Some people are already capitalizing on the looming closure of The Bay stores in Canada.
Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) filed for creditor protection on March 7 and is currently waiting for the Ontario Superior Court’s approval of its liquidation plan.
In the meantime, shoppers have been flocking to the Bay locations in Canada to try and nab items from its classic striped collection.
Some stores have been cleared of stripes as customers are looking to take a piece of North America’s oldest company home with them.
Others are already making money off of the retail institution’s impending closures.
One particular product has been reselling for shocking prices online — Hudson’s Bay’s iconic multi-stripe point wool blanket. The product was first made in 1779 and was traded by HBC to Indigenous and settler communities to use as bedding, clothing, room dividers, and fabric for other items.
Just this week, several listings for the blanket have popped up on resale sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, amassing hundreds of views.
One person in Milton is selling a king-sized blanket for a whopping $4,500 on eBay. The listing was viewed 134 times in the last 24 hours.
eBay
Another person listed a queen-size version of the blanket for $1,500 on Wednesday. It sold that afternoon.
On Facebook Marketplace, one Toronto seller listed a “vintage rare four-point Hudson’s Bay 100 per cent wool made-in-England 1960s blanket” on Wednesday for a much more modest $350 (although it does have some stains).
“Amazing piece of history,” reads the description.
Another Marketplace listing that was posted on Wednesday in Ontario is already pending.
Facebook Marketplace
If you’re wondering how much this blanket costs at the Bay, it goes for a fraction of the resale prices.
The blanket is even on sale online, priced at $280 for a twin, $320 for a double, $360 for a queen, and $440 for a king. Unfortunately, it’s all sold out, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see these sold for double on eBay.
But if you still want to snap up a piece of history, there are plenty of other items from HBC’s striped collection available online.
