Here’s how to make a quick buck at the expense of the Mandopop star
To say we came up with the idea of ‘catching and storing’ JJ Lin’s breath during his concert in Singapore is entirely untrue.
Back in 2015, the absurd idea was first conceived by a fan of US rapper Kanye West. The fan seemingly caught a bagful of the rapper’s breath during his Yeezus tour, before putting up for auction on eBay at US$5. It was reported that the bid had gone up to more than US$60,000.
And like a cold, the idea was caught on by Singaporean teenage girls in the same year. This time around, it was the breath of Harry Styles from UK pop group One Direction that these teenagers were hoping to ‘catch’ when the boy group made its debut performance in Singapore. These young concert-goers were reportedly armed with Ziploc bags and clothes pegs to ensure the seal was made extra tight. Unlike West’s fan, the Directioners selfishly kept these bags of air for themselves.
Being not only JJ Lin’s die-hard fans, but also fans who are quite enterprising, we saw these ‘breath-catching’ antics as a business opportunity, probing us to quickly prep ourselves for the Singapore leg of his Sanctuary World Tour.
If you too are as business-minded as us, then here’s a guide to the whole process of making some ka-ching at the expense of JJ Lin’s, or just about any celebrity’s, breath.
Market Research
Market research is important to know whether your product can garner interested buyers. For JJ Lin’s case, there’s a high chance people would warm up to owning a vessel of the pop singer’s breath, as indicated by the already sold-out concerts.
Snagging tickets
To capture a bagful of air, you’ll need to get tickets for seats situated close to the stage. CAT 1 tickets are your best bet. Without tickets? Then your best bet is to grovel at the feet of ticket holders who were lucky enough to snag theirs before you. You may need to ethically bribe them with a meal at a Michelin-Star restaurant or gift them with their favourite branded bag, but it’s a small price to pay because remember: Kanye West’s breath was going at more than US$60,000.
Be armed with the right breath-catching tools
Taking a leaf out of the Directioner’s book, prepare Ziploc bags and pegs to ensure the sealing is made tight for long-lasting freshness.
Put up a listing up online
Assuming you successfully snag a bagful of JJ Lin’s breath, transfer it to a tardy jar or container and label it ‘JJ Lin’s Breath’ before putting it up on eBay to commence the bidding war. But if you are dead set on a fixed price, then there shouldn’t be a problem of getting the prized souvenir picked up by a crazed JJ Lin fan.
Mail the jar with SmartPac quickly and securely
SingPost offers three SmartPac delivery variants – Mini, Lite, and Box – that can be purchased at any post office or online. The Mini measures 150mm by 220mm, Lite at 240mm by 330mm, and Box at 190mm by 300mm. They have the carrying capacity of 600 grams, 1 kilogram, and 3 kilograms respectively.
We reckon the size of your jar can fit into SmartPac Lite snugly. With breath being practically weightless, you don’t have to worry about exceeding the capacity of Lite’s one kilogram. The back of SmartPac’s Lite offers ample instructions on the correct way of mailing the envelope. But for your sake, here’s how:
- Write your recipient’s details on the space provided
- Take note of the reference number stated on the front side of the envelope. The unique code is for tracking purpose via www.singpost.com or SingPost mobile app. It’s also a good time to download the app now.
- After everything’s in order, seal the opening of the envelope before dropping it off at your nearest SingPost street posting box.
There you go! One jar of JJ Lin’s breath is on its way to a happy fan. You may repeat the process for any upcoming superstar heading to Singapore in the near future.
This post is brought to you by SmartPac, #SmartWayToPac
