Art of Play raises price of Molly the mechanical bird after dispute with Kelly Clarkson

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Art of Play, a specialty shop in Brooklyn, announced that the price tag for its mechanical singing bird, known as Molly, has been raised from $15,000 to $15 million. The change follows a social-media exchange on Oct. 10 in which singer Kelly Clarkson said the store treated her as if she could not afford the $15,000 item and suggested she be shown a cheaper alternative.

Co-owner Adam Rubin said the incident generated a surge of phone calls, emails and online messages, some of which were threatening. He added that the shop’s staff did not recognize Clarkson during her brief visit and that the bird is permanently attached to a wall and not for sale. Rubin noted that the store offered to show her a different singing bird made by another artist that costs $2,000.

Rubin explained that the $15,000 price previously displayed reflected the cost of commissioning a custom version of the bird from its creator, Seattle artist Bliss Kolb, and that the new $15 million figure represents the estimated cost of a bespoke automaton. "We've raised the price due to popular demand," he said.

Despite the controversy, Rubin said the shop has received support from local residents, with customers leaving gifts and pastries when the store was closed on Oct. 12. Online sales and foot traffic have reportedly increased.

Customers interviewed expressed mixed reactions. Paul Lipson, 80, of Michigan, called the dispute "silly" and described the store as "very unique." Zach Thomas, a nearby resident, said the situation was a "crazy misunderstanding" and praised the shopkeepers as "the nicest people in the world," adding that the bird is not for sale.