Set your alarms for tomorrow
A packaging goof could add up to huge damages
Experienced resellers know what's up
Expect to see these flip for $300+
Clever couponing can get you $100+ in profit
RIMOWA and Porsche teamed up for the Pepita, a small aluminum carry case with Porsche’s logo
Just 911 Pepita cases were produced, and sold for $2,450. Immediately after their release, cases were reselling for around $5,000
Despite the intense hype around the initial sale, prices nosedived in just a few weeks. For a time, resale would hover around $2,700
Collaboration is the name of the game lately. It seems like every brand around is seeking to combine forces to produce the latest hyped collab. From hot sauce infused ranch to the ultra-rare Master Chief Boot, big names teaming up means money for everyone involved. In April of 2022, luxury brand RIMOWA announced a limited production collaboration with auto manufacturer Porsche. RIMOWA’s “Pepita” is a remix of one of their classic designs, and proved popular enough to sell out. For a brief period, the carry cases were reselling for significantly over retail. In recent months, those prices have cooled off, and while they still sell over retail, it’s a good example for resellers on when to sell their items.
Porsche claims the design for the Pepita is rooted in Porsche’s 901, the car that started the legendary 911 line back in 1964. The cases are full of clever nods to both and past and future 911s; the fabric interior is modeled on a 901’s seats, while the reflective handle is reminiscent of the car’s polished metalwork.
The distinct Porsche badge is a 1:1 version of what you’d find on an actual Porsche as well, and plated with real gold. From RIMOWA’s side, the case features the signature grooved metal that has come to define their brand. In combination with the sizable Porsche badge on the side, RIMOWA’s signature design makes for an especially eye-catching carry case.
This collaboration between Porsche and RIMOWA is remarkable, but not too surprising, at least for RIMOWA. The Pepita is just the latest in a long line of high profile crossovers for the brand. RIMOWA has worked with Supreme, Dior, OFF-WHITE, and more in the last few years.
Considering this, the Pepita is a bit less exceptional. While it’s obviously high quality, it’s essentially the same design RIMOWA has put out in the past, this time with a Porsche badge and leather straps affixed.
The Pepita was sold at retail for $2,450. Remember, just 911 of these were made, and they are produced from high quality aluminum and leather.
Still, the retail price was higher than previous offerings. 2018’s collaboration with Supreme produced several full size luggage carriers, the largest being 82 liters. The Supreme carriers sold for $1,800 at most, despite being significantly larger.
Speaking of the Supreme collection, those were notable for reselling especially well, even several years after their release. After retailing for between $1,500 and $1,800, much of the collection has gone on to resell for upwards of $3,000, with the largest luggage carriers touching $5,000.
That is to say that RIMOWA collaborations are capable of reselling very well, which was certainly on the mind of resellers when the Pepita hit the market. But did it meet those expectations?
Well, yes. The RIMOWA x Porsche Pepita resold very well. Immediately after release, cases were reselling for upwards of $5,000. It seemed as though RIMOWA had done it again, and despite the steeper retail price, these cases would prove profitable in the long run.
However, resale prices began to cool down quickly. By May, average prices had dipped to around $3,700. Over the next couple months, this price would slowly whittle down, dropping to around $3,000 by summer’s end. October recorded a record low sale through StockX for $2,600.
Prices jumped around a bit, but more or less languished around $2,800 through 2022. Recently, there has been a surge in the price for the RIMOWA X Porsche Pepita. StockX recorded two new sales for the Pepita in February 2023, for $3,200 and $3,800 respectively.
Considering this turbulent sales history, let’s look at some of RIMOWA’s previous collaborations, and see how they went. Obviously, there’s the Supreme collection which has continued to resell over retail, but what about the Dior and OFF-WHITE collabs?
Dior’s collaboration with RIMOWA was among the company’s largest. With full size luggage carriers, carry cases, and clutches, the retail prices ranged from $1,200 to $4,100. However, they all had a similar resale trajectory: hot for a week, then a long cooling off period. Eventually, nearly every item from the collaboration settled to a few hundred over retail.
RIMOWA x OFF-WHITE was a similar story as well. Similar products, similar retail prices, similar resell prices. Several items have since dipped below their retail prices, which shouldn’t be too shocking considering we’re more than 4 years out from their release.
So while much of the conversation about RIMOWA collaborations can revolve around the success of 2018’s Supreme collection, the reality is that many of them tend to fizzle. Selling early and high tends to be a winning strategy, as proven by the Pepita.
Overall, it seems like a long-term hold is risky, at best. While RIMOWA products tend to more or less hold their value, they don’t appreciate in the long run. Tying up thousands of dollars for months, or even years, on something that resells for a few hundred over retail is not a winning proposition.
In the future, keep your eye out for future RIMOWA collaborations. They tend to hype them up both immediately before, and immediately after their release. The 2-4 week window to resell is usually where the highest prices are found, so if your goal is to resell for profit, don’t bother holding.
For more write-ups on past collaborations, big and small, check out our other articles. Brands teaming up with brands has proven to be an effective gimmick in the last few years, with many exclusive productions selling out and reselling in the weeks after.
Set your alarms for tomorrow
A packaging goof could add up to huge damages
Experienced resellers know what's up
Expect to see these flip for $300+
Clever couponing can get you $100+ in profit