Beer Backpacks and Beanbags: Crumpler Is Selling 15,000 Vintage Y2K Bags Found in Seoul

The story of how Crumpler found 15,000 items of its old 2000s-era stock in a South Korean warehouse begins with boring legal wrangling. Dave Roper, one of the original three co-founders of the 30-year-old Australian bag brand, was tying up loose ends in Asia, closing down counterfeit businesses, IP squatters (registered copycat variations like “Clumpler”) and old distribution arrangements.

While in Seoul, Roper caught up with one of Crumpler’s old South Korean distributors who casually mentioned he had some old Crumpler stock and asked whether Roper wanted to buy back.

“We left on good terms, had a nice lunch and off I went on my merry way,” Roper tells Broadsheet. “And when I got back home, the list arrived and I was, like, ‘Holy shit’. There were like 15,000 products listed, there was so much stuff. That was a bit of a shock.”

Roper committed to buying back all the stock. “Much to our warehouse manager’s disgust,” he jokes. What arrived was a time capsule of Crumpler’s earliest days, relics of Y2K memorabilia. There were, of course, the messenger bags Crumpler is known for, but there was also a random assortment of other forgotten pieces.

Compact pencil cases, belt strap cases (made to fit iPod minis), beer backpacks and hydration packs (complete with water tubes and whistles) are just some of the playful vintage pieces already on sale.

There's even a selection of Crumpler’s ’90s beanbags, which are being held for a later drop. “Something I’ve really regretted not doing over the years is keeping a proper archive, so [we’re] just so lucky to find this stuff.”

The previous distributor had kept products packaged, labelled and boxed, with most information neatly attached. The Crumpler team had to figure out each item’s manufacturing year by trawling through old blogs, reviews and online store archives, which are linked on the product pages.

Roper says combing through this archive collection has been a “blast from the past”. Reflecting on some of the products’ “funny names” and “[wild] colour combinations,” he notes how Crumpler has significantly evolved since its inception.

“What I’ve [noticed] from the old stuff is how [it’s] overbuilt and heavy. But in a way, that’s sort of cool,” Roper says. “You look at a lot of outdoor fashion these days – it’s very tech, lightweight [and] slick. Whereas this stuff is pretty rudimentary in a lot of ways. But that’s also its charm. The simplicity of how we made stuff … was what made it so special.”

For the next few months, Crumpler will continue to release these new old pieces online. It’s a perfect opportunity for fans to rediscover an old favourite – or be introduced to a new one.