Coffee giant Starbucks is known for putting out debatably ostentatious sterling silver or Swarovski crystal gift cards for the holiday season. This year, the chain is adding a feel-good gift card option, too.
A Starbucks spokesperson tells Eater that a small handful of 2016 Swarovski Starbucks gift cards (for $200 a pop, with $50 of value on them) will be available online in the very near future. Otherwise, your only option is to get them at inflated prices from decidedly non-Starbucks retailers — the Swarowski cards on eBay are at least $300 or so at the moment, and some don’t even have the $50 of coffee on them.
Starbucks is also peddling seasonal Swarovski cups, ready to be tainted by pouring a bucketload of chestnut praline latte inside. They start around $50, and some are already on sale. If you’re feeling cheap, there are some much more vivid riffs on the Starbucks crystal theme out there on the internet.
For those who are a little less moneyed or a little more charitable, Starbucks also has new gift cards produced by 11 homeless or disabled artists across America. They’re being sold via the organization ArtLifting, which specializes in supporting such artists and the social services that can give other disabled or homeless people a boost. As a nice touch, the cards aren’t mass produced. Instead, the artists make each card individually, and it’s noted that the designs might not perfectly match up with what is shown online.
Among the artists are Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith, a former sculptor and massage therapist, who suffers from the degenerative illness ALS and paints with her feet. There’s also Jeff Roysdon, a San Francisco artist often housebound by depression and anxiety.
The cards are $100 each (and loaded with the same amount), and unlike scammy charity promotions where 0.001 percent of each sale goes to charity, Starbucks is giving the full $100 to each artist.
• Artlifting + Starbucks [Artlifting]
• Limited Edition 2016 Starbucks Swarovski Espresso Stainless Steel Gift Card [eBay]
• Swarovski Crystal Gifts Collection [Starbucks]
• A Brief History of Starbucks' Limited-Edition Gift Cards [E]