Thousands of Queen's Platinum Jubilee crockery sets have been rejected for sale because of an embarrassing spelling error, leaving its manufacturer desperate to shift the unwanted stock.
- Thousands of crockery sets designed for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee have been rejected for sale after arriving in the UK with a blatant spelling error.
- A British businessman has now accepted the challenge of shifting the misprinted souvenirs in the hope of making a profit.
- In other royal news, Prince Charles' 'exhausted' appearance has royal fans worried for future King's health.
If there was ever a time for a proofreader, this might have been it.
An English businessman is on a mission to help a Chinese manufacturer to shift 10,800 Platinum Jubilee crockery pieces after they emerged from the factory with a small—but unmissable—spelling mistake.
The royal memorabilia, which consists of a teacup, a mug, and a decorative plate featuring a portrait of the Queen, had originally intended to include the slogan, "To Commemorate the Platinum Jubilee".
Unfortunately, a translation error resulted in the final word being spelled as 'Jubbly'—a British slang adjective used to describe something that's brilliant.
The stock had already been shipped to the UK by the time the typo was noticed, meaning there was nothing that could be done to resolve the problem.
"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," its new seller explains.
With the Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022 set to celebrate the first-ever monarch to reach 70 years on the throne, it looks like there's little tolerance for silly mistakes. The Asian manufacturer's UK partner refused to accept the tainted products, leaving the company at risk of a major financial loss.
Karl Baxter, Managing Director of Wholesale Clearance UK, has now agreed to help the struggling factory by marketing the souvenirs as a 'novel' twist on traditional royal memorabilia.
"What could be more unique than our limited-edition misprinted crockery? This could be your chance to get your hands on a novelty souvenir for a fraction of the price!" he said in a press release.
The whole stock is selling for £32,400, with each individual set priced at £3.00. Had the word Jubilee been correctly spelled, its value would have been placed at £323,892. Baxter believes profit could easily be made, however, to savvy business folks who choose to sell on the merchandise to collectors.
