- A company is trying to sell 10,800 pieces of crockery commemorating "the Platinum Jubbly."
- Wholesale Clearance
UK swooped in after the original buyer pulled out over the mistranslation.
A wholesale supplier is trying to sell 10,800 pieces of crockery that were meant to mark Queen Elizabeth II's upcoming Platinum Jubilee but were instead printed with a glaring mistake.
Text on the mugs, plates, and cup-and-saucer sets is meant to read "To Commemorate the Platinum Jubilee," but instead reads: "To Commemorate the Platinum Jubbly."
The listing says that the items have a "slight typo."
Wholesale Clearance UK, which buys and sells excess stock as well as goods from bankrupt companies, is selling the items as a job lot for £32,400 ($43,884), which would put them at an average price of £3 ($4.06) per piece. The lot comes to £38,880 ($52,660) when value-added tax is included.
In the listing, the company says the recommended
Wholesale Clearance UK said it bought the sets from Changzhouint Merchandise, a Chinese manufacturer who attributed the mistake to a mistranslation and said that its original UK partner had pulled out of the deal.
"On arrival at Southampton docks a few weeks ago, upon inspection, it became apparent that there was a slight printing/translation error which now leaves these without a home," Wholesale Clearance UK said in a press release.
"Previous royal occasion memorabilia are often sought after by collectors, as they're a great excuse to go out and buy a piece of history which will increase in value over time," Karl Baxter, the company's managing director, said. "Besides, what could be more unique than our limited-edition misprinted crockery?"
A website for Changzhouint Merchandise also lists the individual items for sale. The cup-and-saucer set is priced at £24.99 ($34), reduced from £29.99 ($41).
Most of Wholesale Clearance UK's other items wouldn't be amiss in a home goods store – but another listing on its website is also for a typo-ridden product.
The company is selling a "tragically inaccurate" Brazilian phrase book, which it says has typos throughout, translations that appear to be broken Portuguese, "very disturbing content" including "intimate sexual advice," and the country's flag printed upside down. The book also features cartoon squirrels "that may or may not intentionally resemble a crude part of male anatomy," and even misspells "Brazilian" on its cover.
Wholesale Clearance UK says the books were designed for the Rio 2016 Olympics, which the manufacturer called the "World Sport Cup," and is selling the books for £8 ($10.85) each, down from what it says is the recommended price of £10 ($13.56).
Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee on February 6, marking 70 years since she was crowned British monarch.