Why it matters to you
Stars are not just like us, and these $100,000 Oscars gift bags stuffed with opulent items prove it.
You’ve probably heard about the over-the-top gift bags given to Oscar nominees, but you may not know that the company that hands them out, Distinctive Assets, isn’t actually affiliated with the Academy. Also, despite their title, the “Everyone Wins” Nominee Gift Bags don’t go out to everyone — just the 25 nominees in the acting and directing categories. That’s probably because the bags’ price tags are in the six figures.
In 2016, the cost of all the items was over $200,000 each. After the Academy and Distinctive Assets reached a settlement, the company scaled back its ostentatious offerings this year. But the gift bags are still worth over $100,000 apiece; “nowhere close to the inaccurate reports that hit the internet this week,” the company said, according to Forbes. The Guardian priced everything out at closer to $200,000.
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In addition to a $40,000 stay at the Lost Coast Ranch and skin care items, there are a few tech items included in the bag. First, there’s the Oomi ($599), a smart-home kit that includes light bulbs, an outlet, and a tablet to help connect and control the devices. You can read more about it here.
Next is the Haze Dual V3 Vaporizer ($250), which the manufacturers describe as an “upscale, portable vaporizer that is known for being the first and only dual-chamber vaporizer on the market.” Its draw is that you can use “dried herbs, concentrates, and oils within the same session.”
If you’ve ever wanted a personal kegel trainer, then look no further than Elvie ($199), which trains your pelvic floor and has an app. You can read more about it here.
Last year, recipients got a Noon Virtual Reality headset, an LG Tone Infinim Stereo headset, a Krystal Klear Whole Home Water Filtration system, and Phantom Glass, an impact- and scratch-resistant screen protector for phones, cameras, and tablets.
We’ll have to wait until Sunday, February 26 to see who’s celebrating and who’s drowning his or her sorrows in Chubby Chipmunks chocolates.