggin an original of. Needless to say, it’s appreciated…
Woz wears that very belt buckle in that iconic shot of him and Jobs in a tech factory (?at Apple?) from this period (Jobs has a popped collar, to complete the contrast between the two)
The latch-hook… I don’t have words.
I’d love to have some of these!
Back when it was legal to have homogeneity of humans in advertising.
Are you guys blind?! Why am I the only one who wants the HOT AIR BALLOON?! ;)
I have most of this stuff at home and in storage. 100′s of T-shirts, though most were employee-only project shirts, not available in the store. The 1980′s store was awesome, though. Much more merchandise than shown here.
And yes, @Steve, Apple had PLENTY of money for this kind of stuff in 1983. Are you kidding? We were riding high and this stuff was selling like crazy!