Here’s your chance to own ‘authentic’ Lehman Brothers swag
Lehman Brothers is alive — on eBay, where an enterprising seller is shilling corporate swag from the defunct financial giant and netting a nice profit.
His cache of curios includes branded tote bags, polo shirts, ball caps and assorted tchotchkes, with some mementos fetching more than $100 apiece.
The hawker, who would only identify himself as Ricardo, told The Post he had the “opportunity” to load up directly from Lehman’s stash of promotional gimcracks soon after the firm’s ignominious collapse in 2008.
“I bought it all on a hunch thinking people would want a piece of history. Well, it worked out,” he said.
Got $155 to spare? A crystal sphere paperweight emblazoned with the Lehman name can be yours. Or maybe you’re in need of a Lehman’s weekender tote with a floral print for $255.
The cheapest item is a $14 set of Lehman Bros. gift bags, which Ricardo touts online as “an instant conversational piece of history.”
“Everything I sell is authentic,” he said. “I own the last of it.”
Using the eBay handle rmp8907, Ricardo has listed 35 items for sale, though a few are not branded with the Lehman name. He’s been active on the site since 2002.
The peddler, who claimed he was retired, wouldn’t reveal what he did for a living or how much he’s made from his online offerings.
“Let’s say I made my investment back — and then some.”
The fallen Wall Street icon’s souvenir spoils appeal to young men in finance, who gravitate to the merch as a whistling-past-the-grave joke that’s guaranteed to get laughs in the Hamptons, said one tristate-area hedge funder.
“It’s an inside joke, a piece of history, and a fashion item all in one,” said the anonymous moneyman, who said he’s looked over the wares, but hasn’t bought anything himself.
The firm’s infamous faceplant — spurred by the company’s overexposure to subprime mortgages — was the largest in history, and sent shockwaves through Wall Street.
The company filed for bankruptcy after 158 years of operation, and will have paid back about $129 billion to unsecured creditors this year.
On Ricardo’s eBay store you’ll see Lehman offerings like a…
- Canvas tote for $89
- Ball cap for $86
- Golf polo for $90
- Floral-print weekender bag for $225
- “digital world clock” for $196
- a “VERY VERY RARE” baby bib for $60
