Ken Ishii / Stringer / Getty ImagesWould you pay $300 for a backpack without knowing what's inside it? Apparently tons of Apple fans in Japan would.
Apple recently began selling its Fukubukuro, or "lucky bag," at retail stores in Japan, Japanese Apple blog Macotakara reported (via Macrumors).
The "lucky bag" is sort of like a mystery grab bag. You pay a set price for the bag, which includes a handful of gadgets and accessories, without knowing what's inside. Once you purchase the bag, you can't return it. Macotakara reports that the bags are selling for $300 this year and come in four different varieties.
Fukubukuro is a staple of holiday shopping in Japan. It's a tradition that kicks off the new year, and tons of retailers from department stores to clothing stores and electronics shops like Apple participate. All of the items included in these lucky bags are usually much cheaper than their original price, which is why consumers line up in shopping malls to take advantage of the deals.
Common items found in Apple's bags this year include an Apple TV, a 4,000 mAh Mophie Powerstation external battery pack, an iTunes gift card, and Beats by Dre Powerbeats 2 wireless earbuds.
Apple Japan's "Lucky Bag" promotion featured bag with MacBook Airs, iPad Airs, and more... http://t.co/1aUKLKQhdn pic.twitter.com/gE2mrDmfJA
- MacTrast (@MacTrast) January 2, 2015
The most valuable lucky bag includes an 11-inch MacBook Air along with some of the previously listed items.
"Esto es lo que contienen las Lucky Bag de Japón este año" - #IT #apple #Estilo - http://t.co/Fj08cnoRt6 pic.twitter.com/IJoWiP6e5p
- AppleMealsSeriesNews (@Hevens_News) January 2, 2015
Apple packed a fifth generation 16GB iPod Touch, a 16GB iPad mini 3, or a 16GB iPad Air 2 in some other bags.
???????????????????????????? MacBook Air ?????? Lucky Bag ???????????? Apple Store ??????? via @applesfera pic.twitter.com/b5mPXZereA
- MacThai.Com (@macthainews) January 2, 2015
Based on the image from Japanese blog Geimato, it looks like people line up extremely early to grab one of these bags.
??????Apple Store?Lucky Bag??????????????????? 2ch??????????12300??????…? http://t.co/bzVGCxLi5m #??? pic.twitter.com/1MPyrgHLcN
- ?? ?? (@mucobofynup) January 2, 2015
Although you don't know what's inside the bag, it seems like a worthwhile deal regardless of which variant you get. Obviously, bags with MacBook Airs inside are the most valuable, since the 11-inch model starts at $899 and you're only paying $300.
Still, if you end up getting an Apple TV ($99) with some accessories and an iPad, you're still saving a significant amount of money. Too bad you can only get them at Apple Stores in Japan.