You Are Here – Katowice (prototype)

Yet another very interesting and unique find from the private collection that is being offered for sale. It seems that You Are Here Katowice was originally planned for release much earlier than we previously believed. The prototype’s design is significantly different from the version that was ultimately approved in 2024. As you can see in the comparison photos below, the final mug features a more vibrant color palette, while the marching band’s hat from the prototype was replaced with the full marching band.… Read more

You Are Here Ornament – Seoul (prototype)

Some prototypes differ from the production version by a color, a missing detail, or a small design tweak. Others are far more intriguing because they represent a product that was never released at all.

This You Are Here Ornament Seoul falls into the second category.

If you’ve been following my recent posts, you already know that Starbucks never officially released a You Are Here mug or ornament for Seoul. Instead, South Korea received its own Korea Real City collection, making any Seoul item from the YAH series something that simply wasn’t supposed to exist.… Read more

You Are Here Seoul – an opportunity to own one of the rarest Starbucks mugs ever released

As many collectors already know, Starbucks never officially released a You Are Here Seoul mug. South Korea received the Korea Real City series instead, making a Seoul YAH mug something that simply wasn’t supposed to exist.

Well… one does.

This is not a production mug that somehow slipped through retail. It is believed to be a prototype/sample created during the development of the You Are Here collection before the series was discontinued. To date, this may be the only known example to have surfaced publicly, although its exact production history remains unknown.… Read more

You Are Here – Gdynia

I would like to thank a reader of the blog for providing the photos of this newly released You Are Here – Gdynia mug. Interestingly enough, Starbucks had already released a mug for Trójmiasto (Tricity), the metropolitan area primarily consisting of the cities of Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot. To make things even more interesting, a dedicated mug for Gdańsk was released later as well. Does this mean a mug for Sopot is also in Starbucks’ plans? Why not?

Founded in the 1920s, Gdynia is one of Poland’s youngest major cities.… Read more

You Are Here – Lucerne (prototype)

I continue discovering more and more prototypes from the private collection that is currently being sold on eBay. While this You Are Here – Lucerne prototype has already found a new owner, I believe it is worth documenting for fellow collectors.

As you can see from the pictures below, the only difference between this prototype and the mug that was eventually released in stores is the lion on the back. In the prototype, the lion is white, whereas the production version features a blue lion.… Read more

You Are Here – Belgrade

You probably remember my review of the You Are Here – Београд mug, the only mug in the series to use a Cyrillic city name. I assumed this was because both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets are officially recognized and widely used in Serbia. That is why I was excited to discover the pictures of this You Are Here Belgrade mug. It means that Starbucks may also have considered releasing a version featuring the city’s Latin spelling. It is entirely possible that this variation was produced in very limited quantities, as I have never encountered another example apart from this eBay listing.… Read more

You Are Here – Bodø

Bodø is a city unlike any other. Located just north of the Arctic Circle, it is home to the world’s northernmost Starbucks store, making this You Are Here Bodø mug a particularly special release for collectors. Surrounded by dramatic fjords, rugged mountains, and some of Norway’s most spectacular natural scenery, Bodø serves as a gateway to the Arctic. The design celebrates the city’s unique location and highlights the natural phenomena and landmarks that make this corner of northern Norway so remarkable.… Read more

You Are Here – Leipzig (Prototype)

You may remember the post I shared earlier this month about an ultra-rare, never-released mug from Korea. At the time, I mentioned that the private collection being offered for sale included several mugs that appear to be pre-production samples created before the final designs went into manufacturing. One piece that particularly caught my attention is this You Are Here Leipzig (prototype) mug, which was recently sold on eBay.

What makes this mug fascinating is that it appears to be an early production sample featuring a different colour palette and a few subtle design variations compared to the version that was ultimately released in stores.… Read more

You Are Here – Seoul

Here is the You Are Here Seoul mug. Wait, what? How is this possible?

If you’ve been following the You Are Here series, you probably know that Starbucks never officially released any mugs for South Korea as part of the YAH collection. Instead, South Korea received its own beautiful series called the Korea Real City collection, featuring both full-size mugs and mini demis.

Well, that is still true because the mug you are seeing here was never officially sold in stores.… Read more

You Are Here – Fredrikstad

This is both exciting and exhausting news for collectors hoping to complete their You Are Here collection, as Starbucks has recently released two new mugs from Norway. The first is the You Are Here Fredrikstad mug, featured here. Stay tuned for a review of the second release.

Fredrikstad is one of Norway’s most charming coastal cities, located at the mouth of the Glomma River where it meets the Skagerrak. Founded in 1567 by King Frederick II after the nearby town of Sarpsborg was destroyed during war, Fredrikstad is best known for its remarkably preserved fortified old town, waterfront scenery, and easy access to the islands of the Oslofjord.… Read more

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